Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know

John McManamy has an outstanding ability to describe his and other's experience of having bipolar disorder in all its complexity. He never tries to take the place of the patiet's psychiatrist. He refers his readers to other sources of excellent more detailed clinical information. He tells the human side of the story. He teaches patients how to be better informed consumer's of psychiatric care. He encourages patients to be active participants in their recovery.

I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book for many months, for I have been a subscriber of John's newsletter for years. Living Well did not disappoint-no, it exceeded my expectations, which were very high, indeed!! I have devoured every book, periodical, you-name-it, whatever I could find in print since my diagnosis in 1981. The only thing I did not read completely is the massive Manic Depression, by Jamison and Godwin, though I've given it a thorough scan and use it as a resource. I have read cover-to-cover over 30 books about my illness and Living Well towers above them all! John's thirst for research serves him well throughout, and yet he does not deliver his findings to the reader as if her were on a plane above us. The lecture format is definitely not his style! John pulls us in by sharing his readers' comments and emails with us, providing us with the points of view of many, an approach I found quite helpful. This was especially of assistance in driving home the very vital point that we are NOT ALONE!! One review of this book stated that each page "yields a nugget, a treasure of information of some kind" (sic) and I found this to be absolutely true. I have so far purchased four additional copies and have sent them to dear friends of mine, also Manic Depressive, who might not have heard of John or the book. I am on a MISSION!! This book is a treasure, indeed!!!

As a bipolar patient and also a psychotherapist, I find this to be, hands down, the best guide to living with depression and bipolar disorder ever written. Every issue of concern is addressed within these consummately readable 406 pages, including a superb index and online resources. Interviews with patients show the wide diversity of the illness, and allow the reader to know we're not alone. A famed psychiatrist is quoted admitting that in medical school he was told "The liver is the most complex organ in the body." Now the psychiatrist admits that "Ninety percent of what we know about the brain we've discovered in the last 10 years." McMan gives us the necessary hope we need in this most demanding of illnesses, telling us of treatment options and the fact that scientists are constantly working on our behalf. "Partner with your psychiatrist" is a vital message, and he has a delightful laugh-aloud irreverence for many psychiatrists and the meds we're prescribed that make us fat! As the mother of 2 children, I particularly enjoyed the chapter on "Should We Have Kids?" and John's own candor about himself as the father of a wonderful adult daughter. "Be fruitful and multiply," he says, "but think first." Not only does this belong on the bookshelf of all folks with mood disorders - and their hopefully helpful family members - but we should also give it as gifts to our local libraries.

McManamy's book is easy to read, clear, well-written and packed with content. The author knows his audience. After years of depressions and other episodes, at age 49, he finally got the right diagnosis - bipolar disorder! His personal struggles taught him which roads lead to recovery. Now he shows us the way. He addresses the benefits and the risks of the standard treatments for depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder and he introduces new research, as well as complementary and nutritional treatments which can restore normal brain chemistry. Few books written for laymen mention the practice guidelines of psychiatry. This one does - throughout. McManamy doesn't just trust meds and more meds. He knows that powerful brain pills help but they also cause problems for some patients. If you are looking for information and hope to live well with your "perfect mental storms", you will love this book! review by Robert Sealey, BSc, CA author of Finding Care for Depression, Mental Episodes & Brain Disorders

I applaud John McManamy for writing an excellent, insightful and information packed book! John has the unique perspective of not only being a very knowledgeable authority on depression and bipolar disorder, but also a consumer himself because of his diagnosis. He is brutally honest about issues ranging from medications, the role of sleep in wellness, the seriousness of the illness . . . there is no sugar coating or glossing over topics. At the same time, John intersperses the book with a refreshing sense of humor and candor. Unlke many books that present the facts in a dry clinical format, this book will bring a smile to your face or have you laughing out loud at comments such as "anyone taking ***** with either of these drugs is simply begging for an audition as the next Macy's Santa" (in reference to medication induced weight gain). I am a licensed social worker, working in job that brings me in daily contact with families of children with pediatric bipolar disorder. I read and review books on a regular basis, some good, some great, some forgetable. "Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder" is one of my favorites and one that I will be recommending highly.