Gayle Chapman survived abuse, mental illness, addiction and struggles with God only to thrive today. Her account of her life in Strive to Thrive is honest and compelling, part personal journey, and part exploration of an system that failed to offer effective help to her and others dealing with addiction and mental illness.About the Author: Gayle Chapman is well known in the Victoria mental health system as a "tough nut to crack." Despite a life in and out of psychiatric hospitals from her teens to her 60s - or perhaps because of it - she created a successful program partnering people with mental illness and volunteers, and was honoured as volunteer of the year by the B.C. Division of Canadian Mental Health and nominated for a Women of Distinction Award. She's an accomplished artist and survivor. This is her first book.