Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mental Illness

With New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Pete Earley, and including chapters by her sister--award-winning actress Glenn Close--Jessie Close shares her story of living with severe bipolar disorder and her tumultuous journey to find the emotional fortitude to bring herself back from the edge.

At a young age, Jessie Close struggled with symptoms that would transform into severe bipolar disorder in her early twenties, but she was not properly diagnosed until the age of fifty. Jessie and her three siblings, including actress Glenn Close, spent many years in the Moral Re-Armament cult. Jessie passed her childhood in New York, Switzerland, Connecticut, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), and finally Los Angeles, where her life quickly became unmanageable. She was just fifteen years old.

Jessie's emerging mental illness led her into a life of addictions, five failed marriages, and to the brink of suicide. She fought to raise her children despite her ever worsening mental conditions and under the strain of damaged romantic relationships. Her sister Glenn and certain members of their family tried to be supportive throughout the ups and downs, and Glenn's vignettes in Resilience provide an alternate perspective on Jessie's life as it began to spiral out of control. Jessie was devastated to discover that mental illness was passed on to her son Calen, but getting him help at long last helped Jessie to heal as well. Eleven years later, Jessie is a productive member of society and a supportive daughter, mother, sister, and grandmother.

In Resilience, Jessie dives into the dark and dangerous shadows of mental illness without shying away from its horror and turmoil.

Author: Jessie Close
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 01/12/2016
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.90d
ISBN13: 9781455548804
ISBN10: 1455548804
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs
- Psychology | Psychopathology | Bipolar Disorder
- Biography & Autobiography | Women

About the Author
Jessie Close is an internationally recognized speaker, author, poet and advocate for mental health reform. She authored The Warping of Al, and she writes a blog for Bring Change 2 Mind. Jessie has received awards from the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health America, as well as the Jed Foundation Award and The McLean Award. She lives in Montana with her Service Dog, Snitz, and three other dogs.