Rating: 
Summary: There is something here for everybody, but read with caution
Review: Dr. Jamison provides a must read here for everyone suffering from manic depression and their loved ones. It is beautifully written and surely poetic. Extremely valuable for a glimpse into the chaotic and very painful life the disease can carve. This is not, however, a typical story and does nothing to dispell the romantic myth that somehow all manic depressives are extremely talented overachievers. Dr. Jamison is clearly a very gifted woman whose course of treatment is open to almost no sufferers in the population at large. Unless, of course, they are part of the psychiatric/psychological/medical establishment in which the good doctor is so firmly and purposefully entrenched. Who would know better or be more highly motivated to avoid confinement, at all costs, in a psychiatric ward than a suffering clinical psychologist? Even when diagnosed correctly many people subject to the whims of this pernicious malady must undergo multiple hospitalizations and all the attendant indignities. And the hopitalizations are only possible if your mental health insurance coverage is remotely adequate. That said, Dr. Jamison's advocacy of faithfully adhering to the prescribed medication regimen and participating in regular psychotherapy is clearly life saving advice that cannot be repeated too often. Surely this book will make a contribution to alleviating the more usual consequences (crippled life, suicide, prison, homelessness, etc.) of this devastataing illness. Thanks for your inspiring courage doctor!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but...
Review: An insightful look at manic depression. One question that kept haunting me though - where did she get all the money? From someone who struggled so much, and whose father did to, I wonder about the horses, and the ability to travel, etc. I hate to say it, but I got the impression that she was a bit of a spoiled rich girl.
Rating:
Summary: Very Informative
Review: "I can only imagine how that must feel" - an all too often expressed sentiment that attempts to demonstrate one persons empathy to another's circumstance. After reading An Unquiet Mind, and from it gaining greater knowledge of manic-depressive illness, I have no doubt that there are some things that one simply can not imagine without having experienced. However, as Jamison points out, this does not preclude one from being empathic, supportive and loving of those diagnosed with the illness. An Unquiet Mind reveals the author's struggle with bipolar disorder from onset, through full manifestation, to treatment and finally latency. Through it all, Jamison demonstrates that love and grace are fully sustaining that through diagnosis and treatment (for the brain and the mind) one can live a productive and fulfilling life. This provides great hope and encouragement to those of us whose lives, through either first or second hand experience, have been effected by manic-depressive illness. Passionately written, informative and candid. An Unquiet Mind is mandatory reading for those looking to be more informed on the topic of bipolar disorder.
Rating:
Summary: couldn't have put it better
Review: this book...o christ...i made my mother, my father, my friends, and my therapist read it. it is so accurate that sometimes i wanted to think it was a lie so i wouldn't have to realize myself...anyone who knows anyone touched by manic depression should read this book and pass it on. it was beautifully written and amusing...straighforward, honest, perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Sincere, compassionate, and breathtakingly beautiful.
Review: I received this book from my father some years ago, having been diagnosed with manic depression at an early age. Kay Redfield Jamison's vivid, sincere account of her life with bipolar disorder rung with unequivocal truth. She so accurately put words to things I had long lived with, but could never find the means to express. This book has been a source of understanding, comfort, and inspiration to me for many years. I would very strongly recommend it to both those suffering from the illness, and their families.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring Read
Review: I have a family member with manic-depression and have been very confused over the course of her struggle with this illness. I did not understand her actions, the illness...it just wouldn't come clear to me...until I read An Unquiet Mind. Ms. Jamison has opened up my mind and heart. She has given me a chance to understand. Her openness, candidness, and just her "self" have inspired me. She sets an example for all to live by. It will be a book I never forget.
Rating:
Summary: Unquiet... and deadly accurate.
Review: After being diagnosed with bipolar depression (following years of painful suffering), my psychiatrist recommended this book to me. As a caveat, however, he added, "but she *is* a bit overly dramatic." When I had finished reading the book, experiencing in it all the emotions that make up the bipolar spectrum to begin with, I returned to my doctor miffed at his casual dismissal of her memoir as "overly dramatic." "You just don't get it," I told him. "That's not drama... it's called being bipolar."
Rating:
Summary: A sheer pleasure!
Review: This is a delightful first hand account of MCD by someone who has lived both the heights of ecstacy as well as the depths of despair that this intriguing disorder confers on its victims .It is laced with intelligence , culture and a refreshing honesty .Elegantly and delectably written_____this book is a treat to read
Rating:
Summary: A godsend for families of Manic Depressives.
Review: As the daughter and sister of two manic depressives, I have lived through much of this devastating illness. I've read practically everything I've come across on the subject, and it wasn't until reading An Unquiet Mind that I felt that I began to understand. So many times I became angry when my father/brother stopped taking Lithium. I could not fathom how/why they could do this. Jay made me understand. My only regret was that I never found the book until after my father had passed away.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Touching and Much Needed
Review: An appropriate new-age novel that takes you through the harsh reality and life of a manic-depressive. Jamison not only captivates you through the disease, but also through her work. She is a Professor of Psychiatry who has helped bring manic-depression to some grips with reality. This is a memoir of psychiatry not only seen through the eyes of a psychiatrist, but also through the eyes and heart of a manic-depressive woman herself. If you have ever known anyone who has suffered from a mental illness, or you yourself do, please read this book. It will help to develop a great understanding of mental illness.
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