What Doesn't Kill Us

When I was 38, my charmed life began to unravel. By 41, I had developed Generalized Anxiety Disorder. At 44, I was hospitalized for seven weeks following a catastrophic suicide attempt. This non-fiction book begins on the Saturday morning I received the call that ever after divided time for me: the news of my mother's accidental death. It describes the additional hardships - infertility, layoffs, a cross-country move, divorce - that led to the day I took a razor blade to my throat. It follows my journey from Atlanta to Athens, Georgia; central Oregon; and finally back to my roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, as well as my emotional journey from happily married stay-at-home mom to divorced secretary and single parent. Most importantly, it chronicles my battle with an insidious mental illness, my experiences in two psychiatric wards, and how I fought my way back to health. During this six-year journey, I learned a great deal about the nature of mental disorders and the availability of effective treatment. I became certified as an "In Our Own Voice" presenter for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, so I can do my part to raise public understanding of why we must stop drawing a distinction between "mental" and "physical" health. The body functions as a whole. The U.S. Surgeon General estimates that one in five Americans suffers from a mental illness in any given year -- everyone knows someone. I know the despair of hitting bottom, and I know the absolute necessity of hope. This book is about both. View the trailer at: http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeFDkkOEyk0