A Promise of Hope

by Autumn Stringam

Some children inherit the family nose. Autumn Stringam and her brother Joseph inherited bipolar disorder, a severe mental illness that led to the suicides of their mother and grandfather. Autumn, at 22, was psychotic and in a psychiatric hospital on suicide watch; Joseph, at 15, was prone to violent episodes so terrifying the family feared for their lives. But after they began taking a nutritional supplement developed by their father-and based, incredibly, on a formula given to aggressive hogs-Autumn’s and Joseph’s symptoms disappeared. Today they both lead normal, productive lives. A Promise of Hope chronicles Autumn Stringam’s personal flight from madness to wellness and also provides an astonishing scientific account of an innovative treatment that moves from a kitchen table in Alberta to the offices of a distinguished Harvard psychiatrist and into the labs of a skeptical medical establishment. Now updated with the groundbreaking results of a clinical trial and with additional content from the perspective of Autumn’s family, A Promise of Hope is a powerful call for a new understanding of the mental illness that affects thousands of Canadians.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Health, Mental Health, Memoir

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autumn Stringam is a great writer. She is straightforward and honest as she describes a very personal, horrific life struggle with a severe form of mental illness. Her story is compelling, heartbreaking, and hopeful. The relief she finds through this supplement is truly miraculous. It is amazing that anyone with such a severe illness can be treated so effectively, so simply. Yet it has worked for many people. My friend, who knows the author personally, recommended this book and introduced me to the supplement. I initially found significant relief from taking half the suggested dose of the supplement but need to start taking it twice daily as I have been struggling more. As Autumn shared from Isaiah 61: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." I too hope for the healing promised by the Savior. Mental illness, whether mild or extreme truly is a prison. I believe God sends rescue in many forms and I hope that perhaps this supplement can be instrumental in my own recovery from the oppressive darkness that has enveloped me through most of my adult life. It's hard to write a review of the book without writing about my reasons for reading it in the first place. Anyway, it is a book well worth reading for anyone, even if just to better understand those with mental illness.

[Debbi (My Reading Spot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish we could rate with half stars, really I would like to give this 4 1/2.

My sister in law gave me this book to read, she sells EMpowerplus Q96, which is the vitamin/supplement behind the book.

This is the sorry of Autumn Stringham, who's father created the supplant after watching Autumn suffer with bipolar disorder her whole like. Autumn's mother and grandfather also suffered from this and ended their own life because of it. I would not normally pick up a book about mental disabilities but I wanted to read more about this story, once I started it I couldn't put it down and finished it in one morning. I only wish there were more details about how she felt when she first started taking the supplement. That would have made it 5 stars for me.

If you know someone who struggles with mental health this might be good book to look for, or just look into the EMPowerplus Q96 supplement too.

[Katie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story! I don't even know where to begin. I thought I knew quite a bit about mental illness, but I had no idea that Bipolar disorder could be so extreme. Her story is heartbreaking for what she went through, but also so hopeful, because of how bad her situation was- this story shows how truly amazing her recovery. Autumn Stringam is a very good writer. Sometimes a person has a very good story to tell, but it doesn't always mean they happen to be a good writer, but Stringam’s writing is eloquent, clear, and engaging.

I came across this book in a roundabout way. I was introduced to EMPowerplus (the treatment that cured her) a few months ago. That very week I had decided that I was going to go my doctor to ask him about getting on an anti-depressant. My Uncle had been taking this for about 4 months and had the first relief from the depression he'd been fighting for 20 years.

I’ve struggled with depression since I was a teenager. It’s usually not severe. I can usually keep it at bay by staying active, busy, and filling my life with the people and activities I love. But sometimes I’m not as vigilant or things slow down or I’m just too tired to try to keep myself feeling good. So I’ll have a low day, or week or month. The longer I indulge the negative the further down I let myself sink. It usually isn’t something that I really let affect my life too much. I really can function on a day to day basis. However this has been a particularly hard year, and in July I was having a particularly hard month. I just couldn’t seem to deal with my problems and I found myself “checking out” emotionally more and more often. Usually this looked like me just sitting on the couch all afternoon and evening watching TV or reading because I just couldn’t handle life; my kids, the house, making dinner, trying to be a pleasant wife. I just wanted to be somewhere else, doing something else, to be someone else. I could see that this wasn’t healthy and was starting to get out of hand, so I decided that I was going to ask my doctor to put me on an anti-depressant. I needed help and all the usual ways I brought myself out of a funk just weren’t working. I prayed for help.

