Richard Day Gore - Voices of Bipolar Disorder: The Healing Companion: Stories for Courage, Comfort and Strength

Pure inspiration.

Shape Magazine

provides answers to practically anyone wondering What now? this worthy collection succeeds very well.

Publishers Weekly

Hearing others stories is the most substantial aspect of any support group Its the universality of the emotions that links these essays and puts the human face on what can be a very scary disease. For all patient health collections.

Library Journal

Voices of Alcoholism

Voices of Alzheimers

Voices of Autism

Voices of Caregiving

Voices of Breast Cancer

Voices of Lung Cancer

Voices of Multiple Sclerosis

Copyright 2010 by LaChance Publishing LLC

ISBN 978-1-934184-07-3

Edited by Richard Day Gore and Juliann Garey

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

No portion of this book may be reproducedmechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopyingwithout the express written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009935159

Publisher: LaChance Publishing LLC

120 Bond Street

Brooklyn, NY 11217

www.lachancepublishing.com

Distributor: Independent Publishers Group

814 North Franklin Street

Chicago, IL 60610

www.ipgbook.com

This book is available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions or premiums. Special editions, including personalized covers, excerpts of existing books, and corporate imprints, can be created in large quantities for special needs. For more information, write to LaChance Publishing, 120 Bond Street, New York, NY 11217 or email .

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

The journey from beginning to end is not always clear and straightforward. While work on Voices Of began just a short time ago, the seeds were planted long ago by beloved sources. This book is dedicated to Jennie, Larry and Denise, who in the face of all things good and bad gave courage and support in excess. But especially to Richard, who taught us by the way he lived his life that anything is possible given enough time, hard work and love.

Debra LaChance, Founder

Marina Benaur, M.D

Juliann Garey

H. Rachelle Graham

Juliann Garey

Lisa Rusczyk

Stephen Kolter

Natalie B. Rowe

Nicole Kafka

Gareth Allen

Sarah Colman-Hayes

Gail Livesay

Sandy McPheron

J. P. Whetsell

Maria Norman

Valerie Avrutis

Shannon C. Flynn

Patricia F. DAscoli

Annie Kassof

Jamie Weil

Amanda Weil

Judith Beth Cohen

Anne Skal

Caroline Nye

Jeff McKinstry

Richard Day Gore

Lisa Fisk

Maria Sosh

Kathryn Presley

Pamela Richards

Anne S. Zanoni

David ONeal

Matthew Rennels

Sherry Stearn

Beth Friedlander

Amy Pilkington

Carrie McCarter

I wanted to ask the people around me, Would you please raise your hand if you feel as isolated as I do? Walking the busy streets of Manhattan on a beautiful sunny day, I was surrounded by people but Id never felt so alone. Just minutes before, my doctors had broken the news to me that I had a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer.

Since moving to New York from a small town in Rhode Island, Id had my share of ups and downs but had always risen to the challenges that living and working in New York can bring. But on this summer afternoon, I felt as if the world was suddenly rushing past me while I seemed to be moving in slow motion. I was completely alone.

After recovering from the initial shock, I found that one of the first things I almost automatically began to look for, besides doctors, was a sense of connection. I needed to hear from other people who had gone through what I was experiencing, who truly understood what it meant and who might be able to help. I wasnt ready for a regular support group, and with surgery and treatment looming, I simply didnt have the time. But I am an avid reader, and I assumed that finding the personal stories of those who had gone through this ordeal before me would be relatively easy. But there seemed to be a vacuum; almost nothing. Where were the real people to talk to? Where was the literature that wasnt just about the hardcore science of the disease, but about how to cope?

I knew there must be countless others out there who needed to tell their storiesand to hear the stories of others as well. My thoughts kept returning to that walk through Manhattan after Id heard my diagnosis, and that feeling of terrible loneliness. As sympathetic as friends and loved ones could be, I felt that no one could truly understand this journey except someone who had made it before. I was convinced that getting and giving courage, comfort, and strength were as important as good medical care, and I became determined to help build a community for people like me who were undergoing the terribly isolating experience of dealing with a life-threatening or chronic disease.

Out of this resolve to build a sense of community, The Healing Project was born. The Healing Projects mission is to become a bridge across which people can make those all-important emotional connections. I began to develop The Healing Project as a place where people can contribute funds for research, time for connecting with others, and most of all, a place to share their stories. Since then, The Healing Project has been collecting stories by those touched by illness or diseases for books like this one: books that inspire and inform for the road ahead and impart a sense of community for those caught up in dealing with the moment. These books are meant to be a companion for patients, their friends, and families, an oasis where they can find strength in shared experiences. I dont want anyone to have to feel the way I did the day of my diagnosis when I was walking through the city alone and afraid. Theres so much strength in othersyou just have to find them.

When you are dealing with disease, you have to be ready to chart a new course, for the rest of your life, no matter what the outcome. And it helps to see that others are busy charting their own courses along with you. Thats what these stories are all about. Reading these amazing contributions to the Voices Of series convinces me that I dont really have a uniquely remarkable story at all.

The truth is, everyone does.

_______________

Debra LaChance is the creator and founder of The Healing Project.

People diagnosed with life-threatening or chronic, debilitating illnesses face countless physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial challenges during their treatment and throughout their lives. The support of family members, friends, and the community is essential to their successful recovery and their quality of life, and access to accurate and current information about their illnesses enables them and their caregivers to make informed decisions about treatment and post-treatment care. Founded in 2005 by Debra LaChance, The Healing Project is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of these individuals, developing resources to enhance their quality of life, and supporting the family members and friends who care for them. For more information about