Riding the Roller Coaster: Living with Mood Disorders [Paperback]

Marja Bergen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1896836313 | ISBN-13: 978-1896836317 | Publication Date: January 1, 1999

Mood disorders, such as depression and manic depression, affect up to 10% of the population. Marja Bergen is one of those people. Over the 30 years that she has had manic depression, she has gradually adopted a lifestyle that makes it possible not only to cope, but to live a full and productive life. In Riding the Roller Coaster, she shares very practical tips on such things as escaping the blues before they grab you, what to do when you don't feel like doing anything, and keeping life stable.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Many people with mood disorders will identify the experiences Berjen recounts. As well, this book should be very helpful for family members who are trying to understand what their loved ones are going through. -- Raymond W. Lam, M.D., FRCP

Many people with mood disorders will identify the experiences Berjen recounts. As well, this book should be very helpful for family members who are trying to understand what their loved ones are going through. -- Raymond W. Lam, M.D., FRCP

Many people with mood disorders will identify the experiences Berjen recounts. As well, this book should be very helpful for family members who are trying to understand what their loved ones are going through. -- Raymond W. Lam, M.D., FRCP

This excellent first person account of manic depressive illness is filled with encouragement for those managing mood disorders. It delivers understanding, insight and very tangible strategies on how to overcome the difficulties of depression and manic depression. Marja Bergen gives us a very human perspective drawn from her experiences. Her path to recovery is exciting and positive. --Robert Winram, Executive Director Mood Disorders Association of B.C.

This excellent first person account of manic depressive illness is filled with encouragement for those managing mood disorders. It delivers understanding, insight and very tangible strategies on how to overcome the difficulties of depression and manic depression. Marja Bergen gives us a very