Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families (2nd Edition) - Softcover

Mondimore, Francis Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0801883148 ISBN 13: 9780801883149

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006

Synopsis

Bipolar disorder can be devastating. It can disrupt relationships and careers, it can wreak havoc on family life, and, when not properly treated, it can be fatal. Since 1999 this compassionate and comprehensive guide has helped tens of thousands of people cope with this complex disease. This, the second edition of Bipolar Disorder, is thoroughly updated and discusses promising new options for diagnosis and treatment along with new information on the disease's genetic components.

Bipolar disorder is difficult to diagnose. Dr. Mondimore explains how symptoms fluctuate in persons with seasonal affective disorder, how they can lead to a mistaken diagnosis of attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder in children, and how they may be made worse by alcohol or drug addiction.

The disease can also be difficult to treat. Dr. Mondimore gives advice about how to pick a psychiatrist and cope with the stigma of psychiatric diagnosis. He provides extensive information on treatment options, including the advantages, disadvantages, and side effects of various drug therapies.

He also describes what it is like to live with bipolar disorder and discusses how lifestyle changes can improve quality of life. Throughout, he focuses on the importance of building a support system, planning for emergencies, and giving yourself permission to seek help.

About this title

About the Author

Francis Mark Mondimore, M.D., is a psychiatrist and member of the clinical faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His books include Depression, the Mood Disease and Adolescent Depression: A Guide for Parents, both available from Johns Hopkins.

Review

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)

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)

This is an excellent book for patients with bipolar illness. I recommend the first edition frequently and will do so now with the second. It gives patients and their families enough information without being overwhelming and overly technical. The tone is practical but compassionate toward patients and family members suffering through this difficult illness. Good resource sections provide more extensive reading and online data. I would highly recommend this book.

(Doody's Review Service)

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... Offers advice on how to live with the disorder, and how not to become its victim.

(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.

(Journal of Psychosomatic Research)

An excellent guide to a painful and difficult yet treatable illness. Dr. Mondimore's outstanding abilities as clinician and teacher are put to good use in this indispensable book.

(Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and author of An Unquiet Mind)

About this edition

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0801883148
• ISBN 13: 9780801883149
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 304