Less than Crazy: Living Fully with Bipolar II (No. 2) [Paperback]

Karla Dougherty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 2008

Bipolar II is a form of bipolar disorder in which a person, when in a manic cycle, is crippled by anxiety, irritability, and highs just intense enough to be embarrassing. Instead of being the life of the party, someone with Bipolar II might be too nervous to go to the party at all. And, unlike the Bipolar I sufferer who may attempt suicide in a depressive cycle, the Bipolar II might be incapacitated by guilt over an imaginary crime. In Less than Crazy, health writer and Bipolar II sufferer Karla Dougherty shares her story, presenting the first patient-expert’s guide to recognizing and living well with this condition. Covering both adults and children, this accessible, all-in-one resource includes information on diagnosis, conditions that may mimic Bipolar II, and treatments.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Library Journal," 11/4/08
"Dougherty's candor validates why self-help books written by one who has actually 'been there' tend to have much resonance."

About the Author

Karla Dougherty is a leading writer in the fields of medicine, health, and nutrition. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600940471
• ISBN-13: 978-1600940477
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #517,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An honest review, June 12, 2009

By 

Brett Moore "MHN" (Adelaide Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Less than Crazy: Living Fully with Bipolar II (No. 2) (Paperback)

Im an RN and MHN and I also have Bipolar II. I was expecting something more considering the Authors stated experience but she managed to get a few things very wrong. She also limits the symptoms of bipolar and personalises it. Yes she has bipolar and she has had a hard life. But the biggest mistake in this book is the false claim that bipolar II depression is less than Bipolar 1 depression which it clearly isnt. I could quote a library of books on this, but this is an informal review so I wont. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is initially interested in bipolar, but only if they want another perspective and an additional book for their collection. She could have done so much better, and it also caused me to question the MD who supposedly edited this book. She quotes people that contractict her outright which I also found amusing. To the author, please read more widely and dont be in such a rush to publish "something".

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I just read my life story!, February 8, 2009

By 

Anna "Truth Seeker" (Laguna Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Less than Crazy: Living Fully with Bipolar II (No. 2) (Paperback)

I couldn't put this book down once I realized Dougherty was describing my own painful 20 year struggle with undiagnosed Bipolar II...and then offered solutions. Dougherty takes a weighty scary topic and makes it easy to digest with her friendly and inviting writing style. She has BPII and is a well seasoned medical writer. What I found most helpful were; 1)the anecdotes from a wide variety of patients, 2)the interesting (yes, interesting) descriptions of brain functioning, 3)the diagnostic "tests" you can take, and (most importantly) 4) how she gave me hope I can have a happy and productive life.

A comment on the diagnostic testing, I found them to be KEY. You can take 3 or 4 quizes to see if the symptoms resonate and apply to you. What a relief to see data on a piece of paper that makes me feel I've found the right pidgeon hole for my problem! I've also learned as a patient I need to be in the driver's seat and take action outside the doctor's office to help treat my disease. Of course, I'll share the results with my psychiatrist...and save time and $$ in therapy bills in the process.

Sections include: Part 1)Do I have Bipolar II--and How Does It Affect My Life? Part 2)Why Do I have Bipolar II? Part 3)How is Bipolar II Treated--and How Can I Live Happily?

*****This is a great book to read if you have suffered from depression that has NOT been satisfactorily helped by medication and therapy. You will learn, you may actually have BPII. Dougherty points out that if you were diagnosed with depression more than 7 to 10 years ago there is a 40% you were misdiagnosed. Recent discoveries in brain functioning have altered the picture.

The main negative of the book is the introduction is misleading (which led to the somewhat misleading Editorial Review summary above.) Dougherty describes her OWN struggle with Bipolar II and doesn't clearly state that there are variations. So you may toss the book aside because you don't immediately see yourself...but keep reading! Obviously, the "1 *" reviewer, who admitted she skimmed the book, did just that.

For example, in the intro Dougherty talked about how in a hypomanic state she's a wall flower, well I become the life of the party. Or how in a depressive state she has felt guilty over an "imagined crime" an issue I've never confronted. She also doesn't point out until later in the book that suicide fantasys are not just limited to Bipolar I but also found, sometimes, among BP II sufferers.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, but not very informative., June 14, 2009

By 

Sophia (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Less than Crazy: Living Fully with Bipolar II (No. 2) (Paperback)

After being diagnosed with Bipolar II in March of 2009 I wanted to read more about it before proceeding with treatment. Less Than Crazy is one of the books I ordered and overall I got very little out of it. Dougherty's coverage of Bipolar II is very broad but an inch deep. The book is very easy to read, but that comes at the expense of depth. The substance of the book is so general that you'll come away knowing more about Bipolar II from reading Wikipedia.

First off, the author does a VERY poor job distinguishing Bipolar I from Bipolar II.

Second, she makes an incorrect claim that Bipolar II is a "milder" or "watered down" version of Bipolar I. This is an INCORRECT statement unsupported by psychiatry literature and doctors themselves. Bipolar II is a different disorder that has some commonality with Bipolar I but has a range of symptoms unique to Bipolar II. There are many studies that suggest that suicide rate with Bipolar II is equal or higher to that of Bipolar I, so there is nothing mild about this illness.

Third, the author basically glosses over the symptoms of Bipolar II, such as the deepest depression or the "mixed states," that torture so many of us Bipolar II patients.

I found the personal stories she includes in the book too generic to relate to because they could describe people with a hundred other ailments, people having a tough moment in life, or just lousy personality. I have no more insight into what other people with Bipolar II go through after reading something like "Joe had an inflated sense of entitlement" or "Jane had a hard time getting out of bed."

For readers completely unfamiliar with Bipolar II this may be an OK first read, but this is definitely NOT the book to rely upon if you are looking to truly understand Bipolar II.