Alfredo's Journey: An Artist's Creative Life with Bipolar Disorder

Author: Alfredo ZottiPublisher: Modern History PressPaperback:ISBN 10: 1615992243ISBN 13: 978-1615992249More than a just a journey, Alfredo gives us a blueprint for humane treatment of mental illness In 1981, twenty-three-year old Alfredo Zotti began his lifelong challenge of living with Bipolar II Disorder. He quickly hit rock bottom, spending time as a homeless person and turning to street drugs and alcohol to medicate his symptoms. After hospitalization and careful outpatient monitoring, he became a successful musician and completed university. In 2004, he started to mentor sufferers of mental illness, and together, they developed an online journal. Alfredo now sees mental illness from a new perspective, not of disadvantages but advantages. In his words: "Having a mental illness can be a blessing if we work on ourselves." In this memoir and critique of mental illness, the reader will learn: How empathic listening and being with someone can help calm that person's symptoms The power