Synopses & Reviews
Bipolar disorder is not only one of the most difficult mental health issues to treat, but also one of the most stigmatized and misunderstood. For these reasons, a diagnosis of bipolar is a major turning point in a person’s life. Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed helps readers process their diagnosis, decide who to tell, and discover the treatments and lifestyle changes that can help manage their symptoms. This book offers hope and support for the newly diagnosed without overwhelming them with extraneous information. The book covers workplace issues, how to become aware of bipolar triggers, how to find support, working with the treatment team, and dealing with the fear and stigma surrounding the diagnosis. Anyone who has been diagnosed with bipolar will appreciate having this easy-to-use reference at hand to help them understand more about the condition.
This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.
This book is a part of New Harbinger Publications' Guides for the Newly Diagnosed series. The series was created to help people who have recently been diagnosed with a mental health condition. Our goal is to offer user-friendly resources that provide answers to common questions readers may have after receiving a diagnosis, as well as evidence-based strategies to help them cope with and manage their condition, so that they can get back to living a more balanced life.
Visit www.newharbinger.com for more books in this series.
Review
The best primer ever written on the topic of bipolar disorder.
-Stephen Hinshaw, editor of Psychological Bulletin and chair of the department of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley
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
Im a psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist with no medical training, and I found Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists to be a compelling and stimulating read, as well as a welcome addition to my reference shelf. This text is coherent and user-friendly, and reading it is a surprisingly pleasurable way to expand your knowledge in an area of clinical treatment usually not made this accessible to nonmedical professionals.”
Susan Flynn, PhD
Review
I recommend the Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists to psychotherapists from various clinical trainings and diverse clinical orientations, as well as to nonpsychiatric physicians and their prescribing assistants. One of the most valuable elements of this text is the authors reminder to consider when and how medication can be appropriate to treatment, and how the clini¬cian is an essential part of the psycho-medical treatment team. If you have only one reference book on your shelf addressing the interface between clinical treatment and psychopharmacology, this should be it.”
Marvin B. Berman, PhD
Review
Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists is a modern masterpiece written by a multidisciplinary team of distinguished practitioners. It is one of the most clearly written and reader-friendly yet comprehensive books on the subject of psychiatric diagnosis and psychotropic drug therapy. The handbook is packed full of useful tables, figures, and illustrations that amplify the main text or can be used independently for a rapid introduction to the field or for reviewing the fundamentals. Covering both the spectrums of pathophysiology and the neurobiology of drug action, this slim, state-of-the-art-and-science text is truly a handbook worthy of the name and should be an essential resource for mental health professionals and students alike.”
Clifford N. Lazarus, PhD, licensed psychologist and director of Comprehensive Psychological Services of Princeton, author of Dont Believe It for a Minute and The 60-Second Shrink
Review
One of the most confusingbut ultimately liberatingsteps for people with bipolar disorder is getting that initial diagnosis. Often frightening, upsetting, and filled with shame, you don't know what to expect or what to do. Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Caponigro, Lee, Johnson, and Kring fills this gap. This highly readable and accessible guide provides you with basic information on how to recognize the important symptoms of bipolar disorder; the essential role of medication and which psychological treatments can be helpful; and how to cope with family, friends, work, and on-going self-care. I know that this book will be invaluable for those coping and living with bipolar disorder and will give much needed hope and guidance. I strongly recommend this guide for those new to their diagnosis. In many ways, coming to terms with the illness and acquiring effective coping skills are part of that first step toward getting better, and that first step may prove to be the most important one.”
Robert L. Leahy, PhD, author of The Worry Cure and Beat the Blues Before They Beat You
Review
This is a very readable and comprehensive book for someone adjusting to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. The discussions of the social aspects of the processfor example, who to tell and what to say, or meeting with a therapist and building a treatment teamare particularly helpful. I highly recommend this book as a first step to fitting bipolar disorder into a full and satisfying life.”
Greg Murray, professor and head of psychology at the Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Review
Bipolar disorder can be a debilitating illness that affects every aspect of life. Forewarned is forearmed, and this text provides invaluable information for people with bipolar disorder and the people who love them about what to expect from the illness and how to deal with it. The authors are among the most distinguished experts in the field. I strongly recommend this marvelous and totally accessible text.”
Steven Hollon, PhD, professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University
Review
This is a very well written, accessible guide for someone recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, or their friends and family. The key message is one of hope. People with bipolar disorder can find ways to understand and manage their bipolar experiences in ways that allow them to lead full and satisfying lives. This book outlines the key steps to learning how to do this and covers both medication and psychosocial approaches. The book includes case examples to bring the key messages to life, and signposts the reader to many other useful resources for more detailed information. I think this book would be useful for anyone looking for more information on how to best manage bipolar disorder.”
