Ebony Francine Miller

Mental Illness Is Real Ebony Francine Miller

More than taboo or a make-believe condition, Mental Illness Is Real and first-time author Ebony Francine Miller proves just that. In Mental Illness Is Real: The Invisible Disease, Ebony details her own experiences with mental illness by sharing her thoughts, poetry and artwork, humanizing a condition that many people often suffer from in silence. Throughout grade school, Ebony remained under the radar. Even though she received special accommodations, her peers never knew. They did consider her to be a "drama queen", but Ebony would not learn the true reason for her behavior until many years later. Despite continuing her education and attending college, Ebony experienced a mental breakdown in her late thirties that would change her life forever. Being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia has brought challenges of its own. Over the years, Ebony has been admitted to eight different mental institutions. Upon experiencing an episode, Ebony has to rely on the observations of others because she cannot recall its events. She also has experienced strained relationships with family, significant others and her son due to her illness, but she refuses to give up hope. Ebony advises others to do the same. The main goal of Mental Illness Is Real is to offer compassion and understanding for people living with mental illness, especially if they feel as if they are living with it alone. In addition to her personal testimony, Ebony provides mental health resources and guided questions to help others find truth in the midst of their confusion and freedom from the prison of their mind.