Jess Lader worked in healthcare administration for 14 years before deciding to pursue her lifelong love of writing full time. She enjoys writing personal essays and is currently working on a memoir. She specializes in writing about mental illness and is devoted to presenting it from a positive and realistic perspective to eradicate the stigma surrounding such disorders. Her work has appeared on the following blogs: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Literary Cleveland, and Cleveland Edits. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio with her husband and two cats, Snickers and Luther. For more information, visit www.jesslader.com.

Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and ADHD at the age of 23, Jess has been 100% committed to her recovery for the last 13 years. She was initially misdiagnosed with unipolar depression which led to her first manic episode. It was only after she took a self-administered Mood Disorder Questionnaire that she arrived at the correct diagnosis. Since that time, she has learned that mental illness runs deep in her family. Bipolar Disorder is pervasive, persistent, and permanent so recovery is an ongoing process. She realized long ago that to be successful in living with mental illness, she requires medication, therapy, and a strong support system.