In past years, Janet experienced sadness about her brother’s situation. She had a dream that helped her understand her role in his life.
I remember having a dream about him where it was very clear, the message of the dream was, he’s living his life, let him be. That was very helpful. He had a suit on in this dream—walking in the puddles that I wouldn’t necessarily do.
Currently, Janet’s hopes for David’s future are realistic. She would like David to move closer so that she and Laura could see him more often. She realizes that as a single man, living alone with a chronic illness, his life challenges could increase as he ages.
In response to David’s illness, Janet became introspective. She wondered if she also had bipolar disorder and has read and attended workshops to learn more about mental illness. She became curious about her family and the connections to bipolar disorder. During her 30s, Janet faced the loss of a meaningful relationship with her father due to his alcohol use. She attended a support group for adult children of alcoholics and received support from good friends who set her on a path of understanding and learning. That experience spurred her to move into mental health work professionally and explore mind-body medicine strategies.