Welcome! This is the home page for Sherry M. Joiner, painter and author of the memoir Sherry Goes Sane: Living a Life with Schizo- Affective Disorder and Last Miracle for Maria.

Last Miracle for Maria by Sherry Standing Joiner

Joiner’s (Sherry Goes Sane, 2013) mother Maria, was a God send when Sherry was young. Maria, who was a World War II bride and Brazilian immigrant, created a safe place for Sherry in the thunderstorms, sitting her on her knees and saying prayers in English and Portuguese as they fought the dreadful monster in the sky together.

Last Miracle for Maria is an inspirational and vividly honest Biography  written from the heart. One will understand the deep love Sherry has Maria. It explores the life of a talented and kind woman, who became a License Practical Nurse in the States and struggled to help her children afflicted with childhood diseases.

When Sherry turned six years old her mother let alcohol and mental illness run her life. As a result, Sherry went through years of sadness and therapy seeking help from psychiatrists and counselors.

Maria was losing touch with reality and living on the edge with delusions and psychotic episodes. Sherry developed Schizoaffective Disorder and PTSD. Sherry takes readers on hers and Maria’s life and grief journey as she helps others with their own challenge of suicide. With Maria’s death to suicide, Sherry helps others in their darkest hour.

“It’s a must read for EVERYONE simply because, as Sherry’s story demonstrates with such clarity, we’re all affected by mental health issues every day, one way or the other.” – Gary Marschke (NAMI Clackamas)

My mental condition of Schizoaffective Disorder involves two major mental illnesses: Bipolar Disorder and Paranoid Schizophrenia.

I am the first woman pioneer of Portland, Oregon, to write and publish a memoir on Schizoaffective Disorder. Delighted and fortunate to be  filmed in a documentary about my book Sherry Goes Sane, and the mental condition of Schizoaffective Disorder. BELOW IS THE LINK TO THE DOCUMENTARY. 

AK LEARNING DOCUMENTARY- SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER- WITH SHERRY JOINER AND DR. WARD T. SMITH-PSYCHIATRIST,  Produced by PROFESSOR ART KOHN for CENGAGE, a College Textbook Publisher     WATCH HERE- click on the blue link- 

the link to your video

I helped to educate the public about schizoaffective disorder in an INTERVIEW BY ANN KASPER ON THE ADVOCATE FOR WELLNESS TELEVISION CHANNEL. A 30 MINUTE VIDEO-WATCH HERE:

A Newspaper Interview with Sherry The Clackamas Review has an interview with Sherry M. Joiner where she talks about Sherry Goes Sane and what it’s like to be a writer with the mental health disorder of bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder.

Exhibiting my paintings at the ‘Her Art’ A Collection of Women’s Art Exhibit at the Cerimon House, Portland, Oregon

My Paintings at the ‘Her Art’ Exhibit

MY PAINTINGS RIBBONS- First Place Ribbon for my ocean scene- ‘From Sea to Shining Sea’ and First Place Ribbon and Best of Show for my ‘Grateful for the First Responders’ at the Multnomah County Fair, Memorial weekend,  May 2019

Second place Ribbon for my ocean scene- ‘Healing and Moving On’ at the North Clackamas Arts Guild Juried Show, August 2017.

Healing and Moving On

 “EVENING WITH AN EXPERT’- MY EXPERT TALK ON SHERRY GOES SANE: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER, at Portland Providence Glisan Hospital, February 22, 2017 

A Girl With A Pearl Earring by Sherry

KBOO COMMUNITY RADIO, Disability Awareness : “SHERRY GOES SANE.” A ‘Live’ interview by Grace Reed with Sherry M. Joiner. 7/27/2015

Disability Awareness on 07/27/15

Program:

Disability Awareness

Air date:

Mon, 07/27/2015 – 11:00am – 11:30am

Short Description:

A monthly show about issues affecting people with disabilities and their communities.

Download:

kboo_episode.2.150727.1100.59564.mp3

Interviewed by bestselling mental health author Julie A. Fast for the Bp (Bipolar) Magazine blog.  Click here to read more.

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Inside Mental Health Care: “Sherry Goes Sane” A Radio Interview with Sherry Joiner.

Sherry Goes Sane: Living A Life With Schizo-Affective Disorder is available through all major book retailers.  Here is a link to read more about Sherry Goes Sane on Amazon.com.

A former high school cheerleader, Sherry M. Joiner has been dealt her share of misfortune in life. In addition to childhood abuse at the hands of her alcoholic parents, she has also faced the suicide of her mother and watched her brother slowly die of AIDS. Then, for decades, she has also suffered from schizoaffective disorder, characterized by stressful and distorted thoughts, and has been through the associated suicide attempts and hospitalizations.

Sherry Goes Sane is her story, told from her point of view and written with vivid honesty. The candid memoir follows Sherry through the most traumatic moments of her life, as well as the most triumphant. In addition to painting a picture of the harrowing struggles faced by those with schizoaffective disorder, she also depicts years of working with her psychiatrist, Dr. Smith, as she heals from her childhood wounds and works toward living a normal life, with the help of therapy and prescribed medication.

More than simply informational, this powerful memoir is also meant to inspire. In her story, Sherry shares many of the quotes, song lyrics, and philosophies that have helped her in her healing process over the years, in hopes that other individuals who suffer from schizoaffective disorder or other mental illnesses might find them equally helpful. She serves as a positive example of someone who has overcome great odds to live a fulfilling, happy, and overall stable life, even when her mental illness threatened to hold her back forever.

The book is available as a trade paperback and as a Kindle ebook.

Learn more about Sherry Goes Sane

Read an excerpt

Read reviews

Buy Sherry Goes Sane from Amazon!