The answer to my prayers came from my Aunt Tracy who dropped by to tell me about her husband, my Uncle Kelly. I knew he had suffered from depression and didn’t usually like to hang around crowds, but I had no idea it was so bad. She told me that for the past 20 years he has suffered from severe depression. It was so bad that every night before bed he would ask her why she married him and how he didn’t want to live. He told her all they ways he could kill himself and that he didn’t deserve to be alive. He was fighting with his kids and couldn’t handle and of the stress that comes with having teenagers. He had tried every different kind of medication out there and none had worked. They made him feel like a zombie, sick, or made his depression worse. She told me that his father (my grandpa) suffered from depression, too, when he was alive and that the only way he could deal with it was by working himself to the bone. I could relate to their stories so much more then I let her know. She told me that about 4 months before someone gave them this product, EMPowerplus Q96, and after about 3 days Kelly said “today was kind of a good day.” And from there it just got better and better. So I tried Empower Plus Q96. I had a pretty good week, but I wasn’t sure if it was just a “placebo effect” or if it was really working. About 5 days after starting, I had a bad afternoon. I thought “well, I guess this stuff doesn’t work”. I got home and saw that I had forgotten to take my Q96 that day and that’s why I was feeling agitated. I’ve now been taking it for 3 ½ months and I love it. I have so much more energy and focus. I feel like a person again. Now, it’s not a magic pill-it didn’t solve any of my real world problems…but I feel like I’m able to handle those problems in a way I couldn’t before.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I feel honored, actually, to have read this personal account of the author's life dealing with Bi-polar in her life & her family's life and her first hand recollections of the pioneers who continue to fight to bring "Natural Healing" into the reality of Mental Illness / Conditions.

I highly recommend this book to skeptics in Psychiatry and anyone who has/knows someone with any Mental Illness / Condition. All the names in this book are real people - the names have not been changed. This is NOT Fiction!

This is the one and only book I've ever read in 3 days! Usually, it takes me an average of 3 weeks. Thank you, Autumn Stringham for sharing your story of despair & hope!

[Larene · Rating 4 out of 5]

a positive book about bipolar, go figure. I love autobiographies, especially autos about strong people. I liked that she's a local author (though the book takes place in Canada) and LDS. I like her writing too. I wouldn't mind reading about her dad-- he's the real hero. He had a wife and 2 children that were bipolar and finds a cure. and then fights the Canadian health care system so that he can legally use the cure. just amazing.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I have 2 children with mood disorders and am trying this supplement on them. It is working. I think this book also gives great understanding of what it is like to have a mood disorder and I learned a lot from it and gained an understanding of my children from reading this book. I would totally recommend this book to those who want an insight to mood disorders!

[Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

A two line summary: I would be scared to give this book to someone I wanted to have understand my disorder. This was a book aimed to destroy bipolar disorder, not help me live with it.


My full thoughts:
I could not stomach this book, I really couldn't. I wanted to make it all the way through, but quite honestly found myself too upset to do so. Reading the other reviews listed here reminds me how upset I felt reading this book, and I'm concerned by the lack of people with bipolar responding.

I have to come at this book with the only perspective I have - my own, as someone who has bipolar and wanted to read about the experiences of others with the illness and what they do to help themselves. And I was rather horrified what I found here.

Bipolar is not pretty, it's not fun, it's not a quirky personality trait - all of these things were displayed in the book and I really appreciate that. It can be terrifying when you are the one riding the out of control roller coaster of emotions, and it's an awful experience. And that was all I could find in this book - an awful experience. I felt so terrible reading about someone talk about my own moods as if they were a demon inside me, and that I was evil as well to feel these emotions, that I couldn't finish this. This was a book aimed to destroy bipolar disorder, not help me live with it. This book did not read like it was there to help anyone, only make bipolar something everyone should be afraid of. This did not help me or encourage me at all, even trying to skip ahead, and I would never give this to someone who I wanted to understand my experience, because it would honestly just make them afraid of me. I would be scared to give this book to someone I wanted to have understand my disorder. Reading this book describes bipolar as something you cannot live with, only escape from, and that it would drag everyone with it - and I couldn't stomach someone describing my life like that.

