These days, more Americans than ever before are dealing with some sort of mental health issue, and even many of us fortunate enough to not have such an affliction have a loved one who struggles with depression, anxiety, or other challenges like alcohol or drug addictions. I know firsthand how devastating this can be for a family: My own father was the child of two people with severe mental illnesses that rendered them incapable of being parents, leaving him to be raised by a series of elderly relatives before being shunted off to military school. In my childhood, dealing with my grandmother’s mental health and frequent hospitalizations was a source of constant stress in my father’s life, and her infrequent, erratic appearances in our life were uncomfortable and often embarrassing for my family.
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