Piece Comment

Review of A Burden to be Well: Sisters and Brothers of the Mentally Ill


This deeply moving documentary reveals the hidden suffering of the sisters and brothers of the mentally ill. The range of distress experienced by these so-called ?well siblings? includes guilt for not being the one afflicted, resentment toward the ill sibling, and post traumatic stress disorder. Reporter Karen Brown threads together interviews with a wide variety of well siblings and experts to call attention to the stresses and burdens of being the ?normal? child in a household turned upside down by mental illness. The listener is taken to two such homes, where the relationship between the ill and the well sibling is exposed for all its complexity; stresses and resentments are openly discussed?as is the unique bond that these siblings have for each other. Powerful radio about a powerful subject.