I'm quoting a review that I felt was very well worded (and factually correct, in my research on the product), from the actual product's page on the Amazon :
" Q96 Relies upon 3 principles:
-SOME mental illnesses are a result of missing or insufficient levels of certain nutrients
-SOME people have a digestive system that is inefficient at absorbing minerals as they are typically found in a normal diet
-It is possible to process minerals in such a way that it is easier for the body to absorb them
Q96 is nothing more than a bunch of minerals that are processed such that it is easier for the body to absorb them. This is ideal for people who have a hard time absorbing the critical nutrients they need. Those types of people may experience a mental illness due to this deficiency in crucial nutrients. Q96 will help those people.
There are others whose mental illness is caused by something else entirely. Q96 doesn't necessarily help them. Typically, if someone is not responding to the traditional medications for their mental illness, Q96 is worth a try. If those traditional medications ARE helping, don't abandon them for something else entirely! "

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bipolar disorder runs in Autumn Stringam’s family. Autumn and her younger brother unfortunately inherited the mental illness, but recovered through the incredible discovery by her father of a cure that has helped them and thousands of others.

Some children inherit the family nose. Autumn Stringam and her brother Joseph inherited bipolar disorder, a severe mental illness that led to the suicides of their mother and grandfather. Autumn, at 22, was psychotic and in a psychiatric hospital on suicide watch; Joseph, at 15, was prone to violent episodes so terrifying the family feared for their lives. But after they began taking a nutritional supplement developed by their father-and based, incredibly, on a formula given to aggressive hogs-Autumn’s and Joseph’s symptoms disappeared. Today they both lead normal, productive lives.

A Promise of Hopechronicles Autumn Stringam’s personal flight from madness to wellness and also provides an astonishing scientific account of an innovative treatment that moves from a kitchen table in Alberta to the offices of a distinguished Harvard psychiatrist and into the labs of a skeptical medical establishment. Now updated with the groundbreaking results of a clinical trial and with additional content from the perspective of Autumn’s family, A Promise of Hope is a powerful call for a new understanding of the mental illness that affects so many people.

About the Author
AUTUMN STRINGAM is the second of nine children born to a mother who suffered from bipolar affective disorder; she developed the same illness. The story of her remarkable treatment was featured in a one-hour documentary titled Impossible Cure?, which aired across the U.S. and Canada on the Discovery Health Channel. A s a public speaker, author of mental health resources and political advocate for the mentally ill, she has spread the hope of recovery to thousands of other Canadians and a growing worldwide audience. Autumn Stringam lives in Coaldale, Alberta, with her husband and four children. Highly recommended.

[Jake Crenshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving and close to home roller-coaster of a story about how a family, after suffering the devastating loss of a wife and mother to suicide, come together to create a supplement to help thousands of Canadians manage complications of bipolar disorder and other mental health diagnosis. Eventually a legal battle that caused difficulties allowing them to distribute the formula to help others and closure.

------

I'm moves by the openness of her story. Her challenges far surpass anything I've been through in my journey but I could relate to some of the extreme emotions of both mother and daughter which are well expressed and documented. To the zombie like effect of drugs. And the overcoming of old habits and creating of healthier habits and coping strategies to manage still present affects of bipolar especially when there are interruptions in health or daily routine.

One star docked for the liberal use of the word CURE for bipolar. It is a poor choice of vocabulary as being off supplements for as little as 48 hours in one 10 year old proved a return of full mental health complications and something similar I imagine for anyone else. There is no known cure - only effective treatment and management, perhaps.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling and invigorating new approach to BiPolar/Mental Health. I’m loving the opportunity for an all-natural approach. I will certainly be investigating this more. It really is the perfect title. A promise of hope it is.

[Melina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope more people learn about this and this becomes first line treatment and then adjunct western medicine where appropriate.
Look into Hardy Nutritionals for mental and physical wellness!

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

Above here is a video clip of Autumn discussing parts of her life and the book which are synonymous.

This story is about a woman growing up in a psychotic home due to her mothers bipolar disorder and lack of help for the condition at the time. It is interesting to see how the bipolar disorder can cause people to turn into different extreme factions of themselves. Fearing her angry mom ut stuck at home fending for herself and trying to help with the kids she is a witness to all the horrible actions of her mother and the close minded judgment of others in the community.

