Synopses & Reviews
A powerful new therapeutic approach, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), has proven to be the most effective treatment for the mood swings and impulsive behavior symptomatic of borderline personality disorder. This therapy is now being put to use to help those with other emotion regulation problems and mood disorders. This is the first book to apply DBT treatment to bipolar disorder, a chronic, complex mental illness that has much in common with borderline personality disorder. The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder presents a complete program for the treatment of bipolar disorder that shows readers how to manage painful emotions, handle suicidal behavior, stop self-injury, control impulsive and mood-dependent behaviors, and learn positive and healthy coping techniques such as mindfulness, distracting skills, and self-soothing skills. The workbook stresses the importance of radical acceptance, which, in the case of bipolar disorder, is the knowledge and acceptance of the fact that readers may not be able to live the lives they had envisioned because of the disorder. The practical worksheets, exercises, mood charting, and life charting tools in this groundbreaking workbook provide readers with the skills they need to handle this highly unpredictable disorder and make plans for a stable future. Though the DBT skills presented can greatly help those with bipolar manage their symptoms, the author highlights the importance of being under a doctor's care and continuing to take medication while completing this DBT program. The book also includes information for friends, family, and caregivers to help them understand the disorder and be supportive.
Review
“Finally, a straightforward and compassionate resource for anyone wanting to understand more about bipolar disorder. The combination of personal stories and practical exercises provides a powerful guide to living a balanced and joyful life.”
—Susan Philpott, M.Sc., MSW, mental health supervisor at York Support Services Network in Sutton West, Ontario, Canada
Review
“In this thorough and engaging workbook, Sheri Van Dijk breaks new ground by adapting dialectical behavior therapy for people living with bipolar disorder. This workbook provides patients struggling with this illness with a clear program and real-life day-to-day tools for coping. This workbook will help many people with bipolar disorder find order in their lives. A welcome addition to the helping field.”
—Paul Cappuccio, MSW, RSW, clinical manager of outpatient mental health services as Southlake Regional Health Centre and lecturer at Queens University
Review
“Medication is the foundational treatment for bipolar disorder. However, medication use alone often results in failed relationships, financial demise, and continued symptoms of depression and anxiety. Van Dijk’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder can help to increase readers' personal serenity, interpersonal harmony, and intimacy in relationships, and optimize their quality of life. This book is clear, concise, and very readable, filled with wise guidelines that are rewarding and practical to implement.”
—Stephen B. Stokl, MD, FRCP, chief of psychiatry at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, and author of Mentally Speaking
Review
[The authors] have provided patients with an essential map and guidebook for people with bipolar II disorder who, by no fault of their own, have become strangers in a strange land. This book includes essential tools that can help people manage their disorder and find their way to wellness and functioning.”
Andrew A. Nierenberg, MD, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director at the Bipolar Clinic and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, and associate director of the Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital
Review
Bipolar II is a lifelong and often difficult challenge for those who have the disorder and those who care for them. But
The Bipolar II Disorder Workbook will help you cope by teaching you how to notice your mood changes, how to turn around your depression or hypomania, and how to help others understand what you are going through. This workbook will give you the tools to work on [managing] your disorder. Written in a clear, easily accessible style, with lots of self-help forms and techniques, this book will be of use whenever things get too high or too low. I highly recommend this very useful guide.”
Robert L. Leahy, PhD, director at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, associate editor at the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, and clinical professor of psychology at Weill-Cornell University Medical College, New York Presbyterian Hospital
Review
With refreshingly clear language, three experts in the field draw from the best science in the area to provide a clear road map for how to come to terms with bipolar II disorder. This book offers great advice on how to recognize and gain better control over manic, depressive, and anxious symptoms.”
