Customer Reviews

New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder: Your Friendly, Authoritative Guide to the Latest in Traditional and Complementar y Solutions, Including: ... of Depression & Manic-Depressive ...

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A collaboration of three writers, New Hope for People With Bipolar Disorder speaks to a broad audience. Coming from three perspectives, the book sometimes speaks *to* the bipolar sufferer and sometimes speaks *for* the afflicted individual or family. While providing advice to the manic-depressive, to people in intimate relationships with manic-depressives (parents and spouses) and to friends, acquaintances and colleagues of manic-depressives, the book also makes appeals to the medical profession and other service providers, to the insurance industry and to the general public.

Speaking to the individual suffering from bipolar disorder or related afflictions, three chapters on the biological and medical aspects serve as an up-to-the-moment primer for the lay person. A solid backgrounder, this section prepares the patient for a more informed and engaged relationship with his or her doctors and other medical providers.

Likewise for the sufferer himself or herself, chapters on psychotherapy, self-help and support groups compile the best advice and guidance the field has offered over the past decade.

While much of the information useful to the patient himself or herself is also useful to family and friends, chapters on living with afflicted people and on suicide prevention speak more directly to individuals in these positions.

Finally, chapters on stigma and on bipolar disorder in children and adolescents address the larger community. Doctors and medical providers are asked to keep current with improving treatment options and regimes. Insurance providers are implored to grasp the essentially medical nature of these illnesses and handle coverage as other medical coverage is handled. And, finally, the authors entreat the general public to engage a sense of compassion and understanding to reduce the stigma associated with these and other emotional illnesses.

Written in a remarkably fluid, readable style, New Hope For People With Bipolar Disorder deserves a place on many a bookshelf.

Bipolar disorder is often underdiagnosed and/or misdiagnosed as depression, particularly for people who have Bipolar II disorder (where severe depressive episodes are sandwiched between periods of mild or hypomania), who often feel sick and seek treatment only when they're depressed -- and thus are diagnosed as depressed or dysthymic. Without proper treatment of the bipolar disorder, things won't improve. This book really opened my eyes to what bipolar disorder is all about and why it is often hard to diagnose. On average, persons suffering from bipolar disorder see four psychiatrists and suffer for over ten years before they are diagnosed properly. This book is jam-packed with useful information -- facts on symptoms, common behaviors of sufferers, the different types of bipolar disorder, information on medication, and anecdotes from people suffering from bipolar and their families. It's also very clear and readable. I certainly wouldn't recommend self-diagnosis, but this book may help you help your psychiatrist make a proper diagnosis or help you understand a loved one.

Nothing new here and almost nothing about mania, hypomania and its various forms. Heavy focus on depression which is generally well understood. I felt nothing for the woman who supposedly has bipolar and cowrote the book--could not identify one bit. Nothing about the newer drugs which have been recommended to me and which led me to buy the book since it was about "new hope". Bunch of psychodrivel about taking charge of your life which might as well have been written by Tony Robbins. I don't want some motivational book. I was loooking for a more serious discussion.Save your money.

This book had the best descriptions of mania and depression of any I've read. I have personal experience with these disorders through family members. I have collected a library on these subjects, wanting to understand as much as I can. I have often been disappointed with books on the bipolar disorder and clinical depression.

"New Hope..." is excellent for those suffering from not only bipolar disorder, but from clinical depression. I appreciated the scientific information, including images of the brain of a depressed person and a "normal" person. It's phenomenal to see that there is actually a physical difference.

The knowledge in this book is truly hope for those who suffer from depression and from bipolar disorder. It should be recommended for all family members of people who suffer from these conditions.

I am 24 and have been bipolar my whole life. When meds and therapy just weren't enough to help me, I started reading books. This is by far the best, most helpful, informative, and well-written book on Bipolar Disorder. Written by 2 psychiatrists and a woman with bipolar disorder, this book touches on a broad range of topics from new medical findings to how to productively live with the disease and even has 2 color pictures of depressed and normal brains! It has helped my battle with the illness dramatically!

