Mother Vs. Daughter: When Mental Illness Hits Home

The relationship between mother daughter can sometimes be strained for various reasons, but what about when the problem is due to a mentally ill daughter? The new book Stop Looking At Me! by J.Gail explores some tough issues that aren't always exposed in mental illness novels.

What if Your Mother Didn't Like You?
In the first scene involving mother and daughter, the reader will see that the mentally ill daughter and main character, Tracy, who suffers from Paranoid Personality Disorder, is actively avoided by her mother. The reader will most likely be disgusted and mortified by the way Tracy's mother, Mrs. Terri Samuels, treats her own daughter, but soon understand why their relationship is that way. In one scene, Tracy's mother doesn't even want her daughter to stay over the night and would rather that she drive all the way home from Long Island to the Bronx despite being exhausted. Her daughter could nod right off on the highway, but Mrs. Samuels doesn't care.

Most mother daughter relationship books focus on the positive aspect of how mothers relate to daughters, but in this work of fiction mental illness is the focal point of the problem between mother and daughter.

The Strained Mother and Daughter Relationship Effects the Ending of this Book
The strained family relationship in this book's plot is the main cause of what happens at the end. Tracy goes through life with little or no guidance, and her mental illness is only getting worse. She doesn't even have the love of a mother to help her conquer the inner demons present within. The storyline of this heart wrenching book reveals a lot of issues-Paranoid Personality Disorder is a very serious condition that must be treated by a professional, and requires the love of an understanding family.