Beverly Kearney's life is all about speed and winning. She's the legendary head coach of the University of Texas women's track and field team. Under her leadership, the Longhorns have claimed six national 
As soon as her mother's car pulled away, Cathy Harper Lee always counted the blades of grass on the lawn. She hoped to reach a high number. That meant a few moments alone before her step-father ordered her inside. 
October 26, 2009
Growing up, the star of The Patty Duke Show experienced the pain of social isolation and mental disorder, but today she recalls her TV work as a place where she could find safety and comfort.
In a recent interview with CNN, Patty Duke told of her abuse at the hands of her managers, which led to drug and alcohol addiction. But she also expressed her belief that the show gave her "the tools that helped me survive through my youth until I got my diagnosis."
Today, her bipolar disorder is stabilized, and Duke is thriving in her role as an advocate and activist working to destigmatize mental illness. For her efforts, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of North Florida in 2007.
According to the National Institutes of Health, bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million American adults, about 2.6 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 and older each year.
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, which accepts donations from interested individuals, says people with bipolar disorder face up to 10 years of coping with symptoms before getting an accurate diagnosis, although there are effective methods of treating the condition.
That is why it is important to seek medical evaluation for symptoms that include unusually intense emotional states that occur in distinct periods and go from severe depression to euphoria and back.
