The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know
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| Size | 26 MB (26,085 KB) |
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| Status | Available |
| Last checked | 13 Hour ago! |
| Author | David J. Miklowitz |
“Book Descriptions: This book is crammed full of useful information for bipolar patients, their family members, therapists, friends, lovers, employers and anyone else interested in bipolar disorders. Philosophers with a deterministic bent might take exception to the accounts of bipolar patients who discover that, despite the limitations of their illness, they are still able to use their decision-making capacity--their free will--to minimize the effects of their mood swings on their lives.
The author has an impressive educational and research background and has earned numerous awards for the outstanding quality of his work. The insights he shares with us were not acquired simply by reading the voluminous literature on bipolar disorder, although his doctoral and post-doctoral studies required enough of that; during more than fifteen years of clinical practice and research, Miklowitz has been personally involved in the care and treatment of hundreds of bipolar patients and their families.
Part I, "The Diagnosis and Course of Bipolar Disorder," describes the symptoms of bipolar disorder, how it is diagnosed and explains how difficult it is for some individuals to accept the diagnosis, which they consider tantamount to "a life sentence."
Throughout this section of the book, the author, rather than defining concepts, gives examples of actual episodes of depressive and manic behavior, unusual thoughts, suicidal ideation, sleep disturbance, and impulsive, self-destructive and addictive behaviors. This reviewer counted more than twenty-five separate examples of individuals with bipolar disorder, who were quoted and described, adding substance and verisimilitude to the four chapters of this section.
In this introductory part of his book, the author begins his emphasis on the active part the patient should play in his own diagnosis and treatment. Rather than unequivocally accepting whatever diagnosis is offered by his doctor, the patient is given a self-administered checklist to be used in arriving at his own diagnostic impression and is advised to question his doctor about possible diagnostic errors. He is given a list and descriptions of other psychiatric disorders often confused with bipolar disorder to assist him in the diagnostic dialogue with his doctor. Differential diagnoses to be considered include: Schizophrenia; ADHD: Borderline Personality Disorder; Cyclothymia; Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder; and Substance Induced Mood Disorder.
In Chapter 4, "Is It an Illness or Is It Me?" Miklowitz advises patients to accept the diagnosis once it is firmly established rather than trying to manage their feelings by rejecting or underidentifying with it. However he also warns against overidentifying and provides the patient with another self-administered checklist to help him differentiate between personality traits and normal mood swings on the one hand, and symptoms of mania or depression on the other.
The three chapters of Part II, "Causes and Treatments," discuss the genetic and experiential factors that combine to bring about bipolar disorders; how medication and psychotherapy can be best used by the patient to control his symptoms; and how to win the many arguments he has with himself about the need to continue taking medications despite their inevitable side effects.
As he did in Part I, the author continues to emphasize the importance of the patient's assuming control of his life, rather than turning it over to medication prescribers, psychotherapists, family members, or other caretakers.
To help understand the genetic component of his disorder, the patient is shown the family pedigree of a known bipolar patient and is given forms to use in drawing his own pedigree. There is also a form to use in determining what role stress has played in the causation and course of his disorder.
Patients are discouraged from blaming their parents for their genetic contribution to the disorders, or other family members for their contributions in the form of stress and conflict. Rather than wasting time and energy in finger-pointing, or bemoaning the fact that they have a disorder, patients are encouraged to learn how to best use available treatment modalities to minimize the symptoms and to find success and satisfaction in their lives despite their disorder.
Chapters 6, "What Can Medication and Psychotherapy Do for Me?" and 7, "Coming to Terms With Your Medication," provide a wealth of detail about different kinds of psychotherapy and medications, giving equal emphasis to the positive treatment effects and negative side effects. To re-emphasize the importance of patient-participation in all treatment modalities, Miklowitz lists the objectives of psychotherapy for persons with bipolar disorder. He also provides a form to be used by patients to keep a daily record of side effects they may experience with all medications prescribed, and another form entitled "THE PROS AND CONS OF TAKING MEDICATION." where the pa...”
