Hello and welcome! I am honored you decided to visit my about page.

My number one goal is to help people find the positive in our chaotic world. I give special attention to mental health, as I fight both bipolar disorder and an anxiety disorder. Words can heal, and I hope mine can give you the strength you've been looking for.

Ever since I read Charlotte’s Web in first grade, I’ve dreamed of being a writer. My collection of writing on Medium is part of the culmination of years of dreams.

Note: For my writer origin story told as a fairy tale click here.

I’m a quiet country boy living in the mountains of southeast Tennessee. I spend my days rearranging numbers while working as a bookkeeper and tax preparer. I spend nights and weekends volunteering, caring for my aging parents, and creating online content.

It’s important I tell you I am not a medical professional. Nothing I write on Medium, on my Speaking Bipolar blog, or in its products or videos should be taken as medical advice or as an alternative to professional treatment.

So, why should you stick around? I’m happy to tell you.

Malcolm Gladwell is often credited for creating the 10,000-hour rule. In short, he said if you practice one skill for 10,000 hours, you’ll have a good chance of becoming an expert at it.

If that’s true, I’m an expert at living with bipolar disorder. Okay, maybe not an expert, but I’ve learned a few things, and want to share them with you.

You can find hundreds of my articles on the web. Besides writing about bipolar, I share stories about self-improvement, living with chronic illness, poetry, short stories, and writing tips. I share daily content for the members of my Speaking Bipolar Positivity Club.

If you think you might like the Positivity Club but want to know more, be sure to sign up for my free 30 Days of Positivity email course. The 30 Days course is a preview of what you'll see in the club. Every weekday, you'll receive inspirational stories, journal prompts, and creative writing ideas all focused on helping you stay positive.

Let's go back to my mental health for a moment. After a tumultuous few years, a doctor diagnosed me with bipolar disorder 1 in the spring of 1995. The diagnosis followed a manic period lasting over three years.

In those years, I ran away from my family and home, where I grew up in central Wisconsin and took up residence in Tennessee. Moving to Tennessee ended up being an excellent decision, but the way I got here left much to be desired.

I walked away from everything: my job, my home, and all my childhood friends. I had a place to live in Tennessee, but no job or even ideas on what I might do to pay the bills.

My bipolar diagnosis came during a hospital stay. Had friends waited a few minutes longer to check on me, I would be another statistic. Since I’m still here, I want to share my story with the hopes it will help you keep fighting.

While most of my content focuses on staying positive, it's also to understand that mental illness causes bad days. I talk about social anxiety, bipolar anger, and about feeling crazy in many of my posts.

Besides bipolar disorder, I have generalized anxiety disorder and Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). FMF comes with its own team of troublemakers, causing everything from neuropathy to organ damage.

While I rarely write about it, my faith is foremost in my life. It keeps me grounded and focused on hope. My family is second, and I would do anything for them.

Writing is my passion. I hope one day to support myself entirely from my writing, but in the meantime, it’s the hobby that keeps me going. I hope my words will provide comfort and validation for you.

If you are coping with bipolar disorder or another mental illness diagnosis, please know that you are not alone. The free mini e-book, 21 Smart Ways To Reduce the Effects of Bipolar Disorder on Everyday Life, can help you succeed.

Life may not be what you had hoped it would be, but it’s still worth living. You can live a full life with mental illness, and I want to help you do it.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my content.

Until next time, keep fighting.

Scott