{"id":422695,"date":"2022-03-28T13:57:56","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T10:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/kyleigh-leddy-writes-memoir-on-sisters-life-with-schizophrenia\/"},"modified":"2022-03-28T13:57:56","modified_gmt":"2022-03-28T10:57:56","slug":"kyleigh-leddy-writes-memoir-on-sisters-life-with-schizophrenia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/kyleigh-leddy-writes-memoir-on-sisters-life-with-schizophrenia\/","title":{"rendered":"#Kyleigh Leddy writes memoir on sister&#8217;s life with schizophrenia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4087112a0de\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4087112a0de\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/kyleigh-leddy-writes-memoir-on-sisters-life-with-schizophrenia\/#%E2%80%9CKyleigh_Leddy_writes_memoir_on_sisters_life_with_schizophrenia%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Kyleigh Leddy writes memoir on sister&#8217;s life with schizophrenia&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CKyleigh_Leddy_writes_memoir_on_sisters_life_with_schizophrenia%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Kyleigh Leddy writes memoir on sister&#8217;s life with schizophrenia&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>It was not easy for Kyleigh Leddy, based in New York City today, to live with\u00a0an older sister\u00a0who was\u00a0diagnosed with schizophrenia\u00a0during her college years \u2014 a sister much loved by everyone who knew her, especially her family.<\/p>\n<p>It was also not easy to\u00a0<em>write<\/em>\u00a0about life with an older sister diagnosed with schizophrenia \u2014 a sister who has been gone now for some time.<\/p>\n<p>But Kyleigh Leddy has done so poignantly in a new book, \u201cThe Perfect Other.\u201d The book sheds considerable light on mental illness and how, bit by bit, it took a beloved sister away from her family emotionally, psychologically and ultimately physically.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe is nowhere tangible,\u201d writes Leddy in her personal account, \u201cwhich is to say that she is everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The author does not ask for sympathy, nor does Leddy sugarcoat the difficulties.<\/p>\n<p>She lays out the life of a close sibling in an understandable and enlightening way, explaining that her sister, six years older, eventually became \u201c<em>that<\/em>\u00a0person. The one you hide from on the subway. Look away from, avoid eye contact,\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy sister, my hilarious, charming, perfect sister: now other. The irate madwoman on the train,\u201d Leddy says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=908\" alt=\"Kyleigh Leddy (above, left) as a small child, with her older sister, Kaitlyn\" class=\"wp-image-21683831\" width=\"618\" height=\"696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1234 1236w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=926 927w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=618 618w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=309 309w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-04.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 618px) 100vw, 618px\"\/><figcaption>\u201cMy sister, my hilarious, charming, perfect sister: now other. The irate madwoman on the train,\u201d Kyleigh Leddy said.\u00a0<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kyleigh Leddy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Leddy dedicates the book to \u201cthe estimated 970 million people worldwide who suffer from a mental health disorder. This book is for their suffering, and for those who love them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here are highlights from Fox <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> Digital\u2019s interview with Kyleigh Leddy about her account of her sister\u2019s life \u2014 plus an excerpt from the book that follows below.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fox News Digital:<\/strong>\u00a0What was, and what is, most important to you in terms of sharing your sister\u2019s story with the world?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kyleigh Leddy:\u00a0<\/strong>My hope is to spread more awareness [about mental illness] and to start a conversation about it. And while that might sound like a bit of a clich\u00e9, I really think it\u2019s important \u2014 when it comes to a subject like this, which has so much shame and stigma attached to it, so many misunderstandings \u2014 to shine a light on it. And to put a name and a face on it, and try to translate this very confusing, scary disease into something that is more accessible.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21683829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Kaitlyn spent some time modeling.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kyleigh Leddy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Fox News Digital:<\/strong>\u00a0What do you wish other people could know about your sister, Kaitlyn?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leddy:<\/strong>\u00a0I hope that people come away with an understanding of her beyond the illness. My sister had lovely qualities. She was fun, charismatic and smart. She was my idol. You know, we were just six years apart. She was my big sister. The illness just took so much away from her.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other people say to me, \u201cWhat should I say to my daughter who has this illness?\u201d or \u201cWhat should I say to my cousin who has this?\u201d I don\u2019t have those answers. But the insight I try to give to others, as best I can, is to differentiate between the person you love and the disease itself \u2014 and how it\u2019s changed the person you know.<\/p>\n<p>I think that\u2019s what makes mental illness so terrifying. It\u2019s part of the stigma about it. It\u2019s a condition that feels like it is threatening someone\u2019s soul, someone\u2019s personality, taking away so much of who that person is. The idea of \u201closing\u201d someone that way is terrifying.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"882\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=882\" alt=\"Kyleigh Leddy (at right, as a little girl), with her older sister, Kait,\" class=\"wp-image-21683830\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1764 1764w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1323 1323w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=882 882w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=441 441w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-05.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px\"\/><figcaption>Kyleigh Leddy (right) with her older sister, Kait.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kyleigh Leddy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Fox News Digital:<\/strong>\u00a0Do you want this mantle of being a spokesperson about the illness of schizophrenia \u2014 or do you feel that you\u2019ve been thrust into the role, given the circumstances?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leddy<\/strong>: I would say both. For me, it\u2019s part vocation and part passion. I always wanted to be a writer my whole life, so I think given the experiences within my family \u2014 my sister having this mental health issue \u2014 and now my interest in psychology that I\u2019m pursuing, this is the natural next path for me. Trying to combine the two feels right. It feels like the combination of what I enjoy doing and what I\u2019m passionate about.