Love, Life, & God

In 1998, my "bucket" overflowed and I was derailed by the invasion of disabling pain and depression, diagnosed as Fibromyalgia. When I could no longer work, I lost my identity... the self I had found when I wrote my first book, Appearances: A Journey of Self-Discovery. Norman Cousins, the author of many health-related books, said "The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live," which can explain what had happened to me. However, I never in my wildest dreams imagined I was merely in an invisible cocoon and that someday, years later, I would experience an extraordinary transformation and emerge as a happy butterfly. Now the past is just a story... one I told in this book. Enter with a brave heart as you read about my journey. This book is part two of my life story. Part one is in Appearances: A Journey of Self-Discovery. Included in my narration: a diagnosis, medical treatments, getting on disability, the experience of going through withdrawal after I stopped taking 11 prescription medications cold turkey, followed by 3 months in a 'pink cloud, ' followed by almost 2 years of debilitating depression. Because I could not get the psychological therapy I needed to get through this (CBT), I began doing my own research (details in the book). At the end of the book are 5 Appendixes. You can find a wealth of information including links to websites and videos on my website: www.reneealtersatmosphere.com. There is also a link to SoundCloud, where you can listen to the songs included in the book.