Brainstorm

Valerie Godines, a writer for the Orange County Register, has drawn one of the most compelling and vivid first-person portraits of a struggle with bipolar disorder and child abuse I have ever read. For anyone who lives with, works with or cares for family members suffering from mental illness or child abuse, don't miss this amazing chronicle of insanity and healing. From the author: "Hello there. My name is Valerie Godines. I have been in journalism for 19 years. My series is about bipolar disorder. I decided to go public with this, because I learned during my illness that we're still so afraid to talk about mental illness. It is something that so many people are so ashamed of. I really, really want to try and change that. This series isn't just about bipolar disorder. It's about the human spirit, how we survive the unimaginable. It's the true story of a woman who falls apart and is gingerly put back together. It's about a woman who thought she killed her daughter. It's about a daughter who saved that woman."
This is sheer courage.