New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder: Your Friendly, Authoritative Guide to the Latest in Traditional and Complementary Solutions

I read the original book and this is much better. It is very up-to-date in terms of therapies and medications. I especially liked the ideas about self-help. This book is written by professionals and a woman with bipolar disorder, so it gives a lot of perspectives. I highly recommend this book.

For those diagnosed with this disabling illness and their family and friends, this 2nd edition, published 2007, is essential to a better understanding of this mysterious and often frustrating illness. As head of psychiatry at Rush medical college for 30 years, Dr. Fawcett trained many of those prominent and truly capable in the field of psycho-pharmacology today. My daughter and I have been blessed with the help of two of those he mentored at Rush. An easy read for both patient and family alike, "New Hope" 2nd edition covers the whole spectrum from the newest medications to social behaviors, etc. I can't recommend it highly enough. It is essential for anyone dealing with this devastating illness. Thank you, Dr. Fawcett!

I am 24 and have been bipolar my whole life. When meds and therapy just weren't enough to help me, I started reading books. This is by far the best, most helpful, informative, and well-written book on Bipolar Disorder. Written by 2 psychiatrists and a woman with bipolar disorder, this book touches on a broad range of topics from new medical findings to how to productively live with the disease and even has 2 color pictures of depressed and normal brains! It has helped my battle with the illness dramatically!

Bipolar disorder is often underdiagnosed and/or misdiagnosed as depression, particularly for people who have Bipolar II disorder (where severe depressive episodes are sandwiched between periods of mild or hypomania), who often feel sick and seek treatment only when they're depressed -- and thus are diagnosed as depressed or dysthymic. Without proper treatment of the bipolar disorder, things won't improve. This book really opened my eyes to what bipolar disorder is all about and why it is often hard to diagnose. On average, persons suffering from bipolar disorder see four psychiatrists and suffer for over ten years before they are diagnosed properly. This book is jam-packed with useful information -- facts on symptoms, common behaviors of sufferers, the different types of bipolar disorder, information on medication, and anecdotes from people suffering from bipolar and their families. It's also very clear and readable. I certainly wouldn't recommend self-diagnosis, but this book may help you help your psychiatrist make a proper diagnosis or help you understand a loved one.

New Hope For Bipolar Disorder offers a wealth of information for those with this disorder, their family and friends and any reader who wants a comprehensive understanding of this challenging illness. Written in language that is fluid, easy to understand and well organized, this book offers the reader a format that combines three different perspectives; each shedding light on the topic from their unique experiences. Information is comprehensive and presented in a manner that is packed with facts and yet easy to follow. This book provides a thorough discussion of symptoms, treatment and a solid basic understanding of the biology of the disorder. It offers good guidelines regarding attention to suicide. What makes this book different than other books on this topic is attention to the human side of the illness. These are clearly evidencedby Nancy's personal account, discussions of stigma, an examination of the subjective experience of optimism and pessimism, and a chapter that explores the stress in the relationships of those with bipolar disorder. Finally, New Hope for Bipolar Disorder presents a solid and focused discussion of psychotherapies that can be useful in treatment with those with this disorder and helping their loved ones. It details a discussio of cognitive-behavioral therapy with depression, and identifies the various strengths of couples therapy, individual therapy (for those with the disorder and/or those living with them), family and multiple family therapy. One of my closest friends was diagnosed with this disorder several years ago. This book has helped me tremendously to better understand her, to be more empathic with her and to better understand and be sensitive to my own reactions in our friendship. This book offers a wealth of information regarding bipolar disorder.