Born in 1968, I grew up in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Graduating as a Registered Nurse in 1989, I went on to study a career in medical research. Unfortunately, due to ill-health associated with bipolar disorder, my career fluctuated over the course of the next ten or so years and I was unable to complete my PhD. However, I wrote many medical papers on the treatment of viral hepatitis but had to retire early when my workload became too much to bear. Writing and publishing my autobiography "Cry Out Loud - Living With Mental Illness" in 2012 following a degrading suicide attempt was a massive feat but nonetheless rewarding. The idea of writing a book about my diagnosis of Bipolar Affective Disorder seemed appealing. Twelve years down the track I have realised that there are so many other stories I could tell to fulfill my love of writing. "Biographies Of The Mentally Ill" was born to do just that. Gratefully, writer's block is usually a temporary condition and the various roadblocks I have experienced on my writing journey have now lifted. The narrative of this second book follows the journey of ten participants with various mental health illnesses and multiple treatments who have incredibly opened their souls to reveal their memories and hardships. Each volunteer bravely undertook the challenge of sharing their life story. Many were determined to have every date and detail correct. Who could blame them? They wanted their story told. Their struggles with mental illness and how it has changed their path in life will be revealed.

I am passionate about spreading the word, providing the reader with an insight into the horrors of mental illness. These volunteers are my heroes, and all have amazing journeys to share. It would no doubt be confronting and difficult to share your life journey, summed up in only a few typed pages. Nonetheless, I hope I have processed these stories with minimal impact on the volunteers. They deserve to be respected and rewarded.

Megan Archer's "Weeping Woman" is featured on the book cover. Also from Melbourne, Australia, Megan's artwork produces a vibrant tapestry of colours and shapes and is inspired by visions of auditory waves of hallucinations during episodes of psychosis attributable to schizoaffective disorder.