Cyrilla Adgate Beveridge Auburn AL 36830

Cyrilla Adgate Beveridge is the author of a new book, The Therapist in Auburn, AL, a memoir about growing up with a mentally ill mom who struggled to cope with bipolar disorder. As a child, Beveridge grew up in the “Biscuit Belt,” a region of Alabama where most people are of a blue-collar background where alcoholism was common and drug addiction and drug use are rife.

After her mother’s diagnosis, it was apparent that the bipolar disorder would affect everyone she came into contact with. She was diagnosed with the illness when she was fifteen years old, but the disease wasn’t known at that time and there was no treatment available. Her mother had never been on medications or taken any kind of prescription drugs, so there was very little the Beveridge family knew about her condition.

The Beveridge family’s first thought was that her mother’s bipolar disorder was incurable. However, as her mother got better over the years, it became clear that she was not going to die from bipolar disorder. In fact, she was able to live a productive life for several years after she received her first medication. After her mother’s death, the Beveridge family decided to take action and become advocates for those who struggle with mental illness. The book is a powerful look into a difficult family’s journey toward healing.