"Because I know my story of suicide grief has helped other people who have felt the same."Kevin Smith
Sold online at these locations: (click on logos to access the site)
Vibrant, intelligent, and active, nineteen-year-old college student Karla Smith embraces the future with unbridled enthusiasm. But when she suddenly loses interest in everything she always loved, her family is understandably alarmed. Where is the bubbly, optimistic Karla they all know and love? Weeks go by and Karla hides under her bedcovers, refuses to engage in any of her passions, and returns only a wall of silence to her family's pleading questions. Eventually diagnosed as bipolar, Karla experiences the illness's major symptoms of recurring depression and periodic mania. Her parents, Fran and Tom, and her twin brother, Kevin, endure her tragic lows and euphoric highs for seven long years before Karla loses the battle with her illness, committing suicide at the tender age of twenty-six. The Smith family weaves threads of pain, confusion, grief, and hope into a moving portrait of the challenge and tragedy of bipolar disorder. But it's Karla's own story-her brave fight against the debilitating disorder and her enduring struggle for balance, acceptance, and peace-that lies at the heart of this book, offering hope and strength for everyone who suffers from bipolar disorder and their loved ones.
There are so many people all over the world that are afraid to talk about mental illness, and I applaud your courage and drive to help them.” Angie Sanchez, San Antonio, TX