When Mental Illness Broke Our Bond: A Mother-Daughter Reconnection Story [Ep. 56]

About this episode

Genifer Salandy shares her personal story of estrangement and reconnection with her mother amidst the challenges of mental illness.

Reconnection and Loss: Genifer's Story of Mental Illness, Repair, and Saying Goodbye In this interview, I sit down with Genifer Salandy, school psychologist and founder of Rooted Joy Wellness, who shares her deeply personal story of estrangement, brief reconnection, and ultimate loss. From being parentified as a child by a mother struggling with undiagnosed bipolar disorder to navigating a crisis during the pandemic that led to complete estrangement, Genifer's story reveals the complexity of loving someone with serious mental illness. She walks us through the six-week period of harassment and social media attacks, her difficult decision to have her mother hospitalized, and the unexpected phone call that her mother was actively dying just as they were rebuilding their relationship. This isn't a traditional repair story - it's about honoring the ending you get, choosing love even when time is short, and recognizing your parent as fully human. With this episode you'll be able to: Understand how undiagnosed mental illness can create cycles of good and difficult periods in childhood Recognize the signs of parentification and how it shows up in adult caretaking patterns Navigate the…

People in this episode

Host: Brittney Scott

Guest: Genifer Salandy

Topics covered

• mental illness
• mother-daughter relationship
• estrangement
• reconnection
• parentification
• loss

Keywords

• mental illness
• bipolar disorder
• estrangement
• parentification
• reconnection
• loss
• boundaries
• self-care

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rooted Joy Wellness

More episodes of Mother Daughter Relationship Show

• Redefining the Mother-Daughter Relationship with Tes and Holly [Ep. 72] · June 12, 2026 · 37 min
• Matrscence and The Mother Daughter Dynamic with Dr. Cecily Moore [Ep. 71] · June 5, 2026 · 24 min
• Enmeshed Mother Daughter Relationships [Ep. 70] · May 29, 2026 · 20 min
• Trauma, ACEs, and Mother Wounds Talk [Ep. 69] · May 22, 2026 · 19 min
• 2 Mothers and 2 Mother Wounds [Ep 68] · May 15, 2026 · 45 min
• The Ripple Effects of Mother Wounds [Ep. 67] · May 8, 2026 · 18 min