88 of 96 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FINALLY - A SELF-HELP GUIDE FOR HYPOMANIA & SOFT BIPOLAR, March 31, 2008
This review is from: Break the Bipolar Cycle: A Day-by-Day Guide to Living with Bipolar Disorder (Paperback)
This is a brilliant self-help guide. Elizabeth Brondolo has provided anyone grappling with bipolar spectrum disorders (especially hypomania & soft bipolar, as well as classic bipolar, et al) an invaluable work which in addition to very readable text, provides tools to monitor one's own behavior and make lasting changes in one's life. It includes easily implementable exercises for the layman (i.e. me) for dealing with "Bipolar Spectrum Disorders" (BSD). The exercises provided in the book are meant to be photocopied. They are non-onerous, logical and will make you stare your behavior in the face. This is not a guide for the clinician per se -- it is for those of us who suffer from the effects of this often debilitating condition.
This wonderful book will undoubtedly become a classic in an area of psychiatry that is poorly understood and often ignored by intelligent and otherwise effective therapists and psycho-phamacologists. It serves as a perfect companion to Jim Phelps' "Why Am I Still Depressed", which takes a more clinical approach, but is equally approachable. Phelps' book is especially useful from the psycho-pharmacological side in determining what your diagnosis might be and how to deal with it. Brondolo is a Ph.D. in Psychology (therapist) while Phelps is an M.D.
I was recently diagnosed with hypomania after being in therapy for 13 years and having being prescribed antidepressants for the majority of that period. Sadly, most professionals don't acknowledge more than a few meaningless gradations in the bipolar spectrum and the term "bipolar" is so scary and brings up such horrifying & stigmatizing images of manic depressive behavior (i.e. Jamison's portrayal of herself cited a few lines below), that most would rather avoid the topic entirely, dismissing therapists and M.D.s as "crazy". One thinks -- "This is not me!". Guess again -- it might be. (for a classic book that reads like a page-turner on full-on Manic Depression, see: An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison, Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University).
Most of the gradations along the "bipolar spectrum" are not even recognized in the DSM IV which is the most comprehensive guide for psychiatric professionals in making diagnoses. The whole concept of bipolar spectrum disorders is a relatively recent phenomena, having only been truly studied and understood over the last decade or so. DON'T BE SCARED AND DON'T CONTINUE TO WRECK YOUR LIFE - many hypomanics are incredibly successful professionals (see: The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (A Little) Craziness and (A Lot of) Success in America - John D. Gartner, which is a highly entertaining read, and uplifting, because it makes you realize that there is plenty of hope out there).
Brondolo's book is a wonder for those of us who have suffered most of our lives and always thought that those closest to us giving us loving feedback were the crazy ones. It provides some easily understandable guidelines, exercises and common sense pieces of advice (good luck finding a therapist who understands what is going on with you -- after years of poor judgment and simply lying to therapists and myself, I would strongly recommend some form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy or Dialectic Behavior Therapy). Brondolo & Phelps also provide one with a framework for how to approach what you've been suffering from and how to approach your therapists and M.D.s with these issues, as many of them (the majority in my experience -- even those who understand BSD well) will not ask you many key questions or monitor key behaviors that are essential for you to get better unless you bring these things up yourself (makes one feel really great that you're spending so much $$$ on these folks).
One of the scariest things that emerges in Brondolo & Phelps' work is that at least 50% of people who suffer from BSD have been mis-diagnosed for years (on avg 10 years) and have been on the usual array of antidepressants (Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Paxil, et al). THESE ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN FACT HAVE THE TENDENCY TO BRING ON AND/OR EXACERBATE HYPOMANIC EPISODES!
BRONDOLO & PHELPS' BOOKS ARE "EASY READS", easy to browse through, and easy to pick up and start again at a new place. I am grateful for the existence of these two works (and you will be too -- and no -- no one has paid me for this review -- I'm the one who has paid dearly all these years -- and continue to pay). Best of luck.
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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the book I have been waiting for!, September 21, 2008
This review is from: Break the Bipolar Cycle: A Day-by-Day Guide to Living with Bipolar Disorder (Paperback)
If you only buy one book on bipolar this should be the book!
I had spent tons of time (and money) looking for a relevant, helpful and intelligent book on bi-polar II. There are countless books focusing on bipolar I, but very few on it's step-sibling bipolar II. There are even more books addressing depression, but none on hypo-mania. Just when I was finally giving up on ever finding a helpful book this one fell into my lap! And I was so excited.
I can't stress how HELPFUL and RELEVENT this book is to anyone with bipolar but especially bipolar II. The first part of the book focuses on educating the reader---about diagnostic techniques, brain chemistry, medication, etc. The second half helps the reader to understand what steps to take next after the diagnosis.
This book gave me great hope and comfort. My hope came in realizing that there would one day be a time when this disorder didn't color my every day and I would just live life. And comfort came in knowing that I was not the only one experiencing these challenges and in the validation that I wasn't making it all up. I recognized myself in so much of this book.
The biggest endorsement I can give this book is that I immediately ordered copies for my parents and closest friends. The books does an incredible job on communicating what life feels like from the patients perspective and I know this information has been invaluable to my family and friends. They have become active partners in ensuring I stay safe and stable and recognize warning signs and problems on there own. And for that I will always be eternally grateful.
This book addresses both bipolar I and II and gives equal time to both. It includes exercises--relevant ones including what to bring to a doctor's visit and how to recognize stress triggers--that even I completed.
I really cannot say enough great things about this book and I encourage all bipolar patients to read it!
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Book! Highly Recommended., February 7, 2008
This review is from: Break the Bipolar Cycle: A Day-by-Day Guide to Living with Bipolar Disorder (Paperback)
I don't know of any other book on the subject of Bipolar Disorder that is as state-of-the-art, comprehensive and accessable (i.e. readable) as "Break the Bipolar Cycle." What is most striking about this book is how useful and practical it is for everyone involved in the process of living with and/or treating Bipolar Disorder (and perhaps mental illness in general). As someone who is very familiar with Bipolar Disorder, I am impressed with Brondolo and Amador's ability to reach and inform not only the person suffering with the disorder, but his/her family and treatment team as well. Interspersed throughout the book are illuminating clinical examples which make for an interesting and relatable read. Most of all, the book offers a practical and hopeful picture of what it is like to live with this illness and how to take control and make the best life possible for yourself, your loved-ones and your clients. Thank you Drs. Brondolo and Amador for this very important work and for dedicating your lives to helping those in need. "Break the Bipolar Cycle" is a must read for anyone who has been affected by Bipolar Spectrum Disorders.
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