I was born in a family where mental illness happened to nice people and since my youngest age I was interested by my surrounding. Since I was a little girl I liked to ask myself questions, the thinker, especially in the area where some people behaved in the most bizarre way. My mom was one of those; in spite of her predicament she brought to the world five children and their future will show they all succeeded in life. I was struck much more than my siblings by the disease. My first depression hit me after the birth of my first child just like my mom; but not like her I vowed from day one to get rid of such an awful sickness where I felt my body like a ball of pains and my soul damaged and ravaged; a terrible disease, a deterioration of my spirit and I showed to the world around me a diminishing personality.

I was sick for almost thirty years with depressions, hypomania and mania, three very different shows in my personality. Mainly genetic, there were also environmental factors and I felt it strongly in my case; and therefore I believe my illness could have been shortened. I was diagnosed only after twenty-five years and this is rather hard to believe. I got a medicine called Depakote during my mania. Originally it was and is even today a medicine for epilepsy.

I became free of all symptoms but not with medicine only. I had a lot of psychotherapy and it worked on the cells of my brain gradually and understanding became as great as can be. At all time, in spite of the awful feelings I had during most of the illness, my flag calling for hope and my fight was constant.

My book tells about my life, my sickness in a unique way. And what I learned is that nothing in life is given free, this is why we need to struggle and why life is beautiful.

The interaction of fate with will power lends itself to endless choices in our lives.  We may suffer at the hands of fate, yet through choice and hard work we are often able to overcome adversity.  I believe my story can provide education about Bipolar illness to people generally, and hopefully inspiration to those suffering from mental illness. This was my intention in writing the book "Remains of a Cloud."