Author Raises Awareness on the Importance of Transitional Care in Touching Tale of Mental Illness
Susan Knox Kopta releases debut book, 'Ballasted Wings,' paying tribute to her daughter Alexis and the world she faced when she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., April 27, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Mental illness is an ongoing conversation that should never be treated lightly. In "Ballasted Wings: Why That Day?" Susan Knox Kopta shares a raw, gritty, cautionary tale that will educate readers on the dangers of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder without transitional care. The author raises awareness of this continuing issue, by taking readers on the heart-wrenching bipolar journey of her 22-year-old daughter, Alexis.
Kopta shares the honest reality that she and her daughter faced, which did not include transitional care to ensure a thorough understanding of Alexis's diagnosis, its risks and management. She hopes her book will help individuals who are facing the same struggles her daughter experienced, by offering provisional information, tools and resources to living a balanced life.
"My goals for my book are to reach those directly affected by and involved in bipolar care and medications," said Kopta. "I hope individuals who are going through what Alexis went through will read my book and know that there are ways to improve care, treatment and connections by using resources that will contribute to bipolar resilience."
The book illustrates the adversities Alexis faced and the resources she did not have, which defined the end of her life story. After Kopta experienced the loss of her daughter, she learned of a short-term increase in the suicide rate associated with hospitalizations for serious mental health conditions that do not include the proper transitional care that is needed. The author decided to help others after her heartbreaking loss by creating Bipolarlinks.com, a resource hub that provides links to transitional care resources to encourage individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder so they can reach balanced living.
"Ballasted Wings" breaks the silence of mental health and raises awareness on how to help individuals who are struggling with the diagnosis.
"Ballasted Wings: Why That Day?"
By Susan Knox Kopta
ISBN: 978-1-4834-2952-6 (softcover); 978-1-4834-2951-9 (hardcover)
Available at the Lulu Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the author
Susan Knox Kopta was Alexis's mom and still works to honor her as a mother's love never ends. She worked as a research and writing attorney for over twenty years. When writing "Ballasted Wings: Why That Day?" she saw the need to help others reach a different outcome than Alexis. After researching current bipolar resources, she saw that there were so many, she decided to create a bipolar resource hub called, BipolarLinks.com. Its mission is to help others develop bipolar resilience through connections, information and a sense of belonging. Kopta served on Oklahoma's National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Board of Directors. She is a NAMI Family Panel speaker during Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and advocates for victims of domestic violence.
General Inquiries, Review Copies & Interview Requests:
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Grace Bywater
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gbywater(at)lavidge(dot)com
SOURCE Susan Knox Kopta
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