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also, I think of just how much my sister had going for her. We had resources, yet that still wasn\u2019t enough. So I think about that, too, in terms of my family. You can have so much going for you, things that many people in our society don\u2019t have, yet it wasn\u2019t enough. I hope to put a spotlight on that aspect of this as well.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fox News Digital:<\/strong>\u00a0For others who might have a close family member or friend who\u2019s been diagnosed with schizophrenia, what would you advise? Is it even possible to offer advice in a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> way?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leddy:<\/strong>\u00a0It [the illness] is so difficult. It\u2019s so hard to comprehend. The advice I would try to give another family \u2014 and this is easier said than done \u2014 is to take care of yourself first, if you can.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=678\" alt=\"Book\" class=\"wp-image-21683828\" width=\"259\" height=\"388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=514 518w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=385 388w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=257 259w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=128 129w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-01.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 259px) 100vw, 259px\"\/><figcaption>The book sheds considerable light on mental illness and how, bit by bit, it took a beloved sister away from her family emotionally, psychologically and ultimately physically.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">HarperCollins Publishers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you\u2019re just constantly dealing with the next crisis, you\u2019re not taking time to keep yourself in a healthy place. You have to put your life vest on first, so to speak.<\/p>\n<p>This may be hard to execute in the moment, especially for the parents or the main caretakers of the person. I was the younger sibling \u2014 but I look at my mom and the toll my sister\u2019s illness took on her. I think it\u2019s just so important to get yourself in therapy, in family therapy, if you can afford it. It\u2019s so important to have extra support.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fox News Digital:<\/strong>\u00a0You make very clear that there are ripple effects of a person\u2019s mental illness on the rest of the family. Have you found that other people you speak to tend to deny or reject that aspect of the illness?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leddy:\u00a0<\/strong>I think that education around the psychology of it is so important. I studied it in college, and now I\u2019m studying it in graduate school, at Columbia University [she is pursuing a master\u2019s degree in advanced clinical practice and public policy]. And I\u2019ve had some time and the ability to process things, to understand what\u2019s going on neurologically, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a>ly. That education is very grounding and helps people understand it better.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fox News Digital:<\/strong>\u00a0Do you ever think of what you might have done differently in the past in regard to your sister \u2014 or is that something you try not to do?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leddy:<\/strong>\u00a0Definitely. It\u2019s hard not to have regrets, of course. I think one thing I would have done differently, looking back, would have been to enjoy the moments with her \u2014 to trust the moments with her \u2014 that were good. I think of the times when my sister was \u201cherself\u201d again.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I try to remember that person and stay with that as long as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also, the grief [of losing her] never really goes away. So I find that the best way to cope with that is to try to channel it into something good \u2014 and hope that by telling her story, I can help other people.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"792\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-07.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=792\" alt=\"Kyleigh Leddy \" class=\"wp-image-21683838\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-07.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1584 1584w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-07.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1188 1188w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-07.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=792 792w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-07.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=396 396w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-07.jpeg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 792px) 100vw, 792px\"\/><figcaption>\u201cMy hope is to spread more awareness [about mental illness] and to start a conversation about it [schizophrenia],\u201d Kyleigh Leddy said.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Kyleigh Leddy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Fox News Digital:<\/strong>\u00a0What other lasting messages about your sister and her story do you want to share?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Leddy:<\/strong>\u00a0That would be the very strong connections that I looked at retroactively between head traumas, and autoimmune issues, and PCOS [polycystic ovary syndrome, which her sister was also diagnosed with] \u2014 and how interconnected the mind and body are. Mental illness is real. It\u2019s a neurological condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Something like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder \u2014 they\u2019re not that different from\u00a0Alzheimer\u2019s. These are brain-based disorders\u00a0that people are going through.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And I hope that if someone is walking down the street, and maybe they see a homeless person ranting about something \u2014 I hope that they\u2019re not just dismissive of the person, or that they blame that person for something somehow. I hope they consider that perhaps the person has a serious mental illness, which so many homeless people have.\u00a0\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/03\/28\/kyleigh-leddy-writes-memoir-on-sisters-life-with-schizophrenia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Kyleigh Leddy writes memoir on sister&#8217;s life with schizophrenia&#8221; It was not easy for Kyleigh Leddy, based in New York City today, to live with\u00a0an older sister\u00a0who was\u00a0diagnosed with schizophrenia\u00a0during her college years \u2014 a sister much loved by everyone who knew her, especially her family. It was also not easy to\u00a0write\u00a0about life with an&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":422696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/03\/new-york-sister-schizophrenia-comp-1-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[127251,17209,71431,4953,99607],"class_list":["post-422695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-3-28-22","tag-books","tag-mental-illness","tag-new-york-city","tag-schizophrenia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}