After diligent and fearless work from those in the community, the stigma surrounding living with mental illness is beginning to ever so slowly lose its sting. The hard truth is that the utter prevalence of those living with some type of mental illness in the United States and abroad demands that outdated attitudes and hushed conversations regarding those who are suffering must be replaced with forward thought in order to foster healing. It is perhaps directly due to the increase of voices of those living with mental illness coming forward and sharing their stories that this stigma is beginning to soften. As an addition to this growing catalog of personal stories, AN IMPOSSIBLE WIFE provides a unique and beautiful perspective.
Author Rachael Siddoway collaborated with her mother, Sonja Wasden, to share with readers the devastating impacts of living with mental illness, as well as her work to manage her diagnosis in An Impossible Life, while openly sharing her story with others. This follow up work, titled AN IMPOSSIBLE WIFE, expands the family’s story to include the personal perspective of Sonja’s husband, Mitch, offering readers a look into the ways in which Sonja’s struggles impacted not only her marriage and home life, but Mitch, as well. The experiences shared in AN IMPOSSIBLE WIFE highlight the ways in which mental illness, like so many chronic illnesses, affects not only the suffering individual, but the entire family. Readers follow the couple from their first meeting and blissful early years of marriage, through seemingly insurmountable challenges and trials as Sonja experiences moments of severe crisis all the while struggling to receive an accurate diagnosis. The physical, mental, and emotional toll taken by Mitch as he cares for his wife and family, including taking responsibility for Sonja’s impulsive spending habits, further reinforces the ways in which the very serious topic of mental health is not being adequately addressed in today’s health care system.
The brave and vital work of this family to share their individual and shared stories so openly and without reservation is a gift to all readers. This work enlightens those who perhaps have not been directly impacted by the difficulties of caring for an individual with mental illness, but also provides a sense of comfort and hope for those who are currently struggling.
AN IMPOSSIBLE WIFE is a moving story of love, heartbreak, and the impacts of mental illness on every member of the family.
~Sarah Baer for IndieReader