The single mom, Chris, is bipolar. Chris asked that their last names not be used Their story is one of silent struggle, a struggle going on within countless Valley families. A struggle born of the fact that, while mental disease may strike through the cold mechanics of biology, its victims still strive for a good life. Scientists believe that some people are born wired for mental illness through genetics. Ill. But genes aren't everything.
Recent studies suggest that environment, nutrition and health-care access all make a difference.
That's comforting to Chris, but it doesn't make the family's days any easier. Chris grew up in a home where mental illness wasn't acknowledged. No one ever mentioned her mother's moodiness. At 21, she had a breakdown and was hospitalized the next year. Meanwhile, Chris, who has a bachelor's degree in psychology, worked in a factory, as a school bus driver and as an administrator in a home health-care agency.