My name is Donna...

Recently a friend helped me acquire a bunch of likes on my facebook page. My blog appears on the page so I thought I'd introduce myself to my new followers.

My name is Donna Watson. Since I was 15 years old I have been living with bipolar disorder. My symptoms started at a young age but my first manic episode happened as a freshman in college. I was 21 and blindsided by the illness. I was hospitalized for three weeks after being medicated with lithium. My parents were told that as long as I took it I would be fine. Needless to say the knowledge about bipolar disoreder was not as advanced as it is today. I struggled through college and throughout the last 35 years with the disease. Sometimes I won the battle to live on, other times I succumbed to it's power to devastate. My blog is about these struggles and what has and has not worked for me in my journey.

My sincere wish is that this blog will touch the lives of those with mental illness and those that love them. Bipolar disorder takes no prisoners. It can and will ruin your life if not vigilantly treated. Bipolar does not discriminate. It effects people of every race, creed, and social status. I hope this blog helps people across the spectrum.

* A special note to those readers who are loved ones, colleagues and friends of bipolar consumers... You are probobly reading up on mental illness beacause you are involved with someone who is suffering. I hope this blog and my facebook page "Donna's Bipolar Buzz" help you to get the latest info on mental illness and
help you understand what it's like to struggle with the disorder. My desire is to  not only inform the reader,  but to help open up a conversation on mental illness.
Your stories and comments are most welcome!