Bipolar For Dummies

*This review of Bipolar For Dummies pertains to the 3^rd edition.

One of the best tools to help with recovery is education. This simple act can one a better understanding of the causes, symptoms and ways to help keep mental illness in check. Back when I was diagnosed as having bipolar 1 disorder I read everything about the illness that I could get my hands on. With the switch to schizoaffective disorder I continued to refer to these books for help with managing the mood disorder aspect of my illness. There is so little written about schizoaffective that can it can be difficult to find books on the topic. Many of the books in psychiatry on overcoming illnesses are either about depression, anxiety, bipolar, or schizophrenia. Since schizoaffective is unique in that we have the symptoms of both schizophrenia and a major mood disorder we are pretty mush left with reading about both illness and trying to mesh the self help tips together.

One book that I particularly found helpful is Bipolar for Dummies. The authors, Candida Fink, MD and Joe Kraynak, Ma did a wonderful job researching and writing this. Out of all the books that I have read about bipolar disorder this is by far the best one. It doesn't matter whether you are newly diagnosed or were diagnosed years ago this book should be number 1 on the reading lists for not only those who have bipolar but also friends and family. I used to laugh at the For Dummies books, thinking that these books more for people who have difficulty comprehending subjects. I found out that really isn't the case. This book is well written and laid out in easy to follow sections. Each chapter is full of all sorts of important information.

When I say this book covers a lot I am not exaggerating. With chapters explaining the various forms of bipolar disorder, the symptoms, Psychiatric treatments, lifestyle changes that help improve daily life, dealing with a crisis and the aftermath to the current research as to possible causes this simple book is overflowing with a wealth of information. All of this information is presented in simple to understand English which makes it easy to read and not give the feel of a text book. I actually joked that the only con of this book was the overwhelming amount of information that was presented to the reader, which really isn't a con.

So exactly what does this book have to offer the reader? Well like I said above it explains the various forms of bipolar, breaking down the diagnostic criteria and explaining how they differ in relation to symptom presentation. It explains the clinical difference between a mania and a hypo-mania which is helpful in understanding the difference between bipolar 1 and bipolar 2. It mentions cyclothymia which is related to bipolar but has a much more milder symptom presentation. It even has mention of other illnesses that can be mistaken for bipolar or visa versa such as ADHD, borderline personality disorder, and schizoaffective disorder to name a few.

Here are some of the things covered in this book.

- Obtaining a Psychiatric Evaluation and treatment plan. This chapter is great because it explains what you should look for in a Psychiatrist and also what you should you should bring to your appointment such as medical history and a list of symptoms as well as a list of questions that you may have.

_The treatments that may be used such as therapy and medicine along with the types of life style changes someone should make.

- There is a section that pertains to assisting a friend or loved one with bipolar. This includes dealing with crisis situations and supporting your loved one with their recovery.

- It lays out tips on managing your illness and the aftermath of a mood episode.

- There is even a chapter on childhood and adolescent bipolar and the unique challenges that they may encounter as well as covering the new illness that is Disruptive Mood Dysregulation disorder (DMDD) which is listed in the DSM-V. Children and teens with this disorder were once diagnosed with bipolar disorder even though there symptoms were vastly different than the listing in DSM-IV for bipolar disorder.

While this book is mainly about bipolar disorder, those with a Diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder bipolar subtype can still take away information from it. It has suggestions on charting mood episodes and how to recognize when an episode is happening. And considering that even experts are not yet sure is schizoaffective disorder is a distinct disorder or schizophrenia with a co-morbid mood disorder this book may be of some use for those with schizoaffective disorder diagnosis.

I honestly highly recommend getting this book. The sheer amount of information covered in this books lends itself to being beneficial regardless of ones experience with bipolar disorder.