Rating: 
Summary: A great resource for patient and family
Review: As a registered nurse and mother of an adult son newly diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I feel fortunate to have found this book quickly. The information is comprehensive and well organized. The book contains appropriately detailed sections dealing with symptoms/syndromes/diagnosis, treatment, variations/causes/connections, and living with the disorder or with one who has the disorder. As a professional, I found the content sufficiently technical while still appropriate for someone with no medical background. Dr. Mondimore has also provided many other resources including suggested reading, support and advocacy organizations and appropriate Internet sites. The chapter notes will lead you to even more information from periodicals, textbooks and other publications. An index is also included for quick reference within the book. The chapters on preparation for emergencies and on the role of the family has been especially helpful to my daughter-in-law and me. Unfortunately, my son made a serious suicide attempt several weeks ago. Thankfully, he was not successful and has been in intensive therapy since that time. He is improving with medication adjustment and daily therapy. The whole family is learning about bipolar disorder, previously unrecognized signs and symptoms, and the link to alcohol abuse, unipolar depression and AD(H)D that is present in other family members. As we learn to deal with the diagnosis and it's impact on my son, his wife and children and the rest of us, I plan to buy more copies of this book to share with the family. I have always believed that knowledge is power and this book has assisted me in my quest to learn about bipolar disorder. Thank you Dr. Mondimore!
Rating:
Summary: Understanding Bipolar Disorder Starter
Review: Being an individual recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I was clueless as to what that actually meant. "Am I really bipolar? What is bipolar disorder? What am I supposed to do?" This book answered all those questions for me plus many more that I never thought of asking. It's not a freighting or impossible read but is an incredibility essential one.
Rating: 
Summary: Good resource but to much medical jargon
Review: Buying this book should depend on what you are looking for. This book has a lot of medical stuff like how each medication works in the body. It has pages of info on the synapse of a nerve. I really just wanted some basic info on what this disorder is and how to treat it. I skiped tons of pages because knowing how every drug works wasn't my main objecitve and the doctor decideds what to use on my son anyway. I guess it was to in depth for me and I would have liked more help with "how to handle the manic times with my 8 year old than the synapse of a nerve" I needed symptoms of the disease so I could feel more confidant about the doctors diagnosis. I think this book was ok but it didn't make me convinced of my sons diagnosis. I wanted info on how to help my loved ones deal with my son running around the house in 80 degree weather and a snow suit. When your child is manic and wild at times it seems to others that you are just not strict enough on them but in reality your very hard on the child and it seems that they are out of control and you just have to let the mania run its course. I found that hot baths has helped my son when he is in a fit of rage but this book never told me that!
Rating:
Summary: Good resource but to much medical jargon
Review: Buying this book should depend on what you are looking for. This book has a lot of medical stuff like how each medication works in the body. It has pages of info on the synapse of a nerve. I really just wanted some basic info on what this disorder is and how to treat it. I skiped tons of pages because knowing how every drug works wasn't my main objecitve and the doctor decideds what to use on my son anyway. I guess it was to in depth for me and I would have liked more help with "how to handle the manic times with my 8 year old than the synapse of a nerve" I needed symptoms of the disease so I could feel more confidant about the doctors diagnosis. I think this book was ok but it didn't make me convinced of my sons diagnosis. I wanted info on how to help my loved ones deal with my son running around the house in 80 degree weather and a snow suit. When your child is manic and wild at times it seems to others that you are just not strict enough on them but in reality your very hard on the child and it seems that they are out of control and you just have to let the mania run its course. I found that hot baths has helped my son when he is in a fit of rage but this book never told me that!
Rating:
Summary: Helped me thoroughly understand my bipolar disorder
Review: I have personally been struggling with bipolar disorder in my life for over 25 years. I could not understand why this kept happening to me, especially since it always happened to me when I was at my best in health, mind, and spirit. It has been very disruptive to my family and professional life. My problem was that I didn't understand the bipolar disorder condition, and therefore never believed in my diagnosis or the prescribed medication.
After my recent bipolar episode, my brother, who is a physician in England, strongly recommended I read the book "Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families". Stubborn as I was, it took me nine months before I finally secured a copy of the book from Amazon.com and began to read it. As soon as I started reading it, I realized the immense wealth of incredibly useful knowledge that was in the book, and that it was a key to understanding myself and my condition.
The book helped me thoroughly understand the bipolar disorder condition, and convinced me of my diagnosis without a doubt. It helped me understand the medical and genetic chemistry behind the disorder. The detailed discussions of the Manic and Depressive states were very helpful to me, as I could relate to them with my own experiences in vivid detail. The numerous case studies presented in the book are also extremely useful to relate to ones own experiences. The detailed information on the various classes and types of medications was very useful to me in understanding the breadth and width of available treatments. Finally, the comprehensive advice on maintenance and prevention was invaluable.
After having read the book, I feel inspired and have renewed hope that I can finally manage my bipolar disorder and bring long-term stability to my life. My family deserves it! My profession demands it!
Kudos to Francis Mark Mondimore M.D. for this excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: Without a doubt the most informative
Review: I read this book for the fist time in July of 1999. Since that time I must have bought atleast 6 copies to give to my friends and family. It was one of the best ways to communicate to those who do not understand what I go through what it is like.Dr. Mondimore covers everything and leaves no stone unturned. He is so in tune with how one with Bipolar disorder feels it is amazing! The information is provided in a very easy to read format.The patient,family and family and friends benefit greatly. I strongly urge ANYONE who wants to understand about this illness to pick it up. For those of us who are afflicted with this type of illness, it means so much for you to try to understand as much as possible. By reading this book,it will surely show you care.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book about the illness
Review: Mondimore has assembled an impressive book- pretty well-written, well-organized, generally easy to read, and filled with useful information. Much of the information is practical, though I don't believe it is as practical as Miklowitz's "Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide". It is quite comprehensive though, and in this regard is similar to Torrey's "Surviving Manic Depression". Overall, this is important reading material for the afflicted and their family and friends. I recommend that those who want to develop a fundamental understanding of the illness read all three of these books. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".
Rating:
Summary: An excellent guide to both counseling and drug options
Review: Patients and families will appreciate the large print format and easy accessibility of Dr. Francis Mark Mondimore's Bipolar Disorder, providing a basic guide to the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of this psychiatric illness formerly known as 'manic-depression'. The latest treatments, their pros and cons, and side effects help families make decisions based on the latest research and findings, while the book's authoritative background and scientific basis assures readers gain accurate details from Dr. Francis Mondimoer, himself a practicing psychiatrist. An excellent guide to both counseling and drug options.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Guide
Review: This book is a must-have for people with bipolar &/or family members of a loved one with bipolar disorder. The book explains things really well and helps you understand the illness.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Textbook Like
Review: This book is dry and reads like a textbook. A much better book for family and friends dealing with bipolar is The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide. It is much easier to get through.
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