Contact: Abigail Davidson, Publicist, WinePress Group, 360-802-9758, abigail@winepressgroup.com

ENUMCLAW, Wash., Jan. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- The 2001 movie "A Beautiful Mind" tells the story of Nobel Prize Winner John Nash and his wife Alicia. For many the real hero of the story is Alicia, who saw her husband through his long battle with mental illness--taking on the role of breadwinner, monitoring his medication, and refusing to give up on John even when his prognosis looked hopeless. As we applaud Alicia we secretly question whether we could do the same, especially with children involved. Watching someone else's story portrayed on screen hardly touches the day-to-day frustrations, tears, and fears of actually living the saga.

The HealthyPlace.com* article "A Member of Your Family is Mentally Ill--What Now?" addresses the unique needs of those living with someone who battles schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or any other serious mental illness. "The strains of mental illness on a marriage may be devastating. 'There's a very high divorce rate among people who have depression or bipolar disorder,' says Ghaemi [a Harvard professor interviewed in the article]."

While divorce may seem completely justified to some, those in the Christian community often face judgment and criticism when they choose to leave a mentally ill spouse. Isidor Buchmann experienced this when he chose to divorce his mentally ill wife for the sake of their children's safety and well-being. His experience led to the book "God's Grace in Divorce--Choosing Between Preserving the Marriage and Protecting the Children." The book follows his family as it is torn apart by bipolar disorder. He openly shares the devastating effects on their children, the response of their Christian community, and the final decision to end the marriage. "I want to help those who have a similar experience, are hurting, and [feel] misunderstood by religious organizations," Buchmann says. "More than anything, I want to encourage them to keep hope and find strength in God." He points out, "No, divorce wasn't desirable, but the ending is victorious in that God replenished what the locusts had eaten."

For more information, to request a review copy of "God's Grace in Divorce" or to schedule an interview, please contact Abigail Davidson by phone at 360-802-9758, by email at abigail@winepressgroup.com, or by fax at 360-802-9992. To purchase a copy of this book visit www.winepressbooks.com or call 877-421-7323. For more information about the book and author on the web visit: www.divorceforjustcause.com.

* www.healthyplace.com/communities/bipolar/related/support_017.asp