I know firsthand how hard it is to cope with this disease. I spent my childhood loving a mother who suffered from bipolar disorder and who at times lived with it untreated. Her illness not only compromised her life, it compromised her family members’ lives as well.

I’m far from being alone. A whopping 14 million Americans and 450 million people across the globe suffer from mental illness. And most of those folks have loved ones who must help care for them.

I wrote Breaking Into My Life to help myself—along with the rest of us—better understand the world of mental illness. I hope my story of perseverance and triumph helps challenge and transform the “suffer in silence” dynamic, and makes mental illness more understood, treated and accepted.

Be sure to visit my new Mental Health Culture Changing Website.

www.michelleedickinson.com