Autor: Elizabeth Kelly

I grew up on the peninsula of the bay near San Francisco, California. After twenty years, I decided not to live in the shadow and shame of my disorder. A shadow created over my life at twenty-one, I was riddled with a new condition, a condition to be managed and fostered over the next twenty years and a lifetime. At the beginning of my journey, I turned to writing as a form of expression; finding myself navigating through my experiences. I opened my books twenty years later with a new perspective. I write again and see a true transformation and growth. The shadow and shame of my disorder are now gone, and an appreciation of process found. I share my writing with all who want to see that growth in the light of struggle is possible. Thanks to support and love, an understanding is born. It is important to me to show that being diagnosed with a mental disorder is not the defining aspect of my life. It is a gift to have clarity and knowledge that with treatment, true success is possible. I was able to finish college with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and today I am a registered nurse. To this day I continue to hide this part of my history in fear of judgment. Through this publication, I hope to encourage more light to shine on mental illness for the purposes of understanding and acceptance. I use a pen name for fear of judgment. I have hope that one day clarity and understanding for all are recognized and judgment cease.