1. What made you start this blog? What are your goals for this project?

I love connecting with people. I love dismantling the stigmas and 'myth-conceptions' we have of mental illness. And I love storytelling. Blogging seemed a great vehicle to do all those things.

I hope the blog gets people talking about mental illness since it's still such an illness of secrecy and shame. I'd like to have my readers gain information, feel inspired and know recovery from mental illness is very possible. And that having a mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, in my eyes it is something to celebrate. Not the illness, but the fact we are surviving it, both the symptoms and the stigma. And I want folks to laugh and find some humor in what is often a very serious and taboo subject.

2. How do most people react or feel when they are diagnosed with depression?

Everyone's different. From my own experience when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (what used to be called manic depression) and from other folks who I've talked with, there typically seems to be two reactions.

One is of relief. Finally there's a name for what they've been struggling with. There's this moment of clarity where past behaviors start to make sense, and they begin to feel hope for the first time because there are potential solutions now too.

Or as in my case, there is the opposite response; I wouldn't believe it and didn't accept the diagnosis at all. I had that clichéd, but understandable response: "What me? Mentally ill? No way." The hardest part for me was admitting to myself that I had a mental illness. It took several years before I would accept I had bipolar disorder and participate in treatment plans.

3. What is meant by "Bipolar I" and "Bipolar II?"

The difference is in the severity of the manias of each type. In Bipolar I (which is what I have), you experience episodes of both depression and mania, and the mania is severe enough to seriously disrupt a person's life and hospitalization may be required.

Common symptoms of mania may include:

• Elated mood or euphoria

• Extreme irritability

• Racing thoughts

• Insomnia

• Feelings of excessive self-importance

• Difficulty concentrating

• Reckless spending of money

• Alcohol and/or drug abuse

• Engaging in unsafe sex

In Bipolar II an individual experiences depression and mania, but the mania is less intense. A person experiences what's called 'hypomania,' a milder, more moderate form of mania which usually doesn't impair a person's daily functioning or result in hospitalization.

4. What advice would you give a parent whose child suffers from suspected or mild bipolar disorder?

See a psychiatrist or visit a behavioral health clinic specializing in child mood disorders to get an accurate diagnosis. Get a second opinion if you feel your concerns aren't being heard. It may or may not be bipolar disorder, but if something is concerning you, get to the bottom of it.

Get as educated as you can about the illness and also seek out other parents who have walked this path before you. Not only will you get much needed emotional support, you will discover resources and information you didn't know about.

Two excellent organizations offering information and support for parents and families are the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA -www.dbsalliance.org)and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI -www.nami.org). Both are national organizations with local chapters throughout each state dedicated to helping individuals and families affected by psychiatric illness. Both run on-line resource sites for parents and families. NAMI runs the 'Child and Adolescent Action Center' while DBSA operates 'Rebecca's Dream Family Center.'

5. What are common myths of mental illness?

MYTH: Mental illness isn't an illness at all; it's just about being unable to cope with stress.

FACT: Mental illness is as physical an illness as diabetes or epilepsy is. However, the stigma and judgment surrounding it is far greater.

MYTH: Once diagnosed with a mental illness, a person will always be sick.

FACT: Not true. Most people fully recover, living almost symptom free and living rich, full lives. We don't hear about the recovery stories usually because people still fear the consequences of disclosing they have a mental illness.

MYTH: People with mental illness are violent and dangerous.

FACT: A person under the influence of drugs or alcohol is far more likely to be violent. Statistically, people with mental illness are more often the victims of violence than the perpetrators.