Bipolar Boy from Bothell

Gene Olson was born in a small town in Pacific Northwest. He was raised in a large family with two brothers and two sisters plus many stepsiblings as his parents ran a home for boys. They were quiet and happy years. He dropped out of college to allow his two sisters to complete education and was drafted into military service in the middle of the Vietnam war.

The unforgettable and horrifying experience of war, and many of his friends dying, left a huge impression on him. After returning home he was unsettled and restless having difficulties sticking to a daily routine. Diagnosed as bipolar and trying different medication to heal his tormented brain, he suddenly he met his angel and his life made sense to him again.

It’s a story of torment and survival, a struggle to find sense in his illness and obtain happiness.