Mommy Why Do I Feel This Way

Baldwin County Medication Mother and daughter co-author book to help mentally ill children and families find hope.

by Rose Ann Haven

Published: Mon, April 20, 2009 - 2:34 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, April 20, 2009 - 5:38 pm CST

A Baldwin County mother and daughter are sharing their unique perspective on mental illness. They've written a children's book and they hope to put it in the hands of other families here on the gulf coast and around the world.

"What was it like growing up with a mom with OCD?", asks WKRG News 5's Rose Ann Haven. "The biggest thing I remember is anxiety, nervousness, just kind of a generalized state of anxiety", says Julie Smith.

Smith's mother, Jan McVey has O-C-D, obsessive compulsive disorder. For much of McVey's life, the disease forced her to carry out rituals like washing her hands constantly.

"it's an illness like any other we try to hide it and children do too, and they're afraid, and people will tell me well we didn't know you had anything wrong. I say well, I hid it as long as I could but all the time I was miserable.", says McVey.

Years later, through medication and therapy, McVey found relief. Now, she and her daughter, a family therapist, have put their expertise and life experiences on paper to help other children.
"Mommy Why Do I Feel This Way?" is about a little girl named, Tiffy. Her constant obsessions and fear of germs make her very sad. "We'd just like to get it to pediatricians and schools and parents and children to know that there's nothing to be ashamed of", says McVey.

In the book, Tiffy goes to the doctor and gets help just like McVey did in real life, and that makes it better for the whole family.

"We have a better relationship than we ever have..so we have a friendship now, and we do things together and we spend time together so yeah. We have come a long way", says Smith.

McVey is very active with The Baldwin County Chapter of NAMI, The National Alliance on Mental Illness.
For more information on how to get "Mommy Why Do I Feel This Way?" contact McVey 251.213.0668 or go to www.xlibris.com

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