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Kelly’s life changed when her twin brother was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder.

We get into what it’s really like loving someone in psychosis — the delusions, hospitalizations, and the emotional exhaustion of trying to hold onto someone who’s slipping away. She also opens up about losing her father in the process, as he became her brother’s full-time caregiver.

Alongside that, she shares her own lifelong battle with anxiety, panic disorder, and OCD, and what it’s like to suffer quietly while your family is in crisis.

This is a raw, honest conversation about grief, mental illness, and what it costs to love someone who’s breaking.

Kelly's Links:

Support Group: NAMI (https://www.nami.org/program/nami-family-support-group/)

Instagram: kcamp31996

Time Stamps:

00:00:00 — What is it like growing up as a twin when one sibling later develops severe mental illness?

00:03:15 — How does childhood family structure affect long-term mental health?

00:06:00 — What are early signs of anxiety in children that often get overlooked?

00:08:45 — Why do adults sometimes dismiss anxiety symptoms as “overreacting”?

00:11:05 — Can children experience anxiety and self-hatred without a clear cause?

00:13:00 — What subtle warning signs appear before serious mental illness develops?

00:15:30 — How loss of motivation in school can signal deeper psychological issues

00:18:05 — Can witnessing violence trigger long-term mental health conditions?

00:21:00 — What does a panic attack actually feel like physically and mentally?

00:24:05 — How do OCD behaviors form as a way to cope with anxiety?

00:27:35 — Can fear of death and existential thoughts trigger panic attacks?

00:31:05 — Why do people normalize severe anxiety instead of seeking help?

00:33:20 — How multiple family losses in a short time impact mental stability

00:36:00 — How addiction patterns silently pass through families

00:38:25 — Why grief affects siblings differently after a sudden death

00:41:00 — Can marijuana worsen underlying mental health conditions?

00:44:00 — How did the COVID pandemic intensify anxiety and mental health struggles?

00:48:30 — When do small behavioral changes become warning signs of psychosis?

00:54:00 — Why families often miss the early stages of severe mental illness

01:00:00 — What is it like watching a loved one mentally unravel in real time?

01:08:30 — What are the early signs of psychosis before diagnosis?

01:18:00 — What finally forces families to seek emergency psychiatric care?

01:28:00 — What happens during hospitalization for severe mental illness?

01:38:30 — How does a serious psychiatric diagnosis change a family forever?

01:48:00 — What is the emotional toll of loving someone you can’t protect?

01:58:00 — How siblings process guilt, grief, and responsibility differently

02:05:30 — What do most people misunderstand about severe mental illness?

02:11:00 — How does this experience reshape views on mental health and family?

02:16:30 — What should people know about loving someone with a severe mental disorder?

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