Author, Artist & Free Surfer, Sohpie Hardcastle shares with us how she lost her joy, her motivation, her energy and witnessed her world unravel as waves of devastation washed over her – and what she did to come back to herself.

Sophie is a twenty-two-year-old author, Fine Arts student and free surfer currently based on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has written two books, both published by Hachette Australia. Her first, Running like China, is a memoir that lays bare the details of her experiences with a mental illness and her second book, Breathing Underwater is a novel set to be released in July 2016.

In this Podcast Sophie shares

• How at 17 years old, the once happy-go-lucky surfer chick lost her joy, her motivation, her energy and witnessed her world unravel as waves of devastation washed over her
• The dark days she endured through three years of misdiagnosis and subsequent mismedication
• Her rapid cycling episodes, recurring hospital admissions, her use of drugs, alcohol and sex in an attempt to fix herself, and the desire to take her own life
• Finally being diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder and feeling the clouds lift and the sun shine again after receiving the right medication
• Writing and publishing her first book Running Like China
• Where the name China came from, and how she used this name to mask her illness
• The process of writing her second book, Breathing Underwater
• Coming to terms with her disorder and finding a way to thrive in spite of it
• What to do if you, or someone you know could be suffering from a Mental Illness
• How we can help raise awareness and acceptance of Mental Illness3

Connect with Sophie

Visit www.sophiehardcastle.com to learn more about Sophie, purchase copies of her books, view her art and read her brilliant blog.

You’ll also find Sophie on
Twitter
Instagram

Rebecca Van Leeuwen

Bec Van Leeuwen is a truth-seeker, devoted wife and mother, a globe-trotter, a nature lover and a human potential activist. Her mission is to support and inspire awakening women who are on a quest to create real and lasting change in their lives, their communities and the world.