MW:

Why did you decide to publicly share the story of growing up with mentally ill siblings?

SIMON:

I realized at some point soon after my father's death – he was a good man but very into hiding the "family shame" – that I was spending a lot of energy in disturbing ways. I was reacting inappropriately to people and situations, and sort of spinning my wheels in self-destructive patterns. And what I kept coming back to, was that I had a lot of unresolved feelings – anger, grief, shame – about my brother and sister. Talking openly, and in my case writing, was a way to air those feelings and make them less toxic.

MW:

How did your family, friends, and colleagues react to your story after it was published?

SIMON:

Great, actually. So many people have "come out" to me about their own illness and/or their relatives' illnesses, it amazes me. My mother, in particular, was really nervous. I suspect she was afraid at some deep level that people would stone her for "making" her children ill. And she was, I also think, hurt by some of my revelations. But her friends have been so supportive and have shared their own stories. Between this support and the freedom of having no more deep, dark secrets, I think my mother is actually lighter and happier as a result.

MW:

Some siblings of the mentally ill say they don't want to read any books on the subject. Does this surprise you?

SIMON:

I guess this reaction doesn't surprise me. I do think there is a great desire – hey, I had it – to just ignore the family issues once we're adults and out of the house. I didn't want to deal with my feelings, not to mention my brother or sister, for years. But even if we're not in contact with our siblings, the turmoil in our emotional state really does linger, and I hope that a lot of siblings do come around.

MW:

After traveling the country promoting your book, what have you learned that you didn't know before?

SIMON:

I guess I've been pleasantly surprised by the range of relationships people have with their family members, ill or not. Also I've learned there's a lot of good news about treatment. I hadn't realized before that the odds of recovery were so good if people could be treated early – and I didn't really know the details about the new generation of antipsychotic drugs.

MW:

There are some mental health consumers, parents and siblings considering sharing their personal experiences with mental illness publicly like you have done. Can you offer them any insights?

SIMON:

The bottom line for me is that talking openly has been well worth the risk. People with ill family members need to know they're not alone. And people who have not experienced mental illness need to hear and read the truth about mental illness.