Angela Klein, a 40-year-old mother of four, lives an ordinary life. She takes her children to school, cooks dinner, celebrates her anniversary with her husband of 19 years at Dairy Queen, and prays with her family every morning. But every moment she exists in that world, she lives another wrought with fear that her emotions will take control and overwhelm her willpower. Angela suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder, a mental illness characterized by intense feelings of anxiety, depression, and the physical act of self-harm. She has been hospitalized multiple times in the past year for cutting herself, and spent two months in a residential treatment facility last spring to receive therap y and to gain skills meant to help alter her behaviors. Angela’s loving husband, Jeff, and four children have all supported her tremendously during this time.

Through much of her own strong will, Angela has managed to recover from a disorder that almost destroyed her life. Now Angela fills her days looking forward to her children’s upcoming school play, getting braces for her son, playing piano late into the night surrounded by family, visiting friends, and keeping her faith. Her inner struggles remain, but with help, from within and without, she continues to rebuild her life.