While You Were Out

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From award-winning journalist Meg Kissinger comes a searing memoir of a family besieged by mental illness, exploring the systems that failed them and the love that sustained them. Growing up in the 1960s in suburban Chicago, Kissinger’s family appeared to lead a charmed life, with eight children and two loving parents radiating warmth and energy. They enjoyed summer days on Lake Michigan and skiing, embodying a vibrant spirit. However, behind closed doors, a harsher reality unfolded: a heavily medicated mother hospitalized for anxiety and depression, a manic father prone to violence, and children grappling with bipolar disorder and depression, including two who would ultimately take their own lives. The Kissingers faced the world with dark humor and an unspoken rule: never talk about it. The narrative begins as a personal account of one family's struggles and expands to illustrate how childhood tragedy propelled Kissinger into a journalism career focused on exposing the flaws in the nation's mental health care system. Blending memoir with investigative reporting, the book examines the consequences of shame, the impact of flawed public policy, and the promise of new treatment strategies. Powerful and candid, this story highlights a family's love and resilience in the face of profound loss.