My Father was Bipolar

About the Book

Anne, a shy sickly child tells her story starting in the first grade in school and following through until her eightieth year. Her part of the saga was especially frightful and grave as she was pointed out by her mother as being possessed because of her childhood sensitiveness to extrasensory perception stimuli. She felt she was singled out unfairly and devoted her entire life in trying to make her mother love her. Finally, in her old age believes her mother was only trying to make life easier and more pleasant for her sister Cortley. As the years went by it was discovered Cortley inherited their father's bipolar condition.

Because of the wrathful behavior of the bipolar father, the family was in constant upheaval and turmoil. His highs and lows alternated in spurts.

This story happened in the '30's. The depression had a solid lock on the country and very few families escaped it.

The illness the father suffered was also called schizophrenia and insanity. The asylums and penitentiaries were filled with crazy people. The poor souls had no say in their condition but were told they were a threat to society, to their own lives and to family, therefore, they must locked up. This father was one such person. He was jailed and banished from family and home.

There were nine children in the family and each had a role to play to carry the story forward. They all had an unpleasant childhood and some were plagued with unhappiness in later life.

Just of late has there been a change in attitude concerning these patients. For the most part, they are being correctly diagnosed and are given the proper medication and treatment.

The dreaded disease has shown up in grandchildren, offspring of Anne's brothers and sister.

In conclusion, perhaps the tyrannical episodes and outbursts of the father were SCREAMS for help. No one listened or understood his HELL ON EARTH!

About the Author

Helen Shoop grew up in the Midwest. She lived through the GREAT DEPRESSION and WORLD WAR II. After her marriage she moved with her family to California. Helen is a retired secretary. She spends her time writing and oil painting and is an avid reader. She is 85 years-old and holds a patent for an invention she developed recently. She spent much time and effort in researching the dreaded BIPOLAR DISEASE, for which she wrote this story. This is her first nonfiction work. Helen lives in Northern California.