Dyane Leshin-Harwood holds a B.A. degree in English Literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz.  Dyane was diagnosed with type I bipolar disorder in 2007 at age thirty-seven, six weeks postpartum after the birth of her second daughter. As a result, Dyane has developed a commitment to postpartum mood disorder education, and she’s currently working on her book “Birth of a New Brain – Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder”. Dyane founded the Santa Cruz, California chapter of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and ran free support groups for women with mood disorders.  She is a member of the International Bipolar Foundation’s Consumer Advisory Council. Dyane was honored to be selected by the IBPF as their first 2014 “Story of Hope and Recovery” and was chosen by PsychCentral columnist Chato B. Stewart as a “Mental Health Hero of 2014”. Dyane blogs for the cutting-edge website Stigmama.com and she’s a member of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. To read Dyane’s personal blog visit www.proudlybipolar.wordpress.com