Hi! I’m Ruth,

After my first psychotic episode in 1982, my psychiatrist told me I was the second to worst case he'd ever seen. I neither put that on my resume nor wore it as a badge of honor. I believe his sample size for comparison must have been small, however I do know my case was severe and complex. It's a conundrum to explain how I could have been so successful in my career, if you compare the timeline side by side with my mental health history.

 

I'm a retired professional with a varied career path--founder and CEO of a biotech software company, supercomputing consultant, US national laboratory scientist, college mathematics professor, and market investment analyst. A twenty year illustrious career was followed by two decades of disability. This blog traces my long bipolar disorder journey with the goal of giving hope to other people suffering with a mental illness and to educate patients, family members, friends, co-workers, the public, and law enforcement officers about mental illnesses. The blog post Dr. Ruth's Wild Ride chronicles some of my key life experiences and struggles dealing with the adversity of bipolar disorder.