Sons of Madness

In this book, an experienced psychotherapist taps in-depth interviews to document how boys who grew up with psychotic, bipolar, depressed, or mentally ill parents coped with the stresses and became the men they are today.

What is it like for a boy to grow up with a mentally ill mother or father? In this book, Susan Nathiel, PhD, LMFT, shares her in-depth interviews with a dozen men who reflect on their experience—from childhood to the present—growing up with a mother or father suffering from some form of mental illness such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc. These candid accounts detail each man's unique personal narrative, yet some common themes emerge.

Inspired by her own childhood experience growing up alongside her brothers with a mentally ill parent, Nathiel knows the right questions to ask: how did these boys deal with shame and stigma? How did they cope with the expectations that boys and men are not emotional and don't need to talk about frightening, confusing experiences? How have they managed close relationships as adults? What has been the legacy of family mental illness for each one of these men? This is one of the only books to offer a range of different stories focused on the same topic. These are rarely heard, deeply personal stories that explain how these men coped, how they grew up, and how they eventually healed—or didn't—from deeply troubling experiences.