Welcome to another edition of sibling stories with Alana Ezderman, where we shed light on the personal experiences of siblings of loved ones with mental illness.

My interviewee, Pran, was struggling with feelings of being overwhelmed. His brother had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and he found himself constantly trying to find solutions for his brother and parents.

Pran had grown up in a tight-knit family and was close with his brother. His parents had created their thriving life from scratch after fleeing war-torn Sri Lanka decades ago. For Pran, they were the model of unlimited strength and resilience, and he strived to emulate that bounce-back mentality in his own life.

Here’s Pran’s story…