Deb Francis

Former 2009 Nationally Awarded Coordinator of the Year of NAMI NH’s ~ National Alliance on Mental Illness ~ “In Our Own Voice” Speakers Bureau, Deborah (Deb) Francis’ tenured position also included State Trainer and Presenter. NAMI NH provided her the place, platform, and experience to share her life journey of recovery from living with Manic Depression, now recognized as bipolar disorder.

Deb was part of the initial training of IOOV when the program was instituted at NAMI NH in 2003. First, as a volunteer, her leadership in the program led to her being hired as a staff member in 2008. Deb managed the program for 8 years, which included the recruitment of courageous volunteer presenters whose stories of recovery put a face to mental illness. Her responsibilities also included managing yearly training, marketing the program to venues across the state, and, ultimately, coordinating presentations at those various locations.

Deb has vast experience in eloquently presenting her story, sharing intimate details of her journey from acceptance to her challenging dark days, her treatment, and coping skills that often lead to audience members responding, “I never would have known she has a mental illness.” Her life story of challenge and inspirational successes opened the minds of all who witnessed her presentations to realize hope is real and recovery is possible. A critical message we all need to recognize that ultimately breaks down the walls of stigma and normalizes mental illness as a medical condition. Deb is not “Bipolar”. She journeys with it just as someone is not “Cancer.”

Her insights inspired many to engage in public speaking, greatly empowering their recovery journeys. She witnessed the depth of her own self-development and the realization of her recovery through this process. All of this has culminated in her newly written memoir, “Discomfort in The Manic Mind.” In this work, she poetically invites readers to experience the journey of her life within the confines of a manic depression diagnosis.

After years of discovery her lifelong vision for her memoir finally came to fruition after a therapy session gifted her an explosive epiphany that she had never recognized. It was the missing link she had been waiting for to finish her book. Described in detail, Deb tells the story of a recent enlightenment of how her diagnosis impacts her life’s journey.

She shares her story of her family’s genetic predisposition to mental illness and how her experience of sexual abuse trauma exacerbated her propensity for living with the diagnosis that she grew to embrace courageously. This journey includes the deep trauma that stems from this cyclical illness, which encompasses both the psychosis triggered by mania and the resulting depressive episodes, all of which led to numerous hospitalizations over a 40-year period.

Reading through her life experiences, one can sense the depth of her struggles. She describes the challenges of living with mental illness and its impact on those around her, how family dynamics can contribute to the difficulties, and even the stigma that can arise from those closest to her.

The course of her career is fiercely tenacious, embodying hope and resilience. It’s a compelling story of perseverance and overcoming insurmountable odds that will inspire and draw you into the depths of that hope.