Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know (Paperback)

~ John Mcmanamy (Author)
Key Phrases: complementary treatments, bipolar kids, bipolar child, Living Well, Bipolar Disorder, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you read only one book about bipolar disorder, make it this one...an instant classic." (John Gartner, author of The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (A Little) Craziness And (A Lot) of Success In America )

"I hope this book gets the attention and acclaim it deserves. In a crowded field, it stands out." (Anne Sheffield, author of DEPRESSION FALLOUT. )

"Mental health advocates have a new Bible! Journalist John McManamy's book offers readers sound advice about managing severe mental illnesses." (Pete Earley, author of CRAZY: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness )

"The perfect book for those of us living with mood disorders...up to date, practical and helpful information." (Sue Bergeson, President, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance )

The reader takes a journey with a wise and compassionate guide who offers extremely clear information and--equally important--hope (Demitri F. Papolos, M.D. and Janice Papolos, authors of The Bipolar Child )

"[V]ery helpful for those affected by bipolar disorder and their families... I recommend the book enthusiastically." (E. Fuller Torrey, MD, co-author of Surviving Manic Depression )

"I doubt there is a person in the world who knows these conditions better, inside and out, than John McManamy." (S. Nassir Ghaemi MD, MPH, Director, Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health, Emory University )

"Manamy brings together his outstanding reportorial skills, his great gift for language and his remarkable insights about his own disorder." (Ellen Frank, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic )

"Anyone who has ever been diagnosed with a mood disorder, depression or bipolar disorder, really needs to read this book (Colleen Sullivan, Owner, Bipolar World; http://www.bipolarworld,net )

"This book belongs in the hands of every person who has suffered from depression or bipolar disorder." (Amy Weintraub, author of YOGA FOR DEPRESSIONS )

Product Description

Seven years ago, John McManamy was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Through his successful Web site and newsletter, he has turned his struggles into a lifelong dedication to helping others battling depression and bipolar disorder reclaim their lives. In Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder, he brilliantly blends the knowledge of leading expert authorities with the experiences of his fellow patients, as well as his own, and offers extensive information on:

• Diagnosing the problem
• Associated illnesses and symptoms
• Treatments, lifestyle, and coping
• The effects of depression and bipolar disorder on relationships and sex

With a compassionate and eloquent voice, McManamy describes his belief that depression is a wide spectrum that reaches from occasional bouts of depression to full-fledged bipolar disorder. The first book to help patients recognize this diversity of the disorder, Living Well with Depression and Bipolar Disorder will help sufferers begin to reclaim their lives.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; 1 edition (October 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060897422
• ISBN-13: 978-0060897420
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,955 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #24 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Mental Health > Manic Depression
  #57 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Aging > Depression
  #67 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Mental Health > Mood Disorders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bipolar disorder from the well informed patient's point of view., January 12, 2007

By	Raymond Zablotny "Doctor Z" (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John McManamy has an outstanding ability to describe his and other's experience of having bipolar disorder in all its complexity. He never tries to take the place of the patiet's psychiatrist. He refers his readers to other sources of excellent more detailed clinical information. He tells the human side of the story. He teaches patients how to be better informed consumer's of psychiatric care. He encourages patients to be active participants in their recovery.

48 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge is necessity and so is understanding, November 6, 2006

By	David Moyer (Penn Valley California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The author as patient/expert has blazed a trail for others to follow. If knowledge is necessity, the reader will get an abundance of it here. He describes the experience of depression and mania with poetic elegance. He makes complex ideas understandable, as for example, "Glutamate and GABA represent the yin and yang of neurotransmitters." He demonstrates a healthy cynicism toward the DSM actually suggesting that mental illness may some day be defined by genotype, rendering the DSM obsolete. His description of life style issues and nutrition is commendable, particularly his emphasis on the need for daily vigilance.

Had the author encouraged differential diagnosis to uncover the root cause(s) of each patient's symptoms before describing treatments, I would have been more enthusiastic about the book. There were some incorrect statements and significant omissions. Comments regarding the use of SAMe and St Johns Wort should have included the risk of mania. His statements about Beethoven were incorrect. Based on analysis of his hair, Beethoven suffered from lead levels 42 times higher than those found in the hair of currently living people. The lead likely caused his deafness, his erratic behavior, and, ultimately his death. He did not have bipolar disorder but rather symptoms akin to what the psychiatry profession labels as bipolar disorder, that is, simply an assortment of symptoms meeting certain criteria. All too often in practice this means that regardless of the causes, if you have those symptoms you have bipolar disorder. Does he want the 6% of the population to come forward and identify themselves for treatment?

He does express an openness towards nutritional alternatives, albeit in a section too short for my liking. While sharing inspiring case histories of several who replaced their drugs with nutrients, he does not believe that nutritional supplements can replace psychotropic medications.

Comments about depression and heart disease omit the fact that many medical conditions, including low grade chronic infections such as Lyme disease or C. Pneumonia can impair the heart and trigger depression. His discussion on increased death rates among psychiatric patients omits the fact that in one study, among 554 cases of sudden cardiac death, current use of an anti psychotic drug was associated with a threefold risk of sudden cardiac death, about the same as Vioxx.

The author says that psychiatry saved his life. His writing reflects that. To this reviewer he appears to be beholden to mainstream psychiatry and associated institutions with a few delightful exceptions. Those who have survived mental illness in spite of psychiatry will not find their voice in this book.

For those searching for answers, the book is a must read as long as it is taken with a grain of salt. Knowledge is necessity and so is understanding. A visit to the autism community would have shown the author that many treatable biological causes for behavior across the autism spectrum can be treated, sometimes resulting in a cure.

I applaud when he introduces ideas outside of mainstream psychiatry. I yawn in boredom as he gives us the company line. This review can best be summed up in the author's own words. "Depression isn't the name for it." While he has done a great job in describing the experience, one finishes the book still wondering what that name is.

David Moyer, LCSW, author, Too Good to be True? Nutrients Quiet the Unquiet Brain

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roads to recovery, October 30, 2006

By	Robert Sealey (NORTH YORK, ON CAN ADA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

McManamy's book is easy to read, clear, well-written and packed with content. The author knows his audience. After years of depressions and other episodes, at age 49, he finally got the right diagnosis - bipolar disorder! His personal struggles taught him which roads lead to recovery. Now he shows us the way.

He addresses the benefits and the risks of the standard treatments for
depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder and he introduces new research,
as well as complementary and nutritional treatments which can
restore normal brain chemistry. Few books written for laymen mention the
practice guidelines of psychiatry. This one does - throughout.

McManamy doesn't just trust meds and more meds. He knows that powerful brain pills help but they also cause problems for some patients. If you are looking for information and hope to live well with your "perfect mental storms", you will love this book!

review by Robert Sealey, BSc, CA
author of Finding Care for Depression, Mental Episodes & Brain Disorders