Paul Golden is no stranger to mental illness. A retired kidney specialist based in Modesto, California, Golden lived and struggled with bipolar disorder throughout his career. Now that he no longer practices medicine, he decided to share his story and currently advocates on behalf of the mentally ill.

Golden brought his unique perspective of the disease to Dudley Court Press with his book An Insider’s View of Bipolar Disease and opened up about his experiences in the deeply personal book Bipolar MD: A Doctor’s Memoir of Life with Bipolar Disorder.

Here are two articles from The Modesto Bee you might like.

The first article, “Former Modesto physician tells of struggles with bipolar disorder” profiles Golden’s life and struggles, and ends with three of Golden’s tips for people who live with bipolar disorder.

The second article, “Homelessness, incarcerations, suicides, police encounters; Laura’s Law would help reduce them” is a recent example of Golden’s advocacy. Here Golden talks about the merits of a law that is sorely needed in more California counties. Called Laura’s Law, it allows the court to order assisted outpatient treatment instead of hospitalization for the seriously mentally ill.

With the right knowledge and support, someone living with bipolar disorder can live a full and satisfying life. However, society still has a way to go when it comes to treating people who suffer from mental illness more respectfully.

An Insider’s View of Bipolar Disease and Bipolar MD: A Doctor’s Memoir of Life with Bipolar Disorder are available on Amazon.