A Pittsburgh man is offering hope through the written word. Jeff Parker faced some dark chapters in his life. Now, he wants to help others escape those places by sharing his story."I started with epilepsy at a very early age," Parker told Pittsburgh's Action News 4. "I had very severe seizure disorder. I was having an average of 12 grand mal seizures a day."It's difficult enough, the seizures themselves, but the social aspect — the alienation, the people not understanding, to being bullied ... I did poorly in school. In and out of hospitals all the time, taking tests all the time. I was often made fun of and bullied. So I became violent." Parker said things got so bad that he not only contemplated suicide, but also attempted it "multiple times." And having the means to take his own life was available. His father, a Pittsburgh police officer, had a gun in the house. But Parker's father also provided the inspiration to turn his life around at age 30.Parker said that his father "made me promise before he passed away that I would be the first one in his family to complete college."And he did. Parker graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County and the University of Pittsburgh with degrees in social work. Now 61, Parker works at a local clinic for the chronically opioid-addicted and is sharing his own story in his book, "Take the High Road.""I know what it’s like to be in a dark place, and I know there's a lot of people out there. And I want them to know they may be in a dark place right now but things can get better. "I have taken on the motto 'Keep the hope,' because as long as you are hopeful, you will continue to try."Parker told Pittsburgh's Action News 4 that writing his story was a challenge. After starting to write, Jeff put it aside for six months because writing about the dark places he visited brought back some very painful memories.The book is now available on Amazon.