Huffingtonpost iconHuffingtonpostSep 12, 2026 ~1 min source read

I Tried Hiding The Truth About My Adult Son, But Lying Became Too Exhausting

The author and her husband Before my husband, Daniel, and I climb out of our car parked in front of our friend's Baltimore home, I ask him how he wants to answer the question that we both know is coming. They'll probably ask to pour you another drink at that point." Kevin and Eliza are friends of ours, but we have not known them for long.

I Tried Hiding The Truth About My Adult Son, But Lying Became Too Exhausting

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The author and her husband Before my husband, Daniel, and I climb out of our car parked in front of our friend's Baltimore home, I ask him how he wants to answer the question that we both know is coming.

They'll probably ask to pour you another drink at that point." Kevin and Eliza are friends of ours, but we have not known them for long.

Researchers call this " stigma by association " – the quiet social pressure and judgment that families absorb simply by loving someone with mental illness.

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The useful part

The author and her husband Before my husband, Daniel, and I climb out of our car parked in front of our friend's Baltimore home, I ask him how he wants to answer the question that we both know is coming. They'll probably ask to pour you another drink at that point." Kevin and Eliza are friends of ours, but we have not known them for long. Researchers call this " stigma by association " – the quiet social pressure and judgment that families absorb simply by loving someone with mental illness.

How it works

  • "So, how are the kids?" Kevin asks, emphasis on the word kids.
  • If I decide to avoid this hardball by lying, I could speak in generalities and say, relatively speaking, all three of my kids are well.

Details worth keeping

"We don't have to go into every detail of James' latest episode. They have parents who support and care about them.

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