Despair to Joy: a Bipolar Woman's Quest for Wholeness

Bipolar disorder held Ann in its strong grip for twenty-five years. She was regularly plunged from mountainous mania to deep, dark valleys. Suicide attempts and mental hospital stays were often followed by happy times with family and friends; although excess was often a problem. Persistent prayers of her own and others finally led her to a Christian psychiatrist. Her beloved "Dr. John" prescribed appropriate medication, and fine-tuned the dosage to achieve balanced moods. All the while, he worked to convince Ann to value herself. Eventually, he began to patiently and tenderly coax her to recall and deal with the trauma that she experienced and repressed when she was six years old. Anger, guilt and hurt from myriad other life experiences had to be dealt with as well. Finally, and most importantly, guidance in spiritual formation set Ann free to resume her spiritual journey which was stifled by her illness early in her adulthood. Her gripping story begins with generational issues and progresses through cultural and religious issues, mental and physical illness, love and forgiveness, and finally in recovery as near to wholeness as one could hope for. Ann's story of perseverance and faith is told simply, but passionately. Her message is straight forward: God's love and provision is an essential element of lifting one from despair to joy.