Welcome -- Before you begin -- Part I. The basics. Chapter 1. What is this "mental illness" thing anyway? : understanding mental illness -- Chapter 2. Why does my parent have these problems? : the causes of mental illness -- Chapter 3. What are the different types of mental illness? : schizophrenia, major depression, and bipolar disorder -- Chapter 4. Why does my parent turn to alcohol and drugs? : common addictions among people with a mental illness -- Chapter 5. Who and what can help my parent? : my parent's treatment plan -- Part II. Life with a parent who has a mental illness. Chapter 6. Are all of my feelings normal? : understanding my strong emotions -- Chapter 7. How can I be true to myself? : ways to express myself honestly -- Chapter 8. How can I cope with all of this? : Tools for getting through the rough times -- Chapter 9. Who can I count on? : identifying people who can support me -- Chapter 10. What do I tell other people? : dealing with my friends -- Chapter 11. What can I do to help? : tips on supporting my parent -- Chapter 12. And how about those crises...what do I do? : coping with specific stressful situations -- Part III. Wrap-up. Chapter 13. Final thoughts and lessons learned -- Chapter 14. Commonly asked questions -- Chapter 13. Resource list -- List of feelings -- List of activities to help get through the rough times -- Glossary -- Note for professionals -- Note for parents/caregivers -- Acknowledgments -- About the authors.