The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide, Second Edition: What You and Your Family Need to Know

by David J. Miklowitz PhD

Overview

This book has been replaced by Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide, Third Edition, ISBN 978-1-4625-3498-2.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606235423
Publisher:	Guilford Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	12/15/2010
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	342
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

 

David J. Miklowitz, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Medicine, and Senior Clinical Researcher at Oxford University, UK. He directs the Integrative Study Center in Mood Disorders and the Child and Adolescent Mood Disorders Program at the UCLA Semel Institute. Dr. Miklowitz's numerous publications include the award-winning book for professionals Bipolar Disorder: A Family-Focused Treatment Approach. He lives with his wife in Los Angeles.

 

Table of Contents

I. The Experience and Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder
1. How This Book Can Help You Survive—and Thrive
2. Understanding the Experience of Bipolar Disorder
3. Into the Doctor’s Court: Getting an Accurate Diagnosis
4. “Is It an Illness or Is It Me?”: Coping with the Diagnosis
II. Laying the Foundation for Effective Treatment
5. Where Bipolar Disorder Comes From: Genetics, Biology, and Stress
6. What Medication and Psychotherapy Can Do for You
7. Coming to Terms with Your Medications
III. Practical Strategies for Staying Well
8. Tips to Help You Manage Moods and Improve Your Daily Life
9. Heading Off the Escalation of Mania
10. Halting the Spiral of Depression 
11. Overcoming Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings
12. For Women Only: What You Need to Know about Bipolar Disorder and Your Health
13. Succeeding at Home and at Work: Communication, Problem-Solving Skills, and Dealing Effectively with Stigma
Resources for People with Bipolar Disorder

Interviews

People with bipolar illness and their family members and significant others; mental health professionals and students.

Editorial Reviews

"A practical, straightforward book that will be a great help to those who have bipolar illness, as well as their families. I could not recommend this book more highly."—Kay Redfield Jamison, PhD, author of An Unquiet Mind

"This book has been a faithful friend in the difficult time since my diagnosis. I particularly appreciate the insights into communicating effectively with doctors, family, and friends after an episode. The charts, lists, and practical tools are amazing for those of us who like to be proactive and organized. But the best part of the book is the quotations from others with the disorder who share their experiences and feelings. I've said some of these exact things myself; seeing them here helps me feel just a little bit less isolated and more hopeful."—N.B., Boulder, Colorado

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Michael Easton, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This is a practical and easy-to-read book designed to help patients with bipolar disease and their families cope with this severe, chronic illness.
Purpose: It is designed to be an aid for these individuals, answering many of the common questions and addressing many of the stigmas and pitfalls associated with getting the right diagnosis and treatment.
Audience: The book is obviously written for patients who suffer from bipolar disorder as well as their families, but it also can be useful to less-seasoned clinicians in understanding patients' perspectives and some of the common issues they need to confront.
Features: Part 1 addresses the basic issue of how this book can help the individual, looks at the experience of bipolar disorder from a variety of perspectives, addresses obtaining the right diagnosis and how individuals can cope with it. Part 2 covers the etiology of bipolar disorder as well as the role of medication and therapy, while part 3 focuses on strategies to help individuals better manage their illness in a variety of situations.
Assessment: This is a thoughtful, well-balanced, and informative book for individuals suffering from bipolar disorder and their families. The information is accurate and the book addresses many of the relevant issues that patients and families will need to confront. Its chapters on obtaining an accurate diagnosis and managing the illness are very helpful and pertinent. The section on medication is a bit basic, but accurate and certainly a good starting point for most patients and their families. Some parts of the book are quite insightful and can be helpful to even the most experienced clinicians in appreciating patients' perspectives of their illness.

Doody's Review Service

"This book is crammed full of useful information for bipolar patients, their family members, therapists, friends, lovers, employers and anyone else interested in bipolar disorders....This book is so well written and so full of useful advice as to how to plan and organize a life, that it could be profitably studied by anyone, whether or not he or she has bipolar disorder or knows someone who does."--Metapsychology Online Book Reviews (on the previous edition)

Metapsychology Online Book Reviews

"The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide is a thorough, research-based book for consumers who would like to learn about their illness and how to manage it."--Reintegration Today (on the previous edition)

Reintegration Today

"The author's expertise, compassion, and experience are evident throughout....Well worth reading and remembering."--NAMI Advocate (on the previous edition)

NAMI Advocate