Bipolar Disorder for Dummies

by Joe Kraynak and Candida Fink

Book Overview

Bipolar Disorder affects many more people than just the 2.5 million Americans who suffer from the disease. Like depression and other serious illnesses, bipolar disorder also affects spouses, partners,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764584510
• ISBN13: 9780764584510
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: For Dummies
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Need to Read for Bipolar’s

Very informative and layed out in layman’s terms. Very easy read. Great condition. Highly recommended for anyone that wants/needs to learn about Bipolar Disorder.

Bipolar for Dummies

This is the best book I have read on bipolar. I have always had doubts about my diagnosis of being bipolar, but after reading this book I feel much better about the effects the disease has had on me. Not only did the book confirm my suspicions about my disease, but it gave me ways to counteract some of the feelings I have/had. I have suggested that my wife read the book (when I am finished) as it is equally directed to your support team as it is to the patient.

straight talk about Bi polar

I believe that this book should be given to everyone diagnosed with Bi Polar disorder and their family. It explains things in clear easy to read format. You can skip parts that you don't need ( I skipped the part about children with Bi polar because only my husband has been diagnosed) . It reads like a friendly magazine. Doctors are to technical and some books are to anacdotial.

From the Authors: Dr. Candida Fink and Joe Kraynak

When we sat down to discuss our approach for Bipolar Disorder For Dummies, we considered the audience for the book and decided to address both those who have been diagnosed with BP and their friends and family members. One of the most challenging aspects of BP is that although only one person might carry the diagnosis, friends and family members are all affected by BP in some way and all play an important role in reducing stress and assisting the person who has BP obtain and maintain treatment. Both of us (Candida in her practice and Joe in his family) noticed that family members, simply by being uninformed, can unwittingly increase the stress that often triggers a mood episode. The family member who has BP is more sensitive to stressors and is the one who eventually "takes the hit" for any dysfunction in the family, and then that person gets tagged as "the problem," which, to say it nicely, sure doesn't help a whole lot. We wanted to ensure that friends and family members are well aware of their roles and responsibilities. By becoming better informed, through our book and other sources of accurate information, family and friends can learn more effective techniques for communicating with one another and building a more effective support network. To develop a clearer understanding of what BP feels like from the eyes of someone who's living with it, we strongly recommend An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison. Our book is more of a comprehensive how-to manual that discusses the diagnosis and the most effective treatment options currently available. We believe that medication alone is very helpful but often not completely effective, for whatever reason, and we recommend several therapies in addition to medication, including cognitive behavioral therapy, social rhythm therapy, and relationship and family therapy. We also discuss alternative therapies, some of which are complete bunk and others of which some people with BP have found helpful. By presenting the available tools and helping readers steer clear of useless or counterproductive alternatives, we hope to enable those with BP and their families, with the guidance of their qualified doctors and therapists, to structure a treatment plan that works most effectively for all involved.

If you don't want answers, don't buy this book!

BPfD is succinct and practical, offers clear explanations of the disease and its pain. Written from perspective of both patient and loved ones, it is not frightening, falsely cheery, or professionally overbearing. Gives How To lists for pre- and post-diagnosis. Great book, with an appropriate sense of humour too. I rate it a "must buy".

An Excellent Sour For Information

Even though I was dx-ed 8-years ago and know a lot about manic-depression, this book had a lot of good information in it that I wasn't aware of. It is also a good handbook for my fience so that she knows how to deal with my moods and how they effect her moods. If your fulmiliar with they typical "Dummies" type book and how easy they are to follow along, and you are Bi-Polar, or a loved one is, then this is the book for you. Easy to read, quick to learn. A Very well written book. I give it an "A+" rating.