It was one thing for me to overcome tragedy, but my entire family needed to triumph as well. My siblings, one older brother and a younger sister, were deeply affected by my illness. My brother was troubled as a teen and my sister was being babysat by other families and did not really know what was wrong with me until she read my book. That was so very sad for me to come to terms with as an adult, but my parents tried their best, doing everything they could to help the family as a unit to function. We did seek family counseling which helped somewhat, but sibling rivarly played a (perfectly normal) role in that as well. My older brother made fun of me and all I went through, and my parents preferred my sister to be occupied rather than deal with my illness. We have all come to terms with this, and I understand they did the best they could under the circumstances. However, I strongly suggest treating the illness by involving the entire family so that everyone understands what is going on, within reason. My parents were my rock and still are even though mom passed away over 18 years ago.
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