Fiona Lobban, PhD, DClinPsy, senior lecturer in clinical psychology at the Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research at Lancaster University, UK
Review
Too often, the field struggles with what appear to be competing demands for a scientific basis versus clinical acumen or presence in the moment with each client. This book brings together evidence, experience, and empathy in an all-too-rare amalgam. I do not have a better word for it than wisdom. Combining proven interventions and recent developments, this book fills a distinct and important role. I recommend it most highly.”
Eric Youngstrom, PhD, professor of psychology and psychiatry and acting director at the Center for Excellence in Research and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Review
“William Marchand brings together his knowledge and experience as a psychiatrist with his insight and wisdom as a mindfulness practitioner. The result is an informative guide, full of practical tools for managing bipolar disorder, enhancing well-being, and living a more fulfilled life.”
—Paul Thielking, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Utah School of Medicine
Review
“
Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder integrates recent findings from clinical, scientific, and meditation communities to help one understand the reason for their struggles, describes the treatments currently available, and then honestly presents how adding mindfulness practice to one’s life will reduce suffering associated with bipolar disorder.”
—Rev. Jim Daiko Bilskie, PhD, Soto Zen monk, veteran, and PhD in environmental physics
Review
Finallya book written for real people, with an easy-to-follow plan of action.
William Marchands compassionate wisdom brings to light a new way to manage bipolar disorder, and offers a step-by-step approach to using mindfulness, as well as numerous meditations. This book offers insightful wisdom from Marchands perspective as both a psychiatrist and mindfulness teacher.”
Mary Beth Cooper, journalist, communications specialist, and avid supporter of mental health awareness
Review
Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder extends far beyond management of bipolar symptoms. This easy-to-read, well-written book is a valuable resource for all humans, whether living with bipolar disorder, another chronic illness, or life in general (which can be a chronic condition). The practice of mindfulness is a gift, available to all, that will have a powerful impact on your life.”
Karen Dittrich, MD, discovered mindfulness and meditation after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis twenty-two years ago
Review
[Marchands] book is a breakthrough in the advancement of the treatment of bipolar disorder, as a more intractable condition. In this book, readers will find a combination of scientific knowledge and the techniques of meditation as practiced for centuries. As a highly regarded psychiatrist, Marchand is able to offer proven methods for the cessation of suffering. By doing so, he has shown not only his professional acumen, but also his compassionate heart and wisdom in the service of others.”
Victor Perri, practicing Zen Buddhist and lawyer for over thirty years in areas including labor, employment, disability law, and civil rights
Review
In
Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder, Marchand offers a unique flavor of mindfulness practice for a serious and difficult mental illness. It combines well-balanced, ancient, traditional techniques with modern empirical, practical, and repeatable wisdom from Western science and medicine.
Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder covers a remarkably broad range of symptoms of the illnessincluding the quite nuanced, such as noticing the difference between pleasure and happinesswith pragmatic tools and techniques for their management. Marchands style of writing is not only accessible and easy to understand but is also influenced by deep kindness and compassion for his patients. Readers can expect to have the sense that their condition is not a hopeless and untenable disorder, but rather a challenging set of symptoms that can be managed with relatively simple mindfulness-based practices.”
Adam Shishin Lintz, husband, father, student of and practitioner in the Soto Zen tradition, software architect, and martial artist
Review
Marchands caring professionalism comes through in spades in his insightful and compassionately written book,
Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder. With a clear understanding of the science behind both bipolar disorder and mindfulness practice, Marchand honors readers unique struggles, while encouraging hope for a better future. If you buy one book on bipolar disorder, make it this one.”
Erica Marken, Soto Zen Buddhist who serves on the board of directors for Two Arrows Zen Center in Salt Lake City, UT
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
Synopsis
Author Ruth White reports that, when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she was given a list of large, expensive books it was suggested she buy. Overwhelmed and frustrated by these texts, she wanted a small, short, precise book that would tell her right away what to do to control her symptoms. This is the book she wishes she had right after she was diagnosed. The book walks the reader through the ten most important steps to getting control over their bipolar disorder and includes information about medications, therapy, sleep patterns, exercise, nutrition, and more. By packaging these steps in a small book that is immediately accessible and helpful, the bipolar sufferer no longer has to wade through hundreds of pages of text for the information they need.
Synopsis
After receiving a bipolar diagnosis, you need clear answers. Bipolar 101 is a straightforward guide to understanding bipolar disorder. It includes all the information you need to control your symptoms and live better. Authored by both a psychologist and a mental health expert who has bipolar disorder herself, this pocket guide is the only book on bipolar disorder you'll ever need.
