The Second: A Memoir of Love and Commitment (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781736678008)

Discover the page-turning, first-person story of a woman gripped by the onset of bipolar disorder, the threats to her marriage and how she eventually tames the beast of mental illness.

I knew I needed a break. I didn't realize I'd had one.

An unanticipated pregnancy for a suburban Minneapolis mother of three rocks her world in 1987. Determined to gain control of her life, she seeks care from a friendly OB-GYN. Boundaries blur after the child arrives and she finds herself distracted by the imagined relationship with the gynecologist. Her marriage and mental health on the brink of collapse, she takes a leap of faith one hot summer night and becomes convinced she's the Second Coming. Her revelations land her in a psychiatric ward.

With hard-earned wisdom and insight, she recalls the intervening years dealing with bipolar disorder, the trial and error of various psychiatrists and the methods she discovers to help alleviate the disorder on her own. She raises her children and the dynamics of her marriage continue to evolve after she uncovers a devastating personal secret.

Can the marriage survive? Will the doctor continue to play a role in her life? Alternately funny and moving, The Second: A Memoir of Love and Commitment depicts how mental illness sometimes affects lives right next door.

An inspiring, hopeful book about a regular mom facing extraordinary circumstances whose mission is to end the stigma surrounding healthcare for mental illness.