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Leon Andrew Brumfield is an educated, successful engineer and preacher living in Texas. Married for the second time (happily), he has a daughter and is managing his bipolar disorder well. His two-pronged message goes something like this: “you can lead a full life even if bi-polar,” and “believing in God and Jesus will help you heal.”
Yet, bipolar disorder has often altered his life. He has been institutionalized more than once, he divorced his first wife, and he has lost at least one job. Nevertheless, now his life seems to be on a positive track. He has fewer episodes and is able to tell when they are coming on. He gives almost all the credit for this to prayer, to accepting God and Jesus into his life, and to believing in evil and the devil.
Thanks to Larry Dossey, M.D., and others, people are aware that prayer can help a great deal. But many suffering with mental illness (and other conditions) are not Christian or even religious. For these readers, the author, whose writing is straightforward and clear, does have a few concrete suggestions, including: find a good doctor who doesn’t overprescribe meds, build a supportive network of family and friends, don’t ignore the illness or its symptoms, and try to turn negative thoughts into more positive ones. Also, try to worry less and take the effective meds.
For readers who share what the author calls his lifestyle, this book may provide hope for living with this or other life-changing conditions.