by Christine F. Anderson

Details at the end of this post on how to win a copy of Beautiful Bipolar Bisexual, along with a link to purchase the book.

Told in conversational style, Maricela Estrada shares with us in Beautiful Bipolar Bisexual, a life filled with questions. She is a very brave, strong woman who has not only battled mental illness but also being bisexual, and fighting two stigmas makes for a tumultuous tale.

I felt her pain in every word written in this raw and gripping memoir. As bipolar myself, I could relate to much of what she has gone through. She was suicidal during several times in her life, from losing someone she loved to hallucinations that sent her over the edge and left her questioning her reality. In spite of all this, she succeeded in managing her illness and discovering her sexuality. She displayed great resilience by being able to work in her field and put herself through college to become a social worker.

Maricela has a wonderful support system, which many of us with a bipolar disorder do not; I believe it’s given her an edge in battling her demons. She was successful in making her life better and came out on top. She knew she wanted to share her story to help others who are suffering see that there is a way out, and she was successful in securing a publisher and bringing this story to life.

She is humble and credits her success in life and her career to her faith in God. She was a champion at advocating for herself and her illness, and finding good doctors and maintaining a balance—which is so important to our recovery. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with and is an inspiration to many battling mental illness and questioning their sexuality. Beautiful Bipolar Bisexual is a must-read for persons with the illness and their loved ones.

To enter to win a copy of Beautiful Bipolar Bisexual, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Beautiful,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 19, 2015. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

Check out KRL’s Mental Health section for more mental health related articles, and watch for more from Christine.

Click on this link to purchase this book:

Christine F. Anderson is CEO at Christine F. Anderson Publishing & Media www.publishwithcfa.com and is author of Forever Different: A Memoir of One Woman’s Journey Living with Bipolar Disorder. She currently is an Ambassador and sits on the marketing committee for the International Bipolar Foundation and in her spare time she does animal rescue and is writing her second book.