Last week at a coffee shop, I had a chance to meet up with Rebecca from Hyphen magazine to share my experiences growing up with my sister, who is bipolar schizophrenic. Rebecca is writing an article for the magazine and is still looking for for people for interview, so if you grew up in a similar situation and are comfortable being interviewed, she’s looking for your stories, and you might find the experience strangely cathartic:

Do you have an Asian American relative who has struggled with their mental health?

Have you yourself been confused or afraid in trying to find them help? Frustrated by the mental health system? Felt alone? Worried about what this means for your own future and that of your family?

My own mother has struggled with schizophrenia for a very long time, and I would love to talk with you and share stories. I am interested in hearing what challenges you faced, both emotionally and in finding care for your relative, and how you are dealing with them.

Please email me at rebecca[at]hyphenmagazine.com.

Best wishes,
Rebecca

To be honest, this was probably the first in-depth, face-to-face conversation I’ve ever had with another Asian person who’s had a close family member suffer from a mental illness. There’s a stigma with mental illness with Asian immigrants and Asian Americans – so much so, that when Rebecca told me about specific support groups that exist in San Francisco relating to mental illness support groups that communicate in both Chinese and English, my first thought was “why do they have the luxury of talking about their feelings? I had to figure this shit out all on their own.” Which, of course, is a horrible thing to think, but it’s true. I’m thirty years old, and the actions of my sister have shaped me into the person I am today, for better or for worse, and there’s not much that can really be done at this point, except vent about it to the Internet if she freaks out.

I kinda laughed off the suggestion on attending one of the support sessions – the weblog is my therapy, I joked, and I’m a little worried that the meetings will be a little “Ya Ya Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”-ish, but I might give it a go and see if there’s anything useful for me. We’ll see.