Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families and Providers - Hardcover

Torrey M.D., E. Fuller; Knable D.O., Michael B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0465086632 ISBN 13: 9780465086634

Publisher: Basic Books, 2002

Synopsis

Surviving Manic Depression is the most authoritative book on this disorder, which affects more than two million people in the U.S. alone. Based on the latest research, it provides detailed coverage of every aspect of manic depression-from understanding its causes and treatments to choosing doctors and managing relapses-with guidance drawn from the latest scientific information.Drs. Torrey and Knable provide thorough, up-to-date coverage of all aspects of the disease, including a detailed description of symptoms (with many direct descriptions from patients themselves), risk factors, onset and cause, medications (including drugs still in the testing stage), psychotherapy, and rehabilitation, as well as information about how the disease affects children and adolescents. Here too are discussions of special problems related to manic depression, including alcohol and drug abuse, violent behavior, medication noncompliance, suicide, sex, AIDS, and confidentiality. Surviving Manic Depression also includes special features such as a listing of selected websites, books, videotapes, and other resources.

About this title

Review:

If knowing one's enemy is key to surviving a prolonged encounter, then Surviving Manic Depression should prove essential reading to those who suffer from this brain disease's horrific highs and lows. Having immersed themselves in the topic, E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., and Michael B. Knable, D.O., offer a comprehensive resource for those afflicted with--or responsible for treating--manic depression. Unfortunately, a surprisingly small amount of data exists regarding its prevalence, and existing studies show conflicting results.

Torrey and Knable's emphasis on dissecting all that is known about the disease clearly indicates that "survival" entails neither escape nor eradication; rather, it requires a lifelong pledge to undertake an effective course of treatment. The first step: learning every suspected cause, symptom, risk factor, and treatment strategy. Sprinkled among statistic-laden paragraphs, touches of empathy arrive via articulate quotations from sufferers including Patty Duke and Kay Jamison. But the crux of Torrey and Knable's work is its compilation of all the informative bits and pieces readers need to build an effective action plan. Most helpful are the chapters that address special problems (including alcohol and drug abuse, violent behavior, medication noncompliance, and the seduction of mania); and their no-holds-barred reviews of books, selected Web sites, and videotapes. --Liane Thomas

About the Author:

E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., is president of the Treatment Advocacy Center and Executive Director of the Stanley Foundation Research Programs. He is also Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. His books include Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Disorder, Out of the Shadows, Nowhere to Go, and Surviving Schizophrenia. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.Michael B. Knable, D.O., is Medical Director of the Stanley Foundation Research Programs and is Clinical Instructor in Neurology and Psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland. E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., is president of the Treatment Advocacy Center and Executive Director of the Stanley Foundation Research Programs. He is also Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. His books include Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Disorder, Out of the Shadows, Nowhere to Go, and Surviving Schizophrenia. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland.Michael B. Knable, D.O., is Medical Director of the Stanley Foundation Research Programs and is Clinical Instructor in Neurology and Psychiatry at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0465086632
• ISBN 13: 9780465086634
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 395