Bipolar Disorder Demystified: Mastering the Tightrope of Manic Depression

Rating:
Summary: Very Good resource book about Bipolar disorder
Review: Although I have not completed this book in full yet what I have read has been informative and accurate. I appreciate how the author describes Bipolar illness and her personal experience with it. It is good that she explains that her experience is just that and that everyone is different. What she experiences and what helps her may or may not help someone else. A lot of accurate and extremely useful up-to-date information. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for information through a personal point of view, which is just as if not more important than an outsider's view.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good resource book about Bipolar disorder
Review: Although I have not completed this book in full yet what I have read has been informative and accurate. I appreciate how the author describes Bipolar illness and her personal experience with it. It is good that she explains that her experience is just that and that everyone is different. What she experiences and what helps her may or may not help someone else. A lot of accurate and extremely useful up-to-date information. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for information through a personal point of view, which is just as if not more important than an outsider's view.

Rating:
Summary: Putting the Puzzle of Mental Illness Together
Review: I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It reminded me of Patty Duke's "A Brilliant Madness" in that it was partly about the author's own struggle with bipolar disorder and partly about information on the disease. It was pretty well written, well organized, and easy to follow. As I like to gain information on this complex subject from a variety of sources, this book is a worthy addition to any small library of books on bipolar disorder. I also suggest books by Miklowitz, Torrey, and Jamison. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".

Rating:
Summary: Everything you want to know about bipolar disorder
Review: Lana Castle does an excellent job in writing a broad survey of help available for those with bipolar disorder. Although she herself gets most help from medication, she also advocates exercise, self-help groups, and herbs. Her personal insights from living with her mood changes were refreshing. She even dives into the biochemistry of moods and of why good nutrition can help. Her medication table in the appendix allows one to track the many types of medication.
Living a lifetime as a bipolar myself, I can testify that many of her methods work. Everyone affected by this condition should read this book and refer to it over and over.

Rating:
Summary: Everything you want to know about bipolar disorder
Review: Lana Castle does an excellent job in writing a broad survey of help available for those with bipolar disorder. Although she herself gets most help from medication, she also advocates exercise, self-help groups, and herbs. Her personal insights from living with her mood changes were refreshing. She even dives into the biochemistry of moods and of why good nutrition can help. Her medication table in the appendix allows one to track the many types of medication.
Living a lifetime as a bipolar myself, I can testify that many of her methods work. Everyone affected by this condition should read this book and refer to it over and over.

Rating:
Summary: In response to Sarah Shoemaker -BOOK FOR BIPOLAR
Review: Sarah,

An EXCELLENT book for Bipolar and pregnancy, and all the stages of a WOMAN'S life -read 'WOMEN'S MOODS' by Deborah Sichel, Jeanne Watson Driscoll.

This book is unbelievable. It will change your life!!!

Rating:
Summary: Reassurance for those who suffer as well as some insight
Review: The first day I got this book I nearly read all of it. It was that interesting, even to me, who also suffers from this wretched illness. I felt like I had finally found a book that I could relate to. Many of the previous books I had read relating to bipolar disorder were written by doctors who treat, not live, the illness. It offered empathic and realistic insight into what those with bipolar disease suffer--and how they continually self-destruct. It is a quick and easy read, yet it offers helpful advice, albeit mostly common sense. It also offers point by point chapters that are easily accessible. I think it would also be extremely helpful for loved ones of the mentally ill. One warning for women with bipolar disorder: ST. JOHNS WART CAN INTERRACT WITH BIRTH CONTROL PILLS. The author does not touch on this and I think it is important for women to be aware of this potential interraction. I got pregnant as a result. Since it was an unexpected pregnancy it threw me into a great depressive state that lasted the entire duration of my pregnancy.--Which leads me to my next point: I would have liked to have read some things about bipolar disorder and motherhood. Since many woman are diagnosed in their twenties, some of them may be parents. She touches on her mothering experiences very lightly--as they were experienced as a step-parent. I am told I cannot have any more children because of my bipolar disorder--I wish I could find a book by someone who had experienced this as well.--In any case, it is a good book. I highly recommend it to patients, students, family, friends, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Reassurance for those who suffer as well as some insight
Review: The first day I got this book I nearly read all of it. It was that interesting, even to me, who also suffers from this wretched illness. I felt like I had finally found a book that I could relate to. Many of the previous books I had read relating to bipolar disorder were written by doctors who treat, not live, the illness. It offered empathic and realistic insight into what those with bipolar disease suffer--and how they continually self-destruct. It is a quick and easy read, yet it offers helpful advice, albeit mostly common sense. It also offers point by point chapters that are easily accessible. I think it would also be extremely helpful for loved ones of the mentally ill. One warning for women with bipolar disorder: ST. JOHNS WART CAN INTERRACT WITH BIRTH CONTROL PILLS. The author does not touch on this and I think it is important for women to be aware of this potential interraction. I got pregnant as a result. Since it was an unexpected pregnancy it threw me into a great depressive state that lasted the entire duration of my pregnancy.--Which leads me to my next point: I would have liked to have read some things about bipolar disorder and motherhood. Since many woman are diagnosed in their twenties, some of them may be parents. She touches on her mothering experiences very lightly--as they were experienced as a step-parent. I am told I cannot have any more children because of my bipolar disorder--I wish I could find a book by someone who had experienced this as well.--In any case, it is a good book. I highly recommend it to patients, students, family, friends, etc.

Rating:
Summary: First book I've finished in 12 years!
Review: This book was well written and EXTREMELY informative. Although I was a little disappointed at the author's constant need for medication as part of a solution, I understand that this recovery route was part of her personal story. This story, intertwined with great facts, was probably the perfect combination of humanity and science that made the over 400 page book incredibly easy to get through.

I am not a "reader", but would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about not only bipolar disorder, but other brain disorders as well.