Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding & Helping Your Partner - Softcover

Fast, Julie A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 145871733X ISBN 13: 9781458717337

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant, 2012

Synopsis

Many of the techniques in this book take some time to get started. The beauty of adding laughter and joy to your relationship is that you can start immediately. You can get started today. In fact, you can get started right now and then help your partner do the same. Close this book and find something to make yourself laugh. Woo hoo! Remember something funny. Remember something wonderful about your partner. Think of all of the joy you have experienced in life and remind yourself that it can happen again. You now have the tools to make it happen. You have a new treatment plan that can work to help you recognize, modify, and hopefully prevent your partner's major bipolar disorder symptoms. Your relationship has the opportunity to be happy, healthy, stable, and filled with joy. This book can help you through the many ups and downs you and your partner will experience as you create a more stable relationship. Read it often to find what you need at certain moments. Remember to always treat bipolar disorder first. And, most importantly, remember that laughter and joy are your first option when things get really tough. They will give you the peace of mind you need to move on and face your problems with strength. You can both do it.----Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder

About this title

Review

Julie Fast and John Preston have written a ground breaking book for couples who want to prevent manic depressive disorder from hijacking their relationship. Fast, a health writer diagnosed with bipolar illness and clinical psychologist Preston are ideal companions. Their innovative ideas will be welcomed by exhausted partners of "bipolar individuals"--whose illness can cause them to alternate between manic and depressed behavior. Once medication has been prescribed, the key is studying the specific ways your partner is effected. This allows couples to develop pro-active strategies for treating and stabilizing mood swings and symptoms, before they develop into full-blown crises. The techniques emphasize prevention, rather than putting out fires. These include understanding the difference between the person and the disease (know when "the bipolar disorder is talking") listing your partner's specific symptoms, identifying the triggers that lead to these symptoms and transforming the "bipolar conversation" The goal of all the tools is to pinpoint early warning signs of a manic or depressive episode and be prepared with a holistic treatment plan. Other segments of the book deal with the work (checkered resumes) and financial problems (spending sprees) created by this illness. The author's ideas are engaging, compassionate and realistic--an oasis of relief and hope. --Barbara Mackoff

From the Publisher

New studies estimate that 5% of the world's population has some form of bipolar disorder. This is a much higher number than originally thought. Many of the people with the illness have a significant other who is also impacted by the illness. This book is the first of its kind: written to the partner of someone with bipolar disorder and designed to mend strained relationships. Through the tools offered in the book, readers learn how to control episodic crises and discover how to create a loving, healthy, and supportive relationship with a person who has bipolar disorder.

Edition details

• Publisher: ReadHowYouWant
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 145871733X
• ISBN 13: 9781458717337
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 360