Local author plans to donate proceeds from second book to nonprofit in Chester
CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- A local author is using her own struggles with mental health to inspire others.
Renee Warring looks back on how her words almost didn't make it on the pages.
"My mom had mental health issues, and she told me don't ever tell anybody about your mental health challenges because they will discriminate against you," Warring said.
Instead of staying quiet about her challenges, the 66-year-old wrote them down for anyone to read in her new book "The Lemonade of Mental Illness," which touches on the idea that by combining faith and strength, anyone can find a path forward.
"We become lemonade that refreshes the world," Warring said.
A world that she hopes can one day become more accepting about mental health issues.
"Talk to somebody," Warring said. "You're not the only one going through these things."
Warring grew up in Philly and began enduring what she calls "mental health episodes" at 21 years old.
Struggling with schizophrenia and suicidal thoughts eventually made it too difficult to hold a job. But in her 50s, Warring found a new calling: writing.
"It's given me hope," Warring said.
And that's not the only thing that's given her hope. The Providence House, a mental health resource center in Chester, has become her second home, so much so, that Warring plans to donate a part of the book proceeds to the nonprofit.
"They helped me, so I want to give back," Warring said. "It is a wonderful place because I can socialize with people who have mental health challenges just like me."
And as those people celebrated her new book, Warring had a message for anyone currently struggling.
"We are not our diagnosis, and we are not throwaway people," Warring said.
Warring says this is only the beginning for her. She's already planning on writing a third book.