Following her mothers story in the beginning turns towards Autumn herself as well as she recognizes the small behaviors and thoughts she herself began to deal with. I can't imagine how frustrating it is to be stuck in your own body knowing at some points you are doing something wrong or waking up and finding a closet stuffed full of yarn and having no idea where it came from and what it was for.

Shortly before her mothers suicide Autumn is married to Dana and they together struggle through the disorder with medication concoctions, mental hospital visits, and the variety of behaviors that tagged along with her.

Initially I was hesitant to read the book because some of my family members are dealing with the bipolar disorder but I haven't been too close since no one in my immediate family suffers from it. I have known to call those suffering on their grey days to cheer them up or just listen to their thoughts which are sometimes scary but hey we are family. :)

Contained in this book is some dark and scary stuff. I almost put it down after the first few chapters because it was a little overwhelming but I kept on hoping that the tide would change for Autumn. Her hope came from a very unlikely source. Her father's friend David was a pig farmer and sometimes pigs develop a ear tail biting habit and he would give them a vitamin supplement to help them and they would stop. When Autumn's father confided in him after his wife's suicide his friend explained that his kids were suffering from a pig disease. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Not something you really want to hear. Her father submerged himself in research of the disorder and recruited David to formulate a solution through vitamins and minerals.

A year to two later they found the right combination and Autumn tried it and has been symptom free for 10 years. There is a greater amount of events in the book than this simple explanation but its great.

I like this book a lot and it was originally lent to me by my mother in law but she will have to buy herself another one because I'm not giving it back. Now this vitamin concoction is called EMPowerplus or in the US as Q96.

My mother in law gave me this book and a bottle of it. I was a little unsure by what she meant but I think she had good intentions. :D ha ha ha ha ha. Anyways these vitamins have also helped those that suffer from chronic headaches and migraines as well. Since I have a bottle and during Aunt Flo's visit my emotions sway like a weed in the wind I decided to experiment and try it myself. I will give it a while to see if it helps to keep my stabilized during Aunt Flo's visit. ;) Read it love it and BUY it! :D

[Zoe Zuniga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to pass on some interesting info about truehope.com they
created a line of natural supplements for bipolar disorder and
depression and chronic fatigue. I think this might be a missing link
for some people.

I just read an amazing book A Promise of Hope by Autumn Stringam. I
met her the long beach natural health expo. A sense of calm serenity
was what I felt from talking with her.

Extreme mood disorders run in her family and her mom and grand father
killed themselves because of it.

She and her brother had the same bipolar disorder and of course the
lithium et al were not doing anything for them so her father found a
vitamin and mineral supplement used on live stock!!! and this cured
them of all symptoms and got them off all drugs in only about a months
time. they stopped hallucinating after only 3 to 5 days. these people
are able to work and go to school and lead normal lives for the first
time ever.

They have refined the supplement for humans and named it empowerplus.
They started giving it a way for free to other bipolar people and then
started a company. They have cured about 3000 people this way.

They are up in Canada, so very little sun light no fresh foods,
mormon, over weight, so no cleansing and very little raw food.

They have to take massive doses of the supplement and be careful when
they get other illnesses, not to trigger the bipolar mood swings again
with other meds. Imagine what they could do with the total health
mastery program with cleansing and digestive enzymes on top of the
supplement!!!

So after ten years of court battles they are getting main stream
medical people to take a look at mental illnesses as deficiency
diseases. DUH!

A doctor from Harvard came all the way to Canada and testified on the
behalf of the company in court after curing 19 patients with the
supplement, candida treatment, probiotics,and amino acids. no other
changes.

check out truehope.com they have a bunch of youtube video too.

Iam going to call and find out if the stuff is raw on monday. in
anycase I will order it and try the program and let you all know how
it goes.

They also sell olive leaf extract or d-linolate which I have found to
be effective for depression and chronic fatigue in the past.