Sheri L. Johnson, PhD, director at Cal Mania (Calm) and lab professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley
Review
This workbook is grounded in cutting-edge research for treating mood and anxiety disorders, but distills this broad literature into a user-friendly set of skills specific to managing bipolar disorder, type II. Roberts, Sylvia, and Reilly-Harrington give readers tools that they can apply to their own lives to feel better, such as education about bipolar II and ways to manage negative thinking, temper anxiety, gain social support, and develop a comprehensive wellness plan. This book is a must-read for anyone whose experience of mood disturbance is an obstacle to leading a fuller life.”
Lauren B. Alloy, PhD, professor, Joseph Wolpe Distinguished Faculty Fellow, and director of clinical training at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
Review
I highly recommend this book. The authorsleading researchers in this fieldhave provided a great service to individuals suffering from bipolar II disorder, their families, and mental health care professionals. Useful as a guide and workbook, this book can be used by individuals seeking to learn about the disorder individually, or as a tool in therapy. This concise and very approachable book condenses the latest research on the treatments for bipolar II disorder, helps readers to understand what is unique about this disorder, and reviews the best treatments available. There are excellent chapters on the management of depression, mania, and anxiety that are filled with good advice and practical, problem-solving techniques that will immediately be helpful.”
Edward S. Friedman, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh; director of the Mood Disorders Treatment and Research Program at the University of Pittsburgh; and director of cognitive behavior therapy and adult ambulatory pharmacotherapy training programs at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, PA
Review
What a great book! By combining education, tools for self-monitoring, and step-by-step treatments, the authors have created a resource for patients and families with bipolar II disorder that will be used again and again. Roberts, Sylvia, and Reilly-Harrington are skilled therapists, and this workbook is like having access to them any hour of the day."
Michael J. Ostacher, MD, MPH, MMSc, assistant professor of psychiatry in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, CA, and associate director of the bipolar disorder and depression research program at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in Palo Alto, CA, where he is also director of the Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) fellowship program
Review
This is a great resource for the many patients and professionals who seek better ways to manage bipolar disorder but don't want to reinvent the wheel or waste time searching for tools. We owe the authors our thanks for assembling a treasure trove of excellent tools and the instructions necessary to put them to effective use.”
Gary Sachs, MD, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA
Review
Bipolar disorder represents one of the most complex and challenging mental health conditions. Self-management or wellness strategies are a critical part of achieving optimal health and quality of self when living with the condition.
Preventing Bipolar Relapse represents a valuable resource for people who are newly diagnosed, struggling, or just wanting to learn from someone who has been there how best to stay in balance. Packed full of evidence-informed tips and tools, this accessible and pragmatic book offers ways for people with bipolar disorder to flourish.”
Erin Michalak, associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and coeditor of Practical Management of Bipolar Disorder
Review
Preventing Bipolar Relapse is an essential guide for the consumer and caregiver alike. White's SNAP approach gives the reader an easy method to successfully navigate the complexities of bipolar disorder. Her personal experience offers hope, encouragement, and the tools to prevent relapse.”
Muffy Walker, MSN, MBA, founder and chairman of the board at the International Bipolar Foundation
Review
Maintaining stabilization and relapse prevention is one of the most important and challenging aspects of treatment for bipolar disorder. This is a topic that has rarely been addressed in the integrative way White spells out in her book. Highly recommended ... both for those suffering from bipolar disorder and their loved ones.”
John Preston, PsyD, professor emeritus with Alliant International University, Sacramento
Review
This book written by Ruth C. White is unique. It was written by a trained caregiver who has specialized in the psychosocial treatments of bipolar disorder with an emphasis on prevention. Importantly, White suffers from bipolar disorder, which enables her to provide her own personal approach to better recognize when the condition becomes unstable. White focuses on lifestyle adjustments that can be tailored depending on the individuals circumstances, but without undervaluing the importance of pharmacologic treatment. This volume may be a very valuable tool to aid patients and their care givers to better manage bipolar disorder.”
