Bipolar Disorder: The Ultimate Guide Paperback – June 10, 2019

I was diagnosed a few weeks ago and I am 48 - So a lot of feelings pertain to the sense of the waste of time wondering what was wrong with my personality. I like this book because it has just the right balance of serious, analytical facts about bi-polar, combined with a bit of humor, right when you need it. The author's candor and willingness to share is a generous gift to us - I think reading about this type of stuff from people who are "in the thick of it" and can relate, is precious. Good luck and my best wishes to all who have bi-polar. This book is one of the must reads.

My father is 87 year old, old school thinker. A pick yourself up by your bootstraps person, a self made millionaire.Until I was disabled by BiPolar I was an EXTREMELY successful person in my Dad's eyes. I believe I was hypomanic for years. And there is nothing like a hypomanic employee to make a company happy. I went from a switchboard operator to a senior manager for a major automobile finance company in about 10 years. I was one level from becoming an executive when I became disabled. I was well compensated for my daily work which of course made my father extremely proud. So what that twice I had to come up with $100,000 to pay down my debts. Merely nuisances, right?I became permanently disabled in 1988 with a deep depressive episode. I was hospitalized several times, needed ECT treatment, the whole gammit. It's hard to remember but I think I was in this black mood for several years.I have said that to say this, now that I'm on disability with BiPolar, my father believes I'm a "loser". I have gained a significant amount of weight, I am a rapid cycler, don't make much money now, am drug resistant and see too many doctors.This book was is well put together and put in understandable words for someone who has never heard of 'rapid cycler', BiPolar I and II. I have been able to highlight areas that directly talk about my condition.He may never understand, but now I have given him a tool to read. Please pray that he will get a better understanding.

Easy to find answers to questions on specific topics, Organized well. Written well. Only major shortcoming is that it describes England's system for dealing with these issues. Not the best for dealing with what you find here in the United States. But good information about understanding a bipolar friend or family member. There are not a lot of user friendly books on this topic specifically designed to support a family member or friend. Enjoyed reading. Would recommend.

I was diagnosed with Bipolar this year, and began searching for litterature about the illness.The book is very good to start with, its easy to read and understand, and well-written.It covers the most important issues about Bipolar Disorder.It`s based on question/answers, and personal stories.For people with advanced knowledge it might not be the right book.I loved it - it`s truely the ULTIMATE GUIDE.

Good material into understanding the illness. Family members could have a better understanding.

good book, very informative. helps you understand the lives of other people affected. lots of resources at the end. totally worth the money!

Informative older version but basic an helped with with information I was researching to help my own daughter. Worth looking at.

It had good practical information in a question and answer format so you might not need to read the whole thing. It's also very much based in the UK with some of it's facts and answers but they do mention the US at times. It covers adults and children and would be a good read for both those with bipolar and family members who interact or take care of family members with bipolar.

Great book- lots of helpful info and tips on struggling with this beautiful disease

Nice bookCover almost all things but written from APA &BPA Prespective

C'est un livre de 2 femmes dont un membre de la famille avait des troubles bipolaires. Il y a des témoignages et on y trouve des réponses à toutes les questions.

I am posting this review from a friend in South Africa at her request as I gave her this book as a gift and so she wasn't able to post a review on Amazon herself.My daughter is 22 years old and has bipolar disorder. I live in South Africa and having read this book, it is as if a light has come on for me. For years I have been trying to manage my daughter's illness in the dark but I can now see how she has had bipolar disorder all along. She had seen psychologists since the age of nine and was eventually, at the age of 15, diagnosed with severe depression. She kept taking herself off the medication and then a different psychologist would put her on it again. But she was often so happy and outgoing that no one believed that she was depressed. Then at the age of 19 she was tested for bipolar disorder and it was immediately confirmed. The medication made a big difference and she was once again able to cope with life. However, I did not have any tools to help her in other ways. I assumed that the medication on its own would sort her out. Only since reading the book do I understand what the implications are for the carer. I have made BIG mistakes and can see, in hindsight, how they contributed to her mania and depression. I can also see how many of her childhood idiosyncrasies were actually symptoms of bipolar disorder. I am so glad that children can now be diagnosed earlier - even if they are not put onto medication - so that their environment can become "bipolar friendly". I would have done so many things differently, had I known earlier. The other issue the book highlighted very strongly was that the illness is hereditary. I will make sure that my son and my brother read the book, as their children or grandchildren may have this illness. What I have also changed, is not saying that my daughter is bipolar, but that she has bipolar disorder.The last chapter of the book, mentioning all the famous people who have been diagnosed with the illness, or are thought to have had the illness, makes it so much more "ok" to have the illness oneself. The in-depth information about sectioning is also most illuminating as it reveals how severe this illness really is. Here in South Africa there are still so very many people that think that one can just "pull oneself together". I have finally found a sense of peace and can share that with my daughter and the rest of my family. I have recommended this book to everyone who has bipolar disorder or who knows someone with the illness. Thank you, Sarah and Amanda, for your excellent research and for taking the trouble to write this book.

Average book, some portions are really well written. It contains references from several patients and professionals. I wish the authors all the best.