Although only 12 pages long, “My Special Brother Turtle,” is a book that focuses on the challenges of living with a family member with pediatric bipolar disorder and ADHD.
Its author? Karina MacLean, the older sister of the 7-year-old brother who serves as the subject of the book. Shy and quiet in person, according to this news story, Karina said she wrote the book to help educate and help other people.
“There are not a lot of books out there for children with siblings like this,” Debra [Karina's mother] said. “This has been all about her.”
Karina addresses this in the book, writing how the other sibling deals with the varying emotions that come with having a brother who has special needs. In the book, the special brother turtle can pitch a fit when he does not get his way, even in public places. Sister Turtle says she can feel embarrassed by the outburst, but she also feels bad because he’s different. This means trips to the mall have to be cut short and special activities, like trips to a theme park, can be almost impossible due to the large crowds and noise.
Isn’t the Internet amazing? Ten years ago, such a book would’ve never made it out of the house. Maybe it would’ve been photocopied a few times, at best. More likely it would’ve been shared with her parents and put into a pile where it would soon be forgotten. But here it is self-published online, available to everyone and anyone for a few dollars.
Karina is touching the lives of hundreds of kids like her, living with a sibling who has a serious mental disorder such as bipolar or ADHD. I wish more people could see how beneficial such simple acts can be.
The self-published book is available for purchase from CafePress.
Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.Like this author?
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 10 Oct 2007
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Grohol, J. (2007). Girl Publishes Own Book of Living with Brother with Bipolar & ADHD. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/10/10/girl-publishes-own-book-of-living-with-brother-with-bipolar-adhd/
