John McManamy is the award-winning author of “Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You That You Need to Know” (HarperCollins, 2006), and editor and publisher of “McMan’s Depression and Bipolar Web.” He also contributes as an expert patient on "HealthCentral" and has his own blog, “Knowledge is Necessity.”    John has just self-published a new book on the funny side of mental illness and life in general, "Raccoons Respect My Piss But Watch Out For Skunks: My Funny Life on a Planet Not of My Choosing That I Now - Sort of, Maybe, Well Okay - Call Home."   John was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1999 at age 49 following a suicidal depression and a lifetime of denial. Soon after, John put his experience as a financial journalist to work in researching and writing about his illness. He is currently serving on the board of NAMI San Diego. John moved to the San Diego area five years ago from the east coast