Recommended Reading Material

Recommended Reading Material

There are two books I would like to recommend to sufferers of Bipolar Disorder and their family and friends.

The first book is called "A Brilliant Madness" by Patty Duke. In this book Patty Duke "reveals fully what it's like to live with this powerful, paradoxical and destructive illness" and how it can be brought under control. This book is a "must read" for anyone who would like to gain insights into this illness.

The second book is called "An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Redfield Johnson. Kay is an international authority on manic-depressive illness and one of the few women who are full professors of medicine at American Universities. The book is a revelation of her own struggle since adolescence with manic depression and how it has shaped her life. I would consider this book a "must read" as well.

My friend Cris recommends "Mood Swings" by Dr. Fieve. She found mood swings a little less helpful, but there was some solace in knowing that these individuals are frequently seen by people outside the family circle and close friends as being mostly normal.

She also recommends "A Magnificient Addiction" by Dr. Philip Kavanaugh. This book is also about bipolar disorder. He is a psychiatrist who used to live/practice in Michigan and now has a practice in Southern California.

This book was comprehensive and gave her the information she needed from a doctor's perspective. The book gets into some of the reasons bipolar patients don't want to take medications at all. The book is thorough, knowledgeable and compassionate -- not just for the individuals who suffer from this condition, but also for their friends and families.

Being bipolar is a mixed bag of treats and not treats. Some individuals are incredibly gifted and brilliant -- very powerful in the manic phases -- and the depths can be devastating. Energy levels in the manic phase are amazing and hard to keep up with if you're normal.

All of the meds for this condition seem to have serious side effects. Lithium has to be monitored carefully as it can damage the body. but in carefully prescribed doses for many people it can be a godsend. One of the Universities in Minnesota put together a binder of information on this topic and it's an excellent source of information on each of the meds. She found it online and ordered it several years ago.