In Never Regret the Pain: Loving and Losing a Bipolar Spouse (Helm Publishing; $16.95), Sel Erder Yackley combines observational skills, love and grief to tell about what transpires in a family when one member suffers from bipolar disorder. Inner guilt and torment—feelings many can empathize with—are at the center of this story.
Yackley herself is an award-winning journalist who was born and raised in Turkey. After receiving her master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University, she worked for United Press International and for the Chicago Tribune. When her husband finished law school in 1970, they moved to central Illinois where Yackley became active in local politics as well as civic, and charitable organizations. Once her three children were in college, and 10 years after her husband’s suicide, Yackley returned to Chicago to work in the travel business from which she retired recently. On the boards of several international groups, she continues to write, organize tours to Turkey as well as lecture on mental health issues at various support groups.
In describing how gays and lesbians can relate to her latest work, Yackley told Windy City Times, ‘Often the LGBT community is more aware of psychological and psychological problems than straight Americans. They are better educated and more open to accepting people with [different] lifestyles, behavior or problems. Since bipolar illness can be triggered by a crisis, the LGBT community would benefit from learning about new findings and the factors effecting the onslaught of mental illness.’
The work is available at major bookstores and at Amazon.com.