This image is the cover for the book Family Illness

Family Illness

Family Illness is a realistic fictional piece of work written to give mature readers a sense of what it is like for someone to grow up afflicted with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Steve, the main character, suffers as a child in the 1980s, growing up in a secular Jewish household. He has lots of physical and verbal tics while in school but lives in fear that his secret living with a mental illness in a hostile world will be revealed. As Steve grows up into a young adult, his illness plays tricks on him, making him question every moral aspect of his life. His fears intensify at the same time as he learns that a family member has OCD as well. This encourages Steve to fight back, but he wonders if he has lost too much of his life to the disease.

Evan Wechman

Evan Wechman is a freelance journalist who has reported on other political and cultural issues occurring in society. He is also a professional speaker who addresses obsessive compulsive disorder and other mental health issues to help erase the stigma of living with a mental illness. Evan grew up suffering in silence from damaging effects of OCD but has learned how to fight back.

Austin Macauley Publishers