Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families. This item is unavailable.Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families

A handbook for persons with bipolar disorder, and their families. It offers a practical guide to the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and causes of this potentially devastating psychiatric illness, formerly known as "manic-depression". Dr Frank Mondimore offers advice on getting the most out of the various treatments that are now available -from medication, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive treatment to new approaches such as St John's wort and transcranial magnetic stimulation. For each, he discusses advantages, disadvantages, side effects and other information to help patients make informed decisions about treatment options. Dr Mondimore also describes what it is like to live with bipolar disorder and discusses how lifestyle can improve quality of life. Throughout, he focuses on the importance of building a support system, of planning for emergencies, and of giving oneself permission to seek help. He describes problems that are unique to women, whose disease may be affected by the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and childbirth. He includes information on the forms that the illness can take in children and adolescents, and discusses coping with the stigmatization of psychiatric diagnosis, giving advice on picking a psychiatrist and on dealing with medical insurance issues. Finally, Dr Mondimore tells family members what they can do to help the person with bipolar disorder - and themselves - and he offers hope for the future as researchers learn more about the disease and how to control it.

"Exhaustive, scientific, yet compassionate... An absolute gold mine for those with the disorder and their families: thorough, candid, and up-to-date advice, full of new possibilities for help." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A valuable educational resource for individuals with bipolar disorder and the people who care about them. I highly recommend it for patients and their family members and friends as an enlightened, pragmatic, and empathic resource for this very complex and challenging illness." -- Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

"An invaluable tool for patients and families living with bipolar disorder. The author incorporates real life stories, expert advice, symptoms and diagnosis, modern treatment options, and resources to help make living with this disorder tolerable. Most importantly, the concepts and information presented in this book are practical." -- Doody's 3-Star Review

"A concise guide to bipolar disorders. Written in a nontechnical jargon, this guide is ideal for patients and their families who wish to gain an understanding of bipolar disorders... he also offers advice on how to live with the disorder, and how not to become its victim." -- Rochelle Caviness, Large Print Reviews

"An excellent guide to both counseling and drug options." -- Library Bookwatch

"The marvel of this book is its ability to present information in a detailed, understandable manner, while avoiding pitfalls of being overly weighted in professional jargon, or skimpy in specific neurological and behavioral detail." -- Susan McCabe, Journal of Psychosomatic Research