by Tara Meissner

My husband Mike knew I was a writer before I did. He left a notebook for me on the nightstand by my hospital bed in 2010. When I woke up, it was there, but my husband was not. Waking up from a psychotic episode is a terrifying experience. After days of living through hallucinations and delusions, I had no idea what was real and what was imagined.

Finding that notebook grounded me in remembering who I am. It was a symbolic and tangible tool to helping me find health and self while sorting through a bipolar diagnosis. I was a professional writer most of my adult life. Yet, I never completed a book and therefore didn't think of myself as a writer.