What was heartening was to see that even without changing diet they
became functional through using massive supplementation. this is not
total health but it is back up to normal for people who would not have
been able to do a raw diet because they could not even get out of bed
or shower by themselves, many were institutionalized before getting on
the empowerplus. So it is a starting point.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Promise of Hope by Autumn Stringam

This book brings the reader inside the mind of a Bi-Polar Disorder patient in her own words. All the chaos, highs, lows, delusions, anger, and deep depression are felt in a way that could not ever be accurately described by anyone who has not lived the story. Autumn Stringam has lived the story. The depth of the urge to suicide is indelibly written. It is told with no holds barred in the still voice that is often seen in trauma victims describing what has happened to them. A distance that makes the story very compelling and true. There is nothing asked of us other than to believe the story and what it means. No requirement to sympathize with the writer for what she has gone through.

We see her life with her mother’s undiagnosed bi-polar swings and final suicide through a child’s eyes, never dreaming that the same terrors would one day be hers. The illness does not surface until she is an adult and married. From this point on, we travel through her own mind, while at the same time she finally begins to understand her mother. The family once again suffers the same fate as her younger brother also is diagnosed. There seems to be nothing to live for because nothing, no treatment yet used, could do more than remove them from a life into a stupor from which they dare not try to emerge.

Her father begins a quest to find a way to help his children in a way that he had not been able to save his wife. All he wants is for them to be safe. A chance meeting with an animal nutritionist eventually leads to trying a new way, a nutritional concoction of vitamins and minerals, based on the formula for quieting aggressive hogs, “tail biters”. Over the next few years we journey through the miraculous recovery of the siblings. Indeed, both now lead healthy and productive lives.

There are agonizing legal battles to get the product approved. The futile fights with the Canadian government are spelled out completely and succinctly and made me want to join in the fight! I can see it exactly as if I had lived it. I would strongly recommend this book for a number of reasons. For understanding of the bi-polar progress, for the discovery and preliminary trials to improve on any new medical discovery, and for how difficult it is to bring government acceptance of alternative medicine for many illnesses, are three main reasons. This is a real life, Autumn lived this life and tells the truth as it is, plain and simple, with suspense as to what will happen with the discovery, and the final outcome. Read it, you will be glad you did.

[Breena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I could write an adequate review of this book.
Amazing. Astounding. Incredible. Fascinating. Impossible? I guess not.

This is the story of Autumn. Her mother commits suicide after a long struggle with bipolar but it is never spoken of or even realized for her until she is quite ready to leave home -except she struggles with the same mood disorder.

The descriptions of her childhood are heart wrenching at times. I wonder how many children know to watch for "sad mommy" or "angry mommy" or "emotionally disconnected mommy". Having struggled with depression I can relate on a level of understanding that I suppose someone who never felt that lack of feeling could ever understand. The moment when her mother becomes so convinced that everyone would be better without her and is ready to drive her and the children into the river...well just watch the news. It happens.

The happiness, mental clarity, and stability that Autumn and so many like her have found in the dietary supplement that her father helped develop is astounding. I felt serious anger following their fight with Health Canada to allow the product into Canada. Despite the knowledge that withholding the supplement would literally kill people the "government", ie people hiding behind large corporation, refused to do anything about it. It made me cry to hear the conversation Autumn had with the lady on the help line. Basically "I know your life as a stable women and mother of 4 will be over without this supplement. Find a psychiatrist. " Ridiculous! Stupid! Dumb! Government is there to help not hinder.

After a length court battle I was grateful for the ruling that they were correct to continue doing all they could to provide for their customers and families. That if they hadn't they could have been sued for not providing a supplement that was so life changing for so many.

This is a must read for everyone. Mental illness is misunderstood too often. This helped open my eyes to new possibilities and a greater understanding of what someone with this disorder feels like and acts like.

[Carisa Crosbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband was recently diagnosed with Bipolar and has tried pharmaceutical drugs. Although they did seem to help a little for a little while, they were unable to treat all symptoms, and they did have side affects. A friend of mine recommended this book to me as she has 2 children who were diagnosed with bipolar years ago and also tried the med route for years without success, finally coming across TrueHope and using their product for her children (the vitamins Autumn used to heal herself). Her children have been stable and well for the 2 years they have been using the product. I devoured the book and ordered my husband the supplements. They are expensive, (insurance will pay for his $750 monthly meds, but not for $150 monthly "natural" meds. Go figure)Well, within a week on these supplements his symptoms have almost fully improved and he has had NO negative side affects. We are still in the process of adjusting his dose, but he is stable! His Dr. was very scared for us to try this and skeptical of them (as were we. It seems to good to be true) but she is very excited with his progress and how quickly he went from possibly needed to return to the hospital to almost completely stabilized in a weeks time. I am VERY excited about this supplement and encourage anyone considering using it to try it. The company TrueHope has a free call line for you to get help on how to slowly get off meds and onto the supplement. They have been super helpful! I might sound like I am selling the product, but I have no affiliation with them. I just know that my husband was very sick and is doing amazingly well and quite quickly too since he has been taking them!

