Overcoming Mental Illness then Biking Across America at age 60
by Bonnie Ellen
This is one woman’s journey through mental illness to wholeness. Starting in her teens with anorexia nervosa and hospitalization for an eating disorder, she endured forty hospitalizations in psychiatric units over twenty years of her life.
Diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD), she was given a grim prognosis for ever living and working in the community. She was also warned about being institutionalized for life.
Fortunately, she did not believe those words about her future.
Through her faith, resilience, and the support and help of a few, she beat the odds stacked against her. This recovery from mental illness is a remarkable story of one woman who believed her life was more than the diagnoses they gave her.
Then, in celebration of her 60th birthday, she bicycled nearly 4,000 miles across America. Her story is a triumph after living a true life of extremes.
About the Author
Bonnie Ellen is originally from western Pennsylvania and now lives in Central Florida. Her journey through mental illness to wellness consumed many years of her life and shaped the person she is today.
Her resiliency and love for the Lord has brought her through many challenging times over the years. Today, she has a real joy for life and is an inspiration to all who know her and the path she has travelled.
Bonnie is available for speaking engagements and can be contacted through wlovwriters@gmail.com
Bonnie Ellen
