A story of resilience...
A look at what childhood is like
growing up with mentally ill mom, and an
exploration of the aftermath for adults
Alice M. Kenny (pseudonym) is a Philadelphia-born journalist. Her credentials include contributing freelance articles to a major Philadelphia daily newspaper on medical, family, social, and psychological issues . . . now she’s sharing her story.
Read Her StoryCrazy Was All I Ever Knew explores the impact of maternal mental illness on children through memoir and research. CRAZY WAS ALL I EVER KNEW intersperses episodes from my childhood with research on the risks faced by children of mentally ill moms, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in general, and the science of resilience. It sends a message of hope to children of mentally ill moms. Resilience can be built at any age.
Available Now on AmazonNo matter the source of hardship, the single most common factor for children who ended up doing well is having the support of at least one stable and committed relationship with a parent, caregiver, or other adult.—Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Read MoreAdverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatizing childhood events experienced before age 18. Research shows a link between exposure to ACEs and health and well-being over our lifespans. Having a mentally ill parent qualifies as an ACE.
Read MoreTo this day, I still think of my childhood home as "the crazy house." Like me, millions of adult Americans are living with the effects of the precarious childhoods they experienced as offspring of mentally ill parents. If you are one of them, this book is for you. As a child, you most likely lived in crazy house of your own. As an adult, you’ve probably retained and may even relive memories of the madness you experienced there.
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