In 1984, at 36 years of age, the author broke down physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. She was hospitalized for six weeks; the first of three such visits over the next four years. Marilyn says that for all of her life, she had been a "sad, scared, paranoid perfectionist" and only after her life came to a blinding and screeching halt did she have the courage to investigate why. She discovered reasons -- but no excuses -- for why she had lived in such turmoil for so long. Once she knew how and why she had broken down, she had to find the courage to build herself up -- for...

I am so proud to finally let you meet The Girl Behind the Closed Door. She was in hiding for a very long time, but as with anything that is life changing, the wait was worthwhile. I have suffered greatly from loneliness, fear and depression and only through my writing and other learning tools, did I find ways to emerge as a stronger and more powerful woman. Poetry was a wonderful gift that I was given to free myself from the ugly grips of depression, and now I want to share its healing power with you. In every poem, I guarantee that you will find a piece of the heart of the girl behind the...

The author's trademark down-to-earth spirituality is encapsulated for you, the reader, in this wonderful workbook which will allow you to examine feelings and thoughts that you may not have known that you even have. Marilyn experienced deep depression and bipolar disorder in the 1980's and used the pain she experienced at that time as a means of growth, rather than becoming victimized by it. She knows that she can only talk about the world of emotions from where she is standing, but through her questions about each topic, Marilyn invites you to examine that same world from your own unique...