[.ca] The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your ... (ISBN 1572307129)

It may raise more questions than your doctor wants to answer:
This book is great. And very well researched. He does a good job letting us know that there are differences in the types of medications prescibed for rapid cycling vs. "traditional" bipolar. And he gives us some accurate scales to describe the degree of mania or depression. The case studies are very well chosen, and each person who reads this book should be able to find a bit of themselves contained therein. Very important: The reading level is very light and it reads like a magazine. Sometimes, these bipolar books tend to go bipolar: Either they read like a medical journal, or they read like a romance novel. Miklowitz has found the happy medium.

I'm not bi . . . but . . .:
First of all, I want to preface what I'm going to say with this: I don't have bi-polar disorder. The reason I'm saying this is that I have the fortunate ability to see things from the "outside" and all I can say is, of all the mental illnesses and "problems" one could have, bi-polar is probably the most difficult and frustrating. This is because it is the least understood and least tolerated of all the illnesses. Thank God we have this book to help those who not only suffer from the illness, but the families of those suffering. Recently I've read everything I could get my hands on, in an effort to understand a family member's problems--one of which is bi-polar disorder--and as a result have come across several excellent reads. They are as follows: A Brilliant Madness Prozac Nation Sybil The Bark of the Dogwood When Someone You Lovfe has Mental Illness All are excellent and informative and I would highly recommend them to you if you're either going through something such as this, or if you're a family member trying to understand.

Great to share with Family Members:
As someone struggling with Bipolar Disorder for the past three years, I must say the hardest struggle is getting those around me to understand what I'm going through. While they are supportive - they just don't really "get it". This is a book that's been passed to my husband, my mother, my father, and some other relatives as I try to help them understand the illness so they can be even more supportive. This book really fills the need for information they have. Much recommended!!

Great to share with Family Members:
As someone struggling with Bipolar Disorder for the past three years, I must say the hardest struggle is getting those around me to understand what I'm going through. While they are supportive - they just don't really "get it". This is a book that's been passed to my husband, my mother, my father, and some other relatives as I try to help them understand the illness so they can be even more supportive. This book really fills the need for information they have. Much recommended!!

Best Book on Bipolar Illness:
I'm very disappointed to not see Dr. Fieve's book entitled "MoodSwing" on the list of books for this illness. It is truly one of the best out there.