Bipolar Blog by Liz: A Brilliant Madness, Patty Duke

Friday, November 9, 2007

A Brilliant Madness, Patty Duke

Tuesday, November 6, 2007 - 11:46 AM MST
Patty Duke to speak on mental illness for fundraiser
New Mexico Business Weekly
Academy Award-winning actress and author Patty Duke will speak about her personal experience with mental illness and the accompanying public stigma at an event organized by the Life Link, a group that helps people coping with mental illness, addiction and homelessness.
Duke will speak about recovery and overcoming the stigma surrounding mental illness as well as sign her book, "A Brilliant Madness," at 2 p.m. on Nov. 10 at the Life Link, 2325 Cerrillos Rd. in Santa Fe. There will also be a reception from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Vanessie restaurant, with Duke scheduled to speak at 9 p.m. at the Lensic Theatre nearby.
The local band E. Clayton and the Soul Deacons will perform at the Lensic at 8:30 p.m. prior to the talk. Tickets range from $15 to $45. Special seating and reception tickets to meet Duke are $150. All ticket sales benefit the Life Link and can be purchased through the Lensic box office.
Duke was diagnosed in 1982 with bipolar disorder. She has written a number of books and has launched an online site for mental illness, www.pattyduke.net. She is also a member of the Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council.
The New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative partners with the Life Link as fiscal agent and is participating in the event. Life Link officials said some 370,000 New Mexicans may suffer from some form of mental illness, including depression. Of those, 71,000 adults have a serious mental illness, including schizophrenia, manic depression, major depression, panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Patty Duke's book explains how and why a mentally ill person can commit some of the brilliantly intelligent and unspeakable acts, but in reality be very sick people. Most of the mentally ill are very intelligent, just have a chemical imbalance that they have no control over. This is a good book that has been on the market for a long time. Thanks to Patty Duke for continuing to share her story as well.

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Press Release

Press Release
A Bipolar Quandary: New Book Highlights Family's Struggle with Bipolar DisorderARLINGTON, Texas, March 23, 2007 -- Author Liz Janill tells the true story of a woman with bipolar disorder and the painful experiences of her family that cares for her in her new book, "Who Are the Victims? A Bipolar Quandary" (now available through AuthorHouse). Dorothy is medically diagnosed with bipolar disorder, in addition to suffering from delusions. Her husband, Charles, must make the decision to either place her in an asylum or allow her to live at home and help raise their three young children. Ultimately, he decides that the children should have a mother in their lives, no matter what. This begins the family's unforgettable journey of understanding as they work with Dorothy to manage her disorder and delusions. At times, Dorothy is lucid, but most of her time is spent in a hyper-manic and delusional frame of mind. The story is told through the eyes of Liz, Dorothy's daughter, beginning when she is 5 years old. Dorothy and Liz are very close and spend a great deal of time together. Liz expresses many of her thoughts and feelings regarding her mother and recounts the amazing obstacles that the family overcomes due to the disorder. "It is a love story in some ways about a family who loved Dorothy extremely and how they protected and took care of her for 48 years," says Janill. Through her story, Janill walks readers through the painful decisions that must be made every day on behalf of someone who is bipolar. "Bipolar disorder is an emotional rollercoaster ride that involves not only the bipolar person, but the whole family itself," she says. Janill wrote this book to share the very personal story of her now deceased mother. She hopes to reach other families in similar situations by providing a source of comfort and support in the knowledge that they are not alone. AuthorHouse is the premier publishing house for emerging authors and new voices in literature. For more information, please visit http://www.authorhouse.com.