Mauricio Tohen, MD, DrPH, MBA, professor and chairman in the department of psychiatry at the Health Sciences Center at the University of New Mexico
Review
Ruth C. Whites
Preventing Bipolar Relapse is a leave-no-stone-unturned, skillfully detailed, comprehensive guide to preventive care. Her Sleep, Nutrition, Activity and People (SNAP) program is the missing link between how we have approached relapse management and how we need to going forward. It is a must-read and must-follow for anyone with bipolar disorder, his or her loved ones, or professionals in the field of mental illness. We wish we had this book when we were diagnosed!”
Wendy K. Williamson and Honora Rose, authors of Two Bipolar Chicks Guide to Survival: Tips for Living with Bipolar Disorder
Review
“A must-read! Louisa Grandin Sylvia’s wellness plan addresses the key ingredients essential to creating a healthy lifestyle.”
—Muffy Walker, MSN, MBA, cofounder and chairman of the International Bipolar Foundation
Review
“When dealing with depression and other mood-related issues, we who have mood disorder diagnoses can become laser-focused on deficits or ‘fixing’ what’s ‘wrong.’ While symptom reduction and elimination are naturally goals of most people’s treatment plans, these can—and I’d say must—be joined with concurrent creation of wellness practices. Louisa Grandin Sylvia’s book is an empowering road map for those of us who want to shift our focus from solely reaction to symptoms to proactive creation of resiliency-enhancing diet, exercise, sleep, and other wellness-related choices.”
—Allen Doederlein, president of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Review
“There is no easy solution to creating a healthier lifestyle, especially if you have bipolar disorder, but this book can help. It offers user-friendly tools to increase your motivation to make the necessary lifestyle changes that you need to improve your mental and physical health. Anyone living with mood disturbance could benefit from reading this book.”
—Lauren B. Alloy, PhD, professor at Joseph Wolpe Distinguished Faculty and director of clinical training at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA
Review
“Louisa Grandin Sylvia has assembled an extraordinary resource that succinctly and comprehensively brings together empirically supported science and recommendations to preserve and regain health. I would strongly recommend that this book, written in an accessible manner, be on the reading list of any individual who strives for optimal physical and mental health.”
—Roger S. McIntyre, MD, FRCPC, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto, and head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at the University Health Network
Review
“We have only recently understood that lifestyle factors including smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet contribute to a person’s risk of developing mood problems. We now know that addressing these factors reduces symptoms in people who have mood problems. What’s missing is a practical synthesis of this information to guide people who have mood problems on how to target these factors to improve their physical and mental health. This book by Louisa Grandin Sylvia, an acknowledged expert in lifestyle and mood disorders, is an invaluable aid for those wishing to take control of their lifestyles and improve their mood.”
—Michael Berk, MD, NHMRC, senior principal research fellow and Alfred Deakin Professor of Psychiatry at the Deakin University School of Medicine
Review
“Despite decades of research, there is no silver bullet that will quickly end bipolar disorder. The best way for someone with bipolar disorder to reclaim their life is by crafting a health-promoting lifestyle. The research on the effects of sleep, diet, and exercise are each compelling. This book brings the pieces together into an integrated approach that is clearly explained, with examples based on stories of people who have succeeded, and based on ongoing research. Experts advocate a lifestyle approach for ‘heart health.’ Louisa Grandin Sylvia provides a plan for ‘brain health.’ The strategies will complement other treatments by focusing on quality of life, energy, and functioning, not just reducing the symptoms and stress associated with bipolar disorder. This book is a leading example of the next-generation approach to mood disorders, recognizing the connection between body and mind and using that to help the whole person.”
—Eric Youngstrom, PhD, professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Review
“In this important book, Louisa Grandin Sylvia provides readers with a step-by-step approach for improving diet, exercise, and sleep—all habits that can have powerful effects on mood and health. Readers will find this book rich in information and clinical examples, with crucial attention devoted to the barriers and bad habits that can derail wellness goals.”
—Michael W. Otto, PhD, professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University and author of Exercise for Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Synopsis
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has proven to be the most effective treatment for the mood swings and impulsive behavior symptomatic of bipolar disorder. This workbook presents a complete program for those suffering from this illness.
