I am a wife, a mother, an educator and a mental health advocate. I have lived with bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder for more than half my life. I wasnt properly diagnosed until the early 2000s. It wasnt until I started volunteering with a suicide prevention charity that I found my voice. I saw the effect that sharing my story had on others. For those that had lost someone to suicide, it gave them a glimpse into their loved ones mind set. For those that lived with a mental illness, it helped them realize that they were not alone. This led to advocacy work. I thought if I could help individuals, then I could sure do something on a national and state legislative level. That is now where my passion is educating our nations leaders about mental illness and how their decisions or lack of decisions effect us. I have also found a voice through blogging. I never thought my words could have such an impact on people. It helps me in my recovery process to help others. So aside from advocating, my true passion is helping others. I’m looking forward to blogging for the International Bipolar Foundation. I also have a personal blog at www.bravelybipolar.wordpress.com