Under Construction - MHWA Retreat

What are some major life differences you’d have if you’d never been impacted by mental health issues?
I think/hope I might’ve had more of a sense of connection with my cousins. Growing up in my mid-teen years felt a little lonely, honestly, family-wise.
My aunt (through marriage) has schizophrenia and her 4 kids range from 10-2 years older than me. I think, reflecting on it now, that maybe we would’ve been closer as cousins if the aunt had been fine. On the other hand, they would’ve been living in Canada, so there’s no telling if we would’ve been close, so that could also very well be wishful thinking on my part.


Do you think you’d be in the same career/field? Would your day-to-day life look different?
Potentially. I don’t think this aunt has really had much effect on my life, aside from disruptions here and there where we went up to Canada in middle school to help her out, or if Mom needed to make a trip up there in high school and leave me and sis alone for a night or two.

Would your family look the same? Same partner, number of kids, same friends?
Definitely not. My aunt had 4 kids (3 male, 1 female) and all of the males exhibit signs of some sort of mental illness- whether or not that’s because of her, I don’t know, but the three of them decided not to stick around to help her/the religious organization we’re in. 2 of the 3 reounced(?) the organization, and the last has moved interstate. The female cousin also seems to have some sign of mental illness, but she’s stuck around- I really don’t see her often though, so honestly, I don’t know what’s up with her.


In what ways would your life be better without mental health issues? In what ways would your life be worse?
I suppose I would have four “normal” cousins whom I’d be able to talk with, and potentially a third uncle who wasn’t MIA.
In this sense, I’m not sure my life would be worse without the issues. If my cousins still turned out the way they are now, even without their mother’s mental health issues, I suppose being close with them could qualify as worse.

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