Synopsis
In Bipolar 101, a mental health advocate who has personal experience with bipolar disorder offers this guide to the ten simple-yet not always easy-essential steps readers need to take to control this serious and challenging condition.
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
This seventh edition of The Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists includes the latest updates on medications for mental health disorders and their side effects along with a new chapter on the effects of withdrawing from medication. This essential guide to psychopharmacology has been adopted as a textbook at universities nationwide and is a must-have resource for every therapist's library.
Synopsis
Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists has become the go-to resource for mental health clinicians looking for clear, reliable information about the treatment of mental health issues. Organized by disorder and, within each disorder, by medication, this book is designed to familiarize clinicians and students with the basic terminology and models of pharmacokinetics.
This updated seventh edition provides essential information on new medications and treatment options and includes the latest research on side effects, contraindications, and efficacy of all major medications prescribed for mental health disorders. The book also features an important new chapter on the effects of withdrawing from psychopharmacological medications.
This handbook makes it simple to:
- Get the facts about drug interactions and side effects
- Find out how medications affect adults, children, and adolescents differently
- Learn how different cultures view medical treatment, vital information for anyone who treats clients from a variety of backgrounds
- Discontinue medication safely when needed
Synopsis
Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed is a pocket guide to symptom management, treatments, medications, and more for people who have been recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Includes guidance for processing the diagnosis, sharing it with family and friends, and finding experts who can help get symptoms under control.
Synopsis
In Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder, psychiatrist and neuroscientist William R. Marchand provides a breakthrough program based in cutting-edge neuroscience and mindfulness practices to target bipolar symptoms. Along with healthy lifestyle changes, therapy, and medication, Marchand shows how mindfulness is the missing piece in successful bipolar treatment. Using the mindfulness skills outlined in the book, readers will learn how to work through feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress in order to improve their quality of life and find their true center.
Synopsis
In Mindfulness for Bipolar Disorder, psychiatrist and neuroscientist William R. Marchand provides an innovative, breakthrough program based in neuroscience and mindfulness practices to help you find relief from your bipolar symptoms.
If you have bipolar disorder, you may experience feelings of mania or high energy, followed by periods of depression and sadness. These unusual shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels can make it extremely difficult to carry out day-to-day tasksand ultimately reach your goals. Finding balance may be a daily struggle, even if you are on medication or in therapy. So, what else can you do to start feeling better?
Mindfulnessthe act of present moment awarenessmay be the missing puzzle piece in effectively treating your bipolar disorder. In the book, you will learn how to actively work through feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress in order to improve the quality of your life. Written by a prominent psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and mindfulness teacher who draws upon his research experience and personal mindfulness practice as a monk in the Soto Zen tradition, this book will provide you with the tools needed to get your symptoms under control.
If youve sought treatment for bipolar disorder but are still struggling with symptoms, mindfulness may be the missing piece to solving the bipolar puzzle and taking back your life. This book will help you get started right away.
About the Author
Ruth C. White, PhD, is assistant professor of social work at Seattle University in Seattle, WA. She received her doctorate in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked in mental health for many years, and for the last seven years has taught and trained social workers as a member of the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Seattle University. She is a member of the National Speakers Bureau of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
The guiding principles of Dr. White's scholarship are that it is to be rigorous, relevant, useful, and integrated into the other aspects of Dr. White's career. During Dr. White's almost 20-year career as a scholar and practitioner, her research has focused on social determinants of health and well-being, HIV/AIDS, community development, international social work and maternal and child health. Dr. White's research is community-driven with the community as equal partners throughout the research process.
Dr. White has also begun to create a body of work that expands her study of stigma into the mental health arena which grew out of her own experience with mental illness. The goal of this aspect of her work is to use her multiple positions as social work educator, researcher, author and person with mental illness to reduce the stigma of mental illness, empower those with mental illnesses to strive for mental well-being and advocate on their own behalf, and, to improve the quality and accessibility of services to the mentally ill.
Dr. White's expertise has been called upon by her colleagues to review work in the area of HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health for organizations such as the American Public Health Association, the American Journal of Health Behavior, AIDS Care, and the National Science Foundation
John D. Preston, PsyD, ABPP
is professor emeritus at Alliant International University in Sacramento, CA, and has also served on the faculty of the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine and the Professional School of Psychology, San Francisco. He has authored twenty books in the areas of psychotherapy, neurobiology, and psychopharmacology, and coauthored Clinical Psychopharmacology Made Ridiculously Simple and Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists. Preston is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and has lectured internationally.
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