Synopsis
Even if you've just been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it's likely that you've been living with it for a long time. You've probably already developed your own ways of coping with recurring depression, the consequences of manic episodes, and the constant, uncomfortable feeling that you're at the mercy of your emotions. Some of these methods may work; others might do more harm than good. The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder will help you integrate your coping skills with a new and effective dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) plan for living well with bipolar disorder.
The four DBT skills you'll learn in this workbook-mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness-will help you manage your emotional ups and downs and minimize the frequency and intensity of depressive and manic episodes. By using this book in conjunction with medication and professional care, you'll soon experience relief from your bipolar symptoms and come to enjoy the calm and confident feeling of being in control.
- Learn mindfulness and acceptance skills
- Cope with depressive and manic episodes in healthy ways
- Manage difficult emotions and impulsive urges
- Maintain relationships with friends and family members
Synopsis
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Bipolar Disorder provides readers with DBT skills such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, and radical acceptance to help them move away from the destructive behaviors that often accompany bipolar disorder.
Synopsis
The Bipolar II Disorder Workbook is designed to help readers manage recurring depression, hypomania, and anxiety associated with bipolar II disorder. This user-friendly self-help workbook draws on evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and other mindfulness-based approaches to help those suffering from bipolar II disorder live more normal lives.
Synopsis
Most people have heard of bipolar disorder, a mental health condition that is marked by manic episodes and periods of intense depression. Bipolar II disorder differs from bipolar I in that sufferers may never experience a full manic episode, although they may experience periods of high energy and impulsiveness (hypomania), as well as depression and anxiety. If you have been diagnosed with bipolar II, or even if you think that you may have this disorder, you may be frightened by the highs and lows of your intense emotions. Fortunately, there are proven-effective treatments that can help you find a sense of calm and peace of mind.
Written by an extremely accomplished team of bipolar experts, The Bipolar II Disorder Workbook is designed to help you manage the recurring depression, hypomania, and anxiety that can arise as a result of your condition. The convenient workbook format combines evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and other mindfulness-based exercises to help you manage your emotions, track your progress, and ultimately live a happy and more productive life.
This is the first self-help workbook available specifically for individuals diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.
Synopsis
For people with bipolar disorder, the path to wellness often involves psychiatric visits and medication adjustments. But what if there was a way to avoid future episodes? In Preventing Bipolar Relapse, bipolar expert Ruth C. White shares her own personal approach to relapse prevention using the innovative program SNAP (Sleep, Nutrition, Activity, and People). White also offers practical tips and tracking tools readers can use anytime, anywhere. By making necessary lifestyle adjustments, readers can maintain balanced moods, recognize the warning signs of an oncoming episode, and make the necessary changes to reduce or prevent it.
Synopsis
If you buy just one book on bipolar disorder, let this be it. Theres an old saying: Prevention is better than cure.” If you have bipolar disorder, this is especially true. For you, it's incredibly important to read the warning signs of a possible episode. For instance, you may find you are not sleeping as well as usual, or you might be sleeping too much. You may stop doing things that you normally enjoy, or you may start acting out your impulses in ways that alienate those around you or get you into trouble.
While the path to wellness for those with bipolar may involve psychiatric visits and medication adjustments, preventing manic and depressive episodes is the true key to staying healthy and happy. So how do you do it? And most importantly, how can you keep yourself motivated? In this powerful, breakthrough book, bipolar expert Ruth C. White shares her own personal approach to relapse prevention using the innovative program SNAP (Sleep, Nutrition, Activity, and People). White also offers practical tips and tracking tools you can use anytime, anywhere. By making necessary lifestyle adjustments, you can maintain balanced moods, recognize the warning signs of an oncoming episode, and make the necessary changes to reduce or prevent it.
