STEPHEN FRY

I just wanted to announce that I have finished reading KS's book Dark Clouds Gather.

What a fabulous read! I am not bipolar but my son is and this book has given me an inside look into some of the thought processes and warning signs to watch out for.

KS's book is a no nonsense, in your face description of the very, very lows (depths of hell really). This book is not all gloom and doom however. There are triumphs to be had, happiness to be regained and goals once thought impossible can be achieved!!!

Katy Sara makes some very important points very clear to either the person with bipolar of the carer. While finding the right medications for you are crucial and having a good mental health team to back you up, this does not mean you are "cured" and will never again have to deal with certain torments at times. Katy Sara does not give anyone illusions of grandeur that meds and therapy will send you skipping through beautiful meadows and sunshine for the rest of your life. No rose colored glasses here.

Katy Sara cautions that "Dark Clouds Gather" from time to time. This book helps a person to know their triggers and to be self aware of early warning signs. Katy Sara encourages all that when the darkness rears it's ugly head again and harmful, negative thoughts return to not give in! Do not be ashamed! Do not feel like all has failed! These moments will pass and the sun will shine through yet again.

There are accounts in this book that are hard to read because Katy Sara takes you to her darkest places. She takes you to her deepest hurts. In the end however, there is hope. No one is alone. No one has to try to manage by themselves.

I have expressed my appreciation to Katy Sara and I also wanted to express my gratitude here in case anyone here has been pondering reading this book.

This is just a bit of my sharing about what Katy Sara's book has ment to me and the insights gained that will hopefully enable me to be more supportive and informed in order to help my son. I am also examining myself more closely. Very uncomfortable thing to do, but I have needed to for a long time anyway.

Well, thank you for taking the time to read my post. Anyone that has chatted with me before knows I tend to me long winded, so I apologize if I rambled.

Marz XXXXX

Thanks Fryfan, When Stephen is back on twitter he is gonna tweet about it for me!!!!

KSx

Hello again Katy Sara Culling

I have just finished reading Dark Clouds Gather and have had my eyes widened by the experience. It is an articulate, no-nonsense approach to a subject many others would find impossible to record with any degree of meaning, let alone in this detail. It is a book I recommend to any person that has a similar illness, or knows someone that does. In fact even if you have no illness and don’t know anyone ill, you will find it to be an education.

The subject matter of mental illness takes many forms in the book; eating disorders, self-harm, manic depression and much more. I can personally only relate directly to one of them and I find that difficult enough to cope with and write about. But Dark Clouds Gather manages to cover all of them in startling depth.

With all that was going on in your life, how you coped with the day to day stuff generally and the demands of academia, is in itself worth an award. The extraordinary thing about it all is that you came out the other side and you’re still kicking. Hats off! Good luck with the other works.

Regards
David Thomas (BayTheMoon)

BOOK 3 IS OUT! It is called

REFLECTIVE REFLECTIONS: THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE BOOK ON EATING DISORDERS.

BY KATY SARA CULLING.

It does exactly what it says on the tin. In a no nonsense, no waffle way, through personal experience and extensive research delves into the world of all eating disorders and spits out the truth. It's only a tenner plus P&P. If you want more info see my web page: http://www.katysaraculling.com/reflectivereflections.htm

Here is a quote from the start of the book:

In our Western world of plenty, the constraining, tangible corsets of days-gone-by have been replaced by a new, metaphorical corset of the mind. Men and women, all of whom suffer from extreme low self-esteem and lack of validation, find themselves living out each day of their life, overwhelmed with issues of food, weight, size, self-hatred, illness, anxiety, anger, guilt, control and fear. Eating disorders are a symptom of deep emotional distress, which entrap sufferers and create new problems of their own. Societally, dieting is rife. Value judgements based on a person’s size are copious, and seemingly up for discussion without any understanding of any possible underlying issues. Few illnesses inspire such misunderstanding, despair and frustration, (for all involved), as do eating disorders. Few illnesses are awarded such warped attention in the media; or are claimed to be “lifestyle choices” by some of those afflicted.

Here am I all proud holding my 3 books:

KSx