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Promise of Hope is the largely autobiographical story of Autumn’s childhood and young adulthood facing the struggles of manic depression. The latter third of the book recounts how Autumn, her father, husband and friends fought to legalize a miraculous treatment that has allowed her to live a normal life. This may sound a little heavy for some of you, but I assure you A Promise of Hope is a gorgeous read, both inspirational and touching. Yes, some chapters made me weep, others made me irate, but still among this delicious sea of words there was no escaping the shear humanity of her story, that part that applies to all of our lives.

I am tempted to say that book is concisely written, but I believe it would be more accurate to say that nothing in it is extraneous. Every word brings with it some part of the overall truth. You will simply float along with her masterfully crafted mood and seamless rhythm. I cannot recommend this book more highly. Autumn Stringam is a truly gifted writer who has the added blessing of being the courageous and uncompromising teller of her own truth. This book is for the person who is or knows someone affected with a mental illness. This book is for men and women with depression or with a difficult parental relationship. This book is for anyone who loves to read. Enjoy this gorgeous gift of talent and spirit.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A courageous woman. A story of hope, for sure.

There are some books that truly create empathy and understanding. I didn't "feel" prejudice til I saw it through the eyes of Melba Beals in Warriors Don't Cry. How do you understand what women experience in the middle east - read a book like A Thousand Splendid Suns. A Promise of Hope is THAT book for mental illness. Autumn bore her soul in this book and I felt her terror, her pain, her confusion, every raw emotion. I was hoping for her cure. You can't live that life without hoping for a release; death seemed her only option. I love that her father fought for her life and her health, as well as her brother's. And for her and many others, he found something that made her whole and sane. A garden she could enjoy with her husband (amazing man) and her 4 miracle children.

I could not put this book down. I'd love to research and learn more about Nutrition Science. I look forward to the years ahead where this becomes an important piece in overall medical solutions.

The afterward brought some perspective to the miraculous story. It is a new science and while it worked for Autumn, what you have is a father desperate to find a solution for his family. Medical trials are underway and it could take years. What it offers is a promise of hope...

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written account of the dark and terrifying confines of mental illness from the perspective of a child growing up with a mentally ill mother and then her rapid decent into her own mother's hell as she began to battle the same demons in her own mind. Her father's willingness to sacrifice everything to save his daughter and son with an unorthodox treatment speaks to the love of a parent and the ability for God to provide a way.

A compelling story, no doubt. I was drawn to the author's relationship with God and Jesus Christ as seen through the prism of her mother's illness, her own illness and finally her recovery. It is not a tidy book, there are parts that leave you with a sadness that isn't totally resolved by the end of the book, but life is never tidy.

It was not the miraculous supplements that I saw as the "Promise of Hope" in this story. Watching the redemptive power of unconditional love, understanding and forgiveness work in the lives of her father, husband and eventually her own life is the "promise of hope" that was given to me as the reader.

[Lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This powerful book was spell-binding - I couldn't put it down. While difficult to read because of content, it added greatly to my understanding of what a person with bi-polar disorder goes through. For anyone that suffers through that, or knows others who do, this is a must-read. The fact that it has a good ending makes it bearable to read. I enjoyed it from a literary standpoint too - she writes well. I would not recommend this book for youth, just because the material is so intense. She paints the picture how it really was, which is not pretty. I do have to say, however, that she treats a lot of things sensitively, to leave out as much crudeness as possible and still describe the circumstances. I really appreciated that about this book. For example, instead of listing a lot of swear words, she would just say, "he let out a string of curse words..." Overall, I am giving this a four-star rating just because I think caution needs to be taken as to who is reading it - it requires age and maturity!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was intense. The author's mother and grandfather both suffered from bipolar disorder and committed suicide. The author also is diagnosed with bipolar and is committed to a psychiatric ward. Her father shares his story, about his wife and his two children who now have bipolar, with a friend at church. The friend says that their behavior sounds like something that some pigs go through and they have a supplement they give the pigs that seems to clear it up. The father ends up creating a nutritional supplement that allows the author to live a normal life without having to take any other drugs. The story also deals with the family's fight with the government of Canada who refuse shipments of the supplement (it was being manufactured in the US) into the country. It's hard to put the book down, I read it in one sitting. I found that it gave me a better understanding of those who suffer from mental illness.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was given to me at work, because the author came to town for a book tour. It's actually a pretty interesting story about a woman who came from a family with bipolar disorder. Her mother died of the illness and the author found it enveloping her as well. Determined to save his family, her father and his friend developed a nutritional supplement that allowed Autumn, her brother and several thousand people to treat their mental illness with a supplement that was originally designed to treat pigs who suffered from tail biting disease. The supplement cured numerous people, but Health Canada tried to outlaw it. I found this story really fascinating and am interested in learning more about the supplement and the program. Autumn and her family have also worked to create homes and treatment programs for people with mental illness. These homes are currently based in Southern Alberta. A pretty interesting movement that I didn't know anything about.

[Mashell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up with a friend that was diagnosed as Bipolar. I thought I understood the things she dealt with and the struggles she had through high school and even as an adult. She has lost job after job and struggled to be a single mother of four children, all the while fighting the state of Idaho for disability income. It was so difficult for her to get the state to see why Bipolar was disabling. This book has opened my eyes to the real inner conflicts and dangers of the disorder. I realize I didn't really understand my friend and her struggles at all. There must be so much that she kept from me, for fear of scaring me. I am thankful that Autumn was so candid, open and honest in her writing. I will be less judgemental, loving and helpful to those around me after learning of her experiences.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book after my friend's son who was diagnosed bipolar was cured by the TrueHope vitamin product. It is read very expressively by the author, and is an absolutely fascinating story. The author's mother committed suicide and the author herself got close to the same breaking point before she was cured. With a bipolar wife, and two or three bipolar children, the author's father went on a quest to find something that would help them, and ended up finding it in a collaboration with a pig farmer (of all things) who was finding great success in vitamin treatments for his pigs. Even if you have no interest in mental illness, this is a wonderfully told and compelling story.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autumn tells her story so vividly it is like you are experiencing bi-polar yourself! And I think that is what I gained by reading this, which I had hoped to when I saw the cover. For some reason I have interacted with so many people who have bi-polar or related illness, and I have struggled to find empathy and to understand their treatment of other people. Thank-you Autumn for enlightening me!
On an unrelated topic, I did feel a LOT of empathy in Autumn's struggle to access her natural drug cure. I don't function nearly as well on synthetic thyroid, and I don't understand why there are so many controversies and laws against it. There has to be some kind of conspiracy with pharmaceutical companies, doctors and the government. Seriously!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fantastic, heart-wrenching read. It is the story of a Canadian woman who suffered from a serious form of bipolar disorder; her mother also suffered and ended up committing suicide. Autumn's life story is mesmerizing to read.

Not only is the story riveting, but Autumn Stringam is a talented writer as well. The narrative flows, carrying you along, without becoming maudlin or sentimental. It is a book which raises many questions about family dynamics, about mental health and assumptions made about illnesses, about established treatments and possibilities for those diagnosed.

Full Review Here

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

that living in a family plagued with mental illness I am not alone and new non-drug treatments based on vitamin and mineral research that might change the face of mental illness recovery and wellness. Her story is beautifully written straight from the heart and I could relate to so many things she experienced, very touching, disturbing but hope-filled all in one.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this 5 stars because of it's life altering effect on me. I was privileged to meet Autumn today and hear her speak and review her story and even autograph my book! The first part is not an easy read and I have to take a day off to process it but it is a miraculous story and I'm grateful it was written and shared.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story about a woman with bipolar disorder. So many heart-wrenching moments and terrifying events in her life (like when her mom drove them into the river...!!!). Whether or not the supplements that cured her work for everyone, it was an eye-opening book for me in regards to mental illness and I would recommend it to everyone.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were some things in this book and Autumn's childhood that were difficult to read. I wouldn't want my children to read it on their own. However, it has helped me to understand someone with a mental illness. She gave me tremendous hope to try the supplement her father created, and it has changed the lives of our whole family!