Soldier Girl: My Life Battling Bipolar Depression

By Ann Michael

The information about the author is not available as of this time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669827481

Ann Michael

Soldier Girl is my life story. It is important for me to explain my younger years so that you can read how a pretty normal girl with a very happy childhood can still manage to get a mental illness diagnosis. I’m not a doctor, but I truly believe, by reading other stories and doing my research, some type of trauma happens; and if the trauma or abuse is prolonged, it can have lifelong effects on someone. In my case, it was mental and verbal abuse. But I also want to stress in this book that I wouldn’t take anything that has happened to me back. God has a purpose for everything. He was there for me in my lowest low and is my rock and gets me through each and every day. If I can help just one person who struggles with mental illness or any other issues in life, I will be extremely happy.

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Copyright © 2022 by Ann Michael.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Website

Rev. date: 06/30/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

822559

CONTENTS

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1 Let the Battle Begin!

Chapter 2 New Home Base

Chapter 3 Enrobe the Armor

Chapter 4 Basic Training

Chapter 5 Fall In

Chapter 6 The Engagement

Chapter 7 Target Date

Chapter 8 Going to the Chapel

Chapter 9 Barracks

Chapter 10 Changing Ranks

Chapter 11 Changing Stations

Chapter 12 Nose Dive

Chapter 13 The War Begins

Chapter 14 The Fight Continues

Chapter 15 New Rank

Chapter 16 Combustion

Chapter 17 Chief of Staff

Chapter 18 Heaven Interceded at the Battle

Chapter 19 Medics

Chapter 20 The Pit

Chapter 21 Higher Ground

Dedication

To my loving husband, John, who has been with me through all my ups and downs in life and still loves me deeply.

To my three adult children, Nicole, Brooke, and Lee. They have had to deal with my illness, and it has affected them all, but they found a way through their heartaches and still love their momma.

To my parents, Richard and Betty. My daddy in heaven was one of the strongest influences in my life. My mom is still my biggest cheerleader and loves me unconditionally.

Introduction

Soldier Girl is my life story. It is important for me to explain my younger years so that you can read how a pretty normal girl with a very happy childhood can still manage to get a mental illness diagnosis.

I’m not a doctor, but I truly believe, by reading other stories and doing my research, some type of trauma happens; and if the trauma or abuse is prolonged, it can have lifelong effects on someone. In my case, it was mental and verbal abuse.

But I also want to stress in this book that I wouldn’t take anything that has happened to me back. God has a purpose for everything. He was there for me in my lowest low and is my rock and gets me through each and every day.

If I can help just one person who struggles with mental illness or any other issues in life, I will be extremely happy.

Chapter 1

Let the Battle Begin!

But the rock of our enemies is not like our Rock, as even they recognize.

—Deut. 32:31 NLT

I was born the youngest of five on October 17, 1963. I had a picture-perfect childhood. I know now, as an adult, that I wasn’t planned; but then again, my momma said none of us were! But I do know that my father got a vasectomy shortly after I was born, if that tells you anything! My parents made each of us feel like we were special, and even though they loved us equally, we all felt—and still feel—like we were the favorite.

Being the youngest of five, I was always told I was the most spoiled. Looking back, yeah, I probably was. That might have played a part in the battle that I would endure later in life, which I’ll explain in detail later in this book.

My parents didn’t accept Jesus as their personal Savior until they were in their forties. Thankfully, for me, I was only five at the time, so I was pretty much raised in a Christian home. My two oldest siblings were teenagers, so it was a bit harder for them. My parents completely changed their habits, their places of entertainment, and basically their way of life.

I could see firsthand how that affected my older siblings. They were told not to go to certain places. My parents were always conservative minded but even more so now that they had become Christians.

As the youngest, again, I felt fortunate that I could see my older siblings make mistakes; and I would tell myself, I’m never doing that. It’s just not worth it! I don’t want the wrath of my parents to come down on me!

I didn’t become a Christian until the ripe old age of seven. It was at Vacation Bible School at our church, where my parents heard the gospel for the very first time. The pastor Don Tyler came to our home soon after their first visit. He explained salvation so clearly that they accepted Christ right there in our living room, kneeling down on the floor on our sofa, which was only reserved for company. That whole living room was not a room of play, just kept perfectly for guests. That beautiful sofa represented so much more, which I’ll get to later as well.

Mrs. Finamore was my VBS teacher that summer, and she made salvation so clear in my mind, and that day, I surrendered my life to Christ. I remember doing it at five, not truly understanding; but that day, I got it. I remember her writing it down in a small book that I accepted Christ with the date and my name, and then she signed it. I had received one before, at age five, so I was a little afraid of telling my mom that I had done it again. I carefully hid it under her bed. Why not my bed? Who knows? Maybe secretly, I wanted her to know that I made it stick this time! That decision is what carries me through my life’s battles every day—the good, the bad, and the very ugly!

Our church was our family’s epicenter. We were there every time the doors were open. My parents couldn’t get enough and were soaking in the messages that my pastor told each service. Now, mind you, we lived in Indianapolis; and this church, even though it was a very large church, was located in a small town called Brownsburg. It was a thirty-minute drive each way, which, if you figure, we went at least three times a week. That’s a big chunk of miles and time! It was so worth it! That’s where I met my lifelong friends. Little did I know then that our church was planning to build a Christian school, where my sister and I would later attend.

My neighborhood was the best, and I have such fond memories of growing up on Marsha Drive. I had some very close friends. Sue was my first best friend. Those were the days of playing outside with the neighborhood kids until dark or until you heard your mom call you for dinner or, as Hoosiers called it, supper. One of my friend’s dads had a very specific way of calling his kids home with a very loud whistle. I can still hear that in my mind’s memory of fond childhood times.

I had the privilege of leading my best friend Sue to the Lord. To this day, she is a faithful Jesus follower. It’s amazing how our childhood can be brought back to life by just connecting to a past friend through Facebook or social media.

I attended the public elementary Chapel Wood until I was in fifth grade when I began Bethesda Christian, the school that my church was starting. That school made a huge impact on my life spiritually and socially.

It was small compared to public schools, but that just made it a more tightly knit group of students and teachers. I still keep in contact with a lot of my close friends. Some have already sadly passed away, which I guess is par for the course when you get to be my age. But boy, did we have a lot of fun. Good, clean fun too.

It’s there where I met my lifelong best friend, Mary. We had so much fun acting crazy together. No one in this lifetime has ever made me laugh more. She was known as a sanguine, and I was melancholy. We took a personality test at church, which did explain a lot about me. I considered myself a little moody, but overall, I was happy and loved my high school years.

Mary was voted class clown for a reason but always had the beauty as well. She was voted homecoming queen our senior year, something I always dreamed about, but I honestly never felt jealous of her getting it. She definitely did deserve it. Everyone loved her, and she was my best friend. Now don’t get me wrong. I won’t be shy to tell you I was popular too. I was class president in the eighth grade, for goodness’ sakes! I think I just peaked too quickly! (I’m seriously laughing out loud!)

She and I also enjoyed cheering together all through school and even into university. I’m so proud of Mary and her accomplishments. She produces the news at a local station in Indianapolis. She worked her way up from the person who wrote what you see on the bottom of the television screens. I’ll never forget