My book also relates my search for identity. After leaving the business world to care for small children and aging grandparents, as well as adapting to a culture far different from that of my upbringing, I evaporated into my surroundings, no longer sure of who I was. What was my purpose? What did I want? These questions cratered me, setting in motion my genetic tendency for depression. Most people answer these questions without a tour of the psychiatric ward, but my road was bumpy--the psych ward was only one of many stops.
Each time I speak about my experience, I find people are often one step removed from the devastation of mental illness or even suicide. Stories about mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, spouses, and children all make me wonder: Could we have stopped those deaths? If we are more aware, can we see the signs earlier and save a life?
I think we can. In that belief, I offer my story. Proceeds from this book will be donated to programs and research to battle mental illness.