Less Than Crazy: Living Fully with Bipolar II

I couldn't put this book down once I realized Dougherty was describing my own painful 20 year struggle with undiagnosed Bipolar II...and then offered solutions. Dougherty takes a weighty scary topic and makes it easy to digest with her friendly and inviting writing style. She has BPII and is a well seasoned medical writer. What I found most helpful were; 1)the anecdotes from a wide variety of patients, 2)the interesting (yes, interesting) descriptions of brain functioning, 3)the diagnostic "tests" you can take, and (most importantly) 4) how she gave me hope I can have a happy and productive life. A comment on the diagnostic testing, I found them to be KEY. You can take 3 or 4 quizes to see if the symptoms resonate and apply to you. What a relief to see data on a piece of paper that makes me feel I've found the right pidgeon hole for my problem! I've also learned as a patient I need to be in the driver's seat and take action outside the doctor's office to help treat my disease. Of course, I'll share the results with my psychiatrist...and save time and $$ in therapy bills in the process. Sections include: Part 1)Do I have Bipolar II--and How Does It Affect My Life? Part 2)Why Do I have Bipolar II? Part 3)How is Bipolar II Treated--and How Can I Live Happily? *****This is a great book to read if you have suffered from depression that has NOT been satisfactorily helped by medication and therapy. You will learn, you may actually have BPII. Dougherty points out that if you were diagnosed with depression more than 7 to 10 years ago there is a 40% you were misdiagnosed. Recent discoveries in brain functioning have altered the picture. The main negative of the book is the introduction is misleading (which led to the somewhat misleading Editorial Review summary above.) Dougherty describes her OWN struggle with Bipolar II and doesn't clearly state that there are variations. So you may toss the book aside because you don't immediately see yourself...but keep reading! Obviously, the "1 *" reviewer, who admitted she skimmed the book, did just that. For example, in the intro Dougherty talked about how in a hypomanic state she's a wall flower, well I become the life of the party. Or how in a depressive state she has felt guilty over an "imagined crime" an issue I've never confronted. She also doesn't point out until later in the book that suicide fantasys are not just limited to Bipolar I but also found, sometimes, among BP II sufferers.

My cousin's daughter was recently diagnosed with Bipolar 2 after suffering for years with misdiagnoses. This is a condition about which not a lot was known until a few years ago. I happened on this book and immediately ordered a copy for myself. I was surprised at how readable it is, which was a relief because it makes it more accessible to not only people with the condition, but people who care about them and want to help them. Honestly, I found this book helpful and insightful and I also was intrigued by the author's accounts of living with Bipolar 2, which I suspect affects a lot more people than was initially thought. There is a good mix of clinical info as well as personal anecdotes which add up to a total picture of what to expect and what treatment options are out there. It was especially useful to learn more about the medications that are used, and why. After reading it I decided to give it to my cousin to help her understand her daughter's behaviors.