My All-American, Bipolar Dad

Book excerpt: My dad, Morris Chadwick "Chad" Gaffin, was an all-American kind of guy who was a devout Christian, a professional Scouter with the Boy Scouts of America, and an artillery officer with the US Army during the Cold War. He was a well-meaning and charismatic guy who unfortunately suffered from a mental illness known as bipolar disorder. Despite being diagnosed with this mental illness in the middle of his life, he refused to admit it and take the appropriate medicine. Unfortunately, his mental illness worsened with age, and he began to inadvertently destroy his relationships with people, which prevented him from fully accomplishing his ultimate goal in life of becoming a minister. Most of the bad things in Dad's life were done to himself, but he always saw himself as a victim of evil people out to destroy him. Despite the unflattering and embarrassing realities of his bipolar disorder, this book will fully examine his life and explain how our family dealt with his mental illness and difficult personality. It was sad to watch Dad's life slowly spiral downward into a personal hell as he became his own worst enemy, especially with his personal relationships and finances. For those who knew him best, he was ultimately loved and appreciated as a person who wanted to make a positive impact on the world. Maybe this book could give his life more meaning and serve as a cautionary tale for those with similar loved ones who refuse to seek help.