It took 48 years for Cynthia Sabotka to be stricken with something
more menacing than her type A personality. Unable to recognize the
difference between moods and mayhem, she battled the empty nest
syndrome in silence while the raging hormones of menopause,
hypothyroidism, and family hostility would begin to consume her.

Finally the assault took a deadly turn. Familial stress and circumstance
plunged her into a psychotic state beyond belief. To her quasirelief,
the madness would be given a name: Bipolar Disorder.
In her memoir, Life is Like a Line: A Memoir of Moods, Medication,
and Mania, Sabotka traces her lifeline from pre-birth through her
diagnosis and beyond in an attempt to find answers to questions
unknown. Her determination to uncover her illness brought an understanding
of her genetics through the sharing of family stories and
events but the mere knowing could not prevent the harmful symptoms
and mental implosion that fell upon her so late in life.

While diving into the pool of her family's murky waters, Sabotka would
realize in adulthood the depth of their dysfunction and the pain that
it caused in childhood. Once considered clinically depressed, her
elevated moods and periods of drug and sex abuse would become
uncomfortably clear in hindsight.
While the diagnosed woman marinates in her painful past, the journey
is not hers alone. Her psychiatrist, supportive husband, and family
stood by her side as she walked the long road to recovery.

Eventually, clarity resumed and the questions previously unanswered
made logic out of behaviors once misunderstood.About Author/Freestyle Poet Cynthia M. Sabotka
Cynthia credits her ability to sustain life by her faith in God, the love of
her family, the unwavering dedication of a masterful psychiatrist, and the
wealth of medications at hand.

She has been a highly functional small business owner and entrepreneur
for over 20 years. She has owned and operated a historical hotel and
restaurant, has been a talent agency model, real estate professional,
licensed builder, and interior decorator. Her status as wife, mother,
daughter, sister, and active grandmother keep her running."

... Anyone considering traveling the road of psychoanalysis will benefit
from hitching a ride with Cynthia Sabotka."
Dr. Paul J. Friday, Chief, Clinical Psychology UPMC-Shadyside
" ... captures the intensity and desperation of this brutal illness with
emotional power ... "
Andy Behrman, speaker, author of Electroboy: A Memoir
" ... the most vivid description of living with a bi-polar illness I have
ever read or heard ..."
Michael McCartan, Executive Director, St. Clair County (MI) Community
Mental Health Authority
" ... A journey you won't forget."
Dr. Richard W. Rodgers, Diplomate in Clinical Psychology
American Board of Professional Psychologists