Failure to Thrive: My Journey Into Mental Illness provides more insight into depression and bi-polar disorder. The author talks candidly about the ups and downs and her struggles with food, schooling, jobs, relationship fears, and children. One of the points she makes is how mental illness affects these basic aspects of life -- how it makes it harder and how we need to stop the stigma surrounding mental illness. She also states how important strong communication is. I think it's so important for family members to understand and respond to them with encouragement. I like that the author gives resources at the end of the book. My family has dealt with my family member's (and extended family members') bi-polar illnesses, I think we are doing much better in understanding the lapses, but for so many years we all dealt with it in different ways. My mother never flagged in her support of my sibling, not when she went to the hospital to visit him, not when she had to wire him money to get him home again from one of his "road trips" during manic phases. I love that the author encourages family and friends to learn about more about mental illness and avoid making it worse. I appreciate this book, building awareness and the outreach to society.