The Bipolar Book covers not only clinical and pathophysiological matters, but also technical aspects of the evidence accumulation for treatment of bipolar disorder.

In the past few decades, awareness of bipolar disorder has significantly increased, but understanding of the condition remains vague for most of the general public. Though the term itself is relatively recent, the condition has affected individuals for centuries—and no more profoundly than in the arts. The historical connections among manic depression and such fields as literature, music, and painting have been previously documented. However, the impact of bipolar disorder on movie makers and its depiction on the screen has yet to be thoroughly examined. In The Bipolar Express: Manic Depression and the Movies, David Coleman provides an in-depth examination of the entwined natures of mood disorders and moviemaking. In this volume, Colemanlooks at the writers, directors, and actors who have faced the mood swings and behavior that are hallmarks of this condition—from Greta Garbo and Orson Welles to Marilyn Monroe and Jonathan Winters. In addition to recognizing the cinematic contributions of manic depressive filmmakers, the author also looks at movies that have portrayed bipolar disorder—with varying degrees of accuracy—including Citizen Kane, Rebel without a Cause, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Aviator, and Silver Linings Playbook. From early silents of the twentieth century through critically acclaimed films of today, this book compares depictions of mood swings on screen with clinical examples of actual manic depression, carefully distinguishing real from stereotypical portrayals. This fascinating study is augmented by a concise filmography of more than 400 feature-length films from around the world with themes or characters relating to manic depressive illness. Though aimed at film fans and anyone interested in manic depression, mental illness, or related medical studies, this book will also prove valuable to medical and mental health professionals.

Krishna, an immigrant from India and an engineer by profession, is diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his late twenties after a failed relationship with Courtney, an American woman who has beautiful blue eyes. Twenty years later, when Krishna is in his forties and the father of two children, strange gunmen begin following him in fast-moving cars, with the intent to kill. In trying to investigate his stalkers and why they want to kill him, Krishna realizes that his preference for women with blue eyes has made him a target of a white supremacist group. He also finds out that Neelloc, a waitress and engineering student he had a relationship with, one that ended disastrously, also seems to be associated with the supremacist group. Will Krishna’s bipolar disorder make his situation worse, or will it help him this time? Will it just save his life so that he can be there for his children, or will it do more by helping him reunite with Neelloc, the woman he still cares about?

In the vein of An Unquiet Mind comes a storm of a memoir that will take you deep inside bipolar disorder and change everything you know. When Marya Hornbacher published her first book, Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia, she did not yet have the piece of shattering knowledge that would finally make sense of the chaos of her life. At age twenty-four, Hornbacher was diagnosed with Type I rapid-cycle bipolar, the most severe form of bipolar disorder. In Madness, in her trademark wry and utterly self-revealing voice, Hornbacher tells her new story. Through scenes of astonishing visceral and emotional power, she takes us inside her own desperate attempts to counteract violently careening mood swings by self-starvation, substance abuse, numbing sex, and self-mutilation. How Hornbacher fights her way up from a madness that all but destroys her, and what it is like to live in a difficult and sometimes beautiful life and marriage—where bipolar always beckons—is at the center of this brave and heart-stopping memoir. Madness delivers the revelation that Hornbacher is not alone: millions of people in America today are struggling with a variety of disorders that may disguise their bipolar disease. And Hornbacher's fiercely self-aware portrait of her own bipolar as early as age four will powerfully change, too, the current debate on whether bipolar in children actually exists. New York Times“Humorous, articulate, and self-aware…A story that is almost impossible to put down.”— “With the same intimately revelatory and shocking emotional power that marked [Wasted], Hornbacher guides us through her labyrinth of psychological demons.”—Elle

“Robert Post is one of the modern pioneers and towering figures in the investigation and treatment of bipolar illness. This volume is a master class in bipolar disorder.”—Russell T. Joffe, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, New Jersey Medical School. This landmark work, based on years of systematic clinical trials and observations at the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) and elsewhere, is the definitive clinical resource on patients with difficult-to-treat bipolar disorder. In the most comprehensive compendium to date, Post and Leverich, both veteran clinicians and expert researchers on bipolar disorder, take a broad, long-term view of the illness rather than simply looking at the short-term manic episodes that so traditionally typify the disorder. In doing so, they present and authoritative primer on the life course and treatment of bipolar disorder, including issues of remission, recurrence, and the nuances so critical to effective clinical decision-making in protracted treatment. Presenting over 60 individual case studies covering a broad range of patients and treatment approaches, Post and Leverich equip clinicians with countless examples to draw on when working with patients in their own practices.

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong challenge, but it doesn't have to rule your life. Join the many tens of thousands of readers who have used the science-based tools in this book to achieve greater balance and get the most out of treatment. Leading expert Dr. Monica Ramirez Basco helps you understand the nature of bipolar illness and recognize the early warning signs of mood swings. Step-by-step exercises (you can download and print additional copies of the forms as needed) give you greater insight into your own triggers, vulnerabilities, and strengths. Dr. Basco guides you to build the particular skills you need to withstand the seductive pull of manic episodes and escape the paralysis of depression. You'll also learn key strategies for managing stress, making healthy decisions, and solving problems. Vivid stories and examples illustrate how to put the techniques into action. Significantly revised, the second edition features a new structure, more succinct chapters, and streamlined exercises.

Based on Wootton's Bipolar in Order Seminar that he has developed over the past two years, this book focuses on the positive approach to the bipolar condition. It is about coming to an acceptance of oneself while striving to become a better person.