If you are interested in this book because you or someone you know has bipolar disorder, please read the book review at www.draga.org/store/bookreviews_newhope.html before buying it. DRAGA is Depression and Related Affective Disorders Ass'n, and is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University . . . I don't know enough about this area to say which is right, but DRAGA has reservations that are worth looking into before you rely on this book. I just wanted to point this out for interested readers.

New Hope For Bipolar Disorder offers a wealth of information for those with this disorder, their family and friends and any reader who wants a comprehensive understanding of this challenging illness. Written in language that is fluid, easy to understand and well organized, this book offers the reader a format that combines three different perspectives; each shedding light on the topic from their unique experiences. Information is comprehensive and presented in a manner that is packed with facts and yet easy to follow. This book provides a thorough discussion of symptoms, treatment and a solid basic understanding of the biology of the disorder. It offers good guidelines regarding attention to suicide. What makes this book different than other books on this topic is attention to the human side of the illness. These are clearly evidencedby Nancy's personal account, discussions of stigma, an examination of the subjective experience of optimism and pessimism, and a chapter that explores the stress in the relationships of those with bipolar disorder. Finally, New Hope for Bipolar Disorder presents a solid and focused discussion of psychotherapies that can be useful in treatment with those with this disorder and helping their loved ones. It details a discussio of cognitive-behavioral therapy with depression, and identifies the various strengths of couples therapy, individual therapy (for those with the disorder and/or those living with them), family and multiple family therapy. One of my closest friends was diagnosed with this disorder several years ago. This book has helped me tremendously to better understand her, to be more empathic with her and to better understand and be sensitive to my own reactions in our friendship. This book offers a wealth of information regarding bipolar disorder.

Which of us will admit that personal mood swings lead us to question our state of mind, as in,"Am I losing it?" New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder, by Jan Fawcett, MD, Bernard Golden, Ph. D. and Nancy Rosenfeld, Exemplar, legitimizes our question regardless of the answer.

New Hope...is not a "feel good" pseudo panacea directed to sufferers, families and friends of sufferers of what is popularly known as Depression and Manic-Depressive illness. The authors assure their readers that he and she are not their illness. Public awareness, now, embraces most physical illness and disease as having causes that are not the "fault" of the patient. Emotional and mental dysfunctions have not yet been accorded similar understanding and respect. The absolute interconnections among physical, emotional and mental discomforts are valid and necessary lessons we must learn. New Hope...is a mighty blow against overwhelming, prevailing ignorance.

A sufferer with Bipolar disorder is often told to "get over it." or condemned as a moral coward. The authors demonstrate through science, compassion and experience that the diseases' combination of bio-chemical, genetic and environmental factors are real, not imginary.

This is a book I've waited for, although it arrives too late for loved ones who could have been saved by having it available.

The book can be read as a factual presentation into the most prevalent, misunderstood and ignored physical-emotional-mental illness in current society. It can be used as an up to the moment reference and source for personal, medical and psycho-social answers and assistance. Its most important value may be to assault and dispel fear and ignorance about emotional-mental illness. The seamless collaboration by a medical practitioner, a psychologist and a patient on equal terms is an example of the best kind of interactions for all of us.

Unless you are a layperson and very new to bipolar disorder, this book is just a regurgitation of very old techniques. What's more, the regurgitation is often wrong. Anyone who has dealt with this illness for more than a year will know more than this book can teach them.

I would recommend almost any book over this one. Dr. Fieve's book Moodswing is particularly good, as is anything by Kay Jamison.

If all you want is a feel-good, fast read, not particularly enlightening book, this might be for you. Otherwise, keep looking. Anyone you know with bipolar, or you, if you are afflicted, will be thankful for it.

New Hope for People With Bipolar Disorder is a book that delivers its promise. The authors have contributed their understanding and extraordinary knowledge of manic-depressive illness to help those who suffer from this malady - to give them and their loved ones hope. There is also a cautionary note which details how the all too common failure to diagnose this disorder can disable and destroy lives. This is not done through the simple recitation of statistics, but rather by detailing personal accounts of those who have met the challenge and coped. If I read this book ten years ago, my life would be dramatically different today. So many persons would have been spared the pain my untreated illness brought them. And if everyone would read this book, so much of the stigma which inhibits sufferers from seeking treatment would dissipate and shame would be transformed to compassion.