Published Works
Elizabeth lives quietly with her books, her cat, and her meditation alter. She has been writing for most of her life, and has published poetry, journal entries, articles, and essays with numerous small presses. She has also authored the following published books, which can be purchased through the linked images.
Opening with the narrative of her initial breakdown, then moving into journal entries from her mid-life relapses, Elizabeth includes educational pieces on postpartum depression, family-of-origin issues, and suicide. Using vignettes and quotes from other strong women like quilting pieces, she stitches together her story of stigma and shame, loss and grief, and the quest for balance that is recovery.
Elizabeth says the message of her story is, "I am getting through this, and so can you." She holds out her experience with mental illness as a hand of relatability and hope, in the midst of someone's silent suffering.
In this narrative, Elizabeth tells the story of how she lived with, and later separated from, her three young children.
Elizabeth had two goals in writing this book. The first was to give each of her children a picture of their childhoods, from her perspective. She had hoped that in expressing her love as well as her limitations, their own healing would be enhanced. The second goal was to offer support to every mother everywhere who has longed for freedom from the role of single parent, even if she did not act on that - and for every child who has felt abandoned in any way by these mothers, no matter the reason. There is hope and there is healing.
Elizabeth accepts herself then and now, and chooses to focus on this ever growing present that she lives in with these three. All is well. Elizabeth is humbled by the love of her children and she celebrates with honor their strong sense of family.
In this memoir, which spans three early years of her healing relationship with her own deep self, Elizabeth shares her experiences of being ever grateful to be well.
Realizing that her well-being affects others, and the whole, she has been inspired to tell her story of finding hope and happiness after her debilitating illnesses. In these later years, Elizabeth is delighted to be exploring life in the sprit of celebrations, finding peace and serenity in simple and satisfying experiences.