This is the first and only book on bipolar disorder that focuses exclusively on prevention. To help you stay well, White includes links to helpful online tracking tools so that you can manage your symptoms, anytime, anywhere. If you are ready to stop living in fear of your next episode, this life-changing book can help you take charge of your diagnosisand your life.
Synopsis
People with bipolar disorder are far more likely to die from obesity-related illnesses as a result of poor nutrition and poor lifestyle choicesbut no one is talking about it. In this much-needed workbook, a leading Harvard Medical School researcher and bipolar expert presents a step-by-step, evidence-based behavioral lifestyle program to help people with bipolar disorder live healthy lives, regulate moods, and lose weight.
Synopsis
Studies show there is a clear link between bipolar disorder and obesity-related illnesses. In this workbook, a leading Harvard Medical School researcher and bipolar expert presents a step-by-step, evidence-based behavioral lifestyle program to help people with bipolar disorder live healthy lives, regulate moods, and lose weight.
If you have bipolar disorder, you already know about the emotional ups and downs that can accompany this disorder. But you may not know that people with bipolar disorder are far more likely to die from obesity-related illnesses as a result of poor nutrition and poor lifestyle choices.
For the first time ever, this comprehensive workbook offers the proven-effective, Harvard-researched diet and lifestyle program made popular in the best-selling book Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, to help you manage your moods, lose weight, and thrive.
When you are experiencing a manic or depressive episode, making healthy lifestyle choices is probably the last thing on your mind. That’s why The Wellness Workbook for Bipolar Disorder offers guidance to help you implement healthy changes into your daily life—one step at a time.
Synopsis
The teen years are like an emotional roller coaster, and teens must learn the skills needed to effectively handle their emotions in a positive, constructive way. This is easy-to-read guide is written directly for teens experiencing strong emotions, and offers them four core skills based in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to help manage their emotional ups and downs. Using evidence-based techniques such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness, teens will be able to get off the emotional roller coaster for good.
Synopsis
The teen years are an emotional roller coaster. So, how can you make it through? In this important guide, leading dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and teen expert Sheri Van Dijk offers four core skills to help you manage your emotional ups and downs, build great relationships, and thrive!
As a teen, you're experiencing intense changes in your lifeboth physically and mentally. To top it off, you're probably unsure of how to handle your emotions in a positive, constructive way. Surviving the Emotional Roller Coaster offers evidence-based techniques to help you regulate your emotions and find balance in all areas of life whether it's at home, at school, or with friends and peers. By learning to be more aware of your emotions, you'll be able to let difficult feelings pass without reacting to them in destructive ways.
You will also learn the four basic DBT skills to help you manage your emotions: core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. You'll discover how to apply these skills to help deal with a number of negative emotions, such as low self-esteem, anger, anxiety, depression, and more. By changing the way you react to your emotions and to others, you'll be able to build better relationships and feel more confident as a result.
If youre ready to understand and better manage your feelings, stop acting on impulses, and calm yourself in moments of emotional stress, this book will show you how.
About the Author
Stephanie McMurrich Roberts, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. Roberts has published a number of peer-reviewed articles related to bipolar disorder and depression. A former instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School and staff psychologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Bipolar Clinic and Research Program, she now works in private practice in Boston, MA.Louisa Grandin Sylvia, PhD, is associate director of psychology at the Massachusetts General Hospital Bipolar Clinic and Research Program, director of health and wellness at the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program, and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. She is a skilled cognitive behavioral therapist who develops psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder and serious mental illness. She is currently examining the efficacy of a nutrition, exercise, and wellness therapy for bipolar disorder.
Noreen A. Reilly-Harrington, PhD, is an internationally recognized expert on the cognitive-behavioral treatment of bipolar disorder and has coauthored several books and numerous scientific articles on bipolar disorder. For the past seventeen years, she has been on the staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital Bipolar Clinic and Research Program and on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. She has trained thousands of clinicians for academic and industry-sponsored studies in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of bipolar disorder, and currently serves as the director of training and assessment for the Bipolar Trials Network.
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