The Bipolar Handbook: Real-Life Questions with Up-to-Date Answers

Just got this book today, and have finished already. Exceptionally clear, well-written, and very helpful. (BTW: I am an MD with a Master's in psychology.) If you have any question about whether your child may be bipolar, this book will help immensely. It covers treatments, medical and otherwise, and discusses behavioral approaches, selection of psychiatrists, everything you could want to know. Highly recommended.

Thank goodness for Dr. Burgess! He's got another great book on bipolar disorder - this one focusing on kids and teens. I have a brother who has a bipolar teen and we've read all the books on manic depression. This one he acturlly read together with his son! She said that the book really does have answers to his and his son's questions about his pills and therapy. They spoke to his doctors and and they have a new plan for him based on Dr. Burgess's book. I think he's feeling better already! In addition to the medical and psychological explanations, this book has really practical solutions to Phil's problems with school and my brother's problems with his behavior. Phil told me it answered some questions he had about his friends and his girlfriend. Also it has therapy worksheets to help with his depression. My brother understaqnds much more about what bipolar feels like now. What I like the most is that my brother's relationship with his son is getting better. He says its like having him back again, and I feel that way to. Whastever you do, pick up Dr. Burgess' book. We recommend it.

Although I have wondered if I was bipolar for many years now, I was only just diagnosed two days ago by my primary dr. (and referried to a psychologist). After I took the kids to school yesterday, I went out to the book store and looked up books on bipolar. The first one I picked that interested me, I took and sat down with. I kept reading it and reading it and finally decided I had to take it home with me. It is question-and-answer format, so you really can just read a section at a time, rather than a "whole chapter". I won't say "everything" in this book is "me", but I can't tell you how it was to finally sit and read something that was talking about ME! Things that have been following me around since I was a teenager (now 34) and I never connected them together. Never was diagnosed! I was always told I was "normal", or depressed or anxious and put on meds for these. I KNEW something was not right with my behavior- cheap sex on the first date w/o protection, driving on a whim 10 hours to visit an online "friend", buying big items on a whim... and more than that, the RUSH that with it! Leaving jobs in the middle of the day to go "hide" just so nobody knew where to find me! I could go on, but the point is that I had never connected all these things (and more) in my life before. I was always told I was lazy, to "get your life in order"... now I know why I talk a million miles and hour, switch topics 10 times and can't find my way back to waht I started to talk about- all within 30 second! Its wonderful to finally at least have all these bits connected so that I might begin to learn how to cope with this. Having dysphoria as they call it,- detached from the world, floating, things seeming more colorful, seeing people in front of me who "suddenly disappear"- might seem fun, but really its not. Its like I am being made to do them. And then soon after, getting extremely depressed and planning ways to kill myself ... and worst of all, not being able to control any of these things- even when I know they are not "normal". I tried writing Dr. Burgess to thank him at his website, but I could not find the address. So- thank you Dr. Burgess for this amazing book! I can finally get to working on not thinking I am a horrible person for continually failing at things I try to start up (school, jobs, projects, relationships) and to hopefully learn how to NOT think I can "do it all and more if only there were enough hours in the day".

I have bipolar disorder, and also have a mother and sister with it. Educating myself on this illness has been very important to me. I have to say this book is absolutely the best in it's class. I have read many books with the intention of educating on bipolar disorder, and they have been helpful in a generic sense, I now needed something more in depth. This was it! This book answers so many questions about living with the disorder, medications, diet and other complications that are common with this illness. I keep referring back to it, it reminds me that I am not alone in this. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more.

I am a doctor with bipolar patients. One of my staff brought in this book last week and we have all read it. It looks like a popular health book but I have learned a number of new things from this book that will improve my patient care. Also, it is an enjoyable read and easy to follow. I have already made this book required reading for my staff, my patients and their families. It has my recommendation.