Merryl Hammond PhD

Merryl Hammond PhD studied nursing and community health in South Africa and – escaping apartheid – immigrated to Montreal, Canada in 1988. She’s a public health consultant for Indigenous clients and has published widely in both countries. She was struck with bipolar disorder at age 51 and flipped from researcher and health worker to locked-ward patient. In “Mad Like Me: Travels in Bipolar Country” (2018) she discloses – in vivid and illuminating detail – what she and her family confronted on their unplanned journey deep into “bipolar country” and ultimately to recovery. This bestselling memoir fights the stigma of mental illness and gives readers sincere cause for hope. In the ebook "COVID-19 in Bipolar Country: Survival tips for mental stability during the coronavirus pandemic" (2020), she shares the strategies she's using to maintain her hard-won mental stability during lockdown. "Navigating Bipolar Country: Personal and Professional Perspectives on Living with Bipolar Disorder" (2022) is an anthology with 42 contributions by those living with bipolar, supporting a family member with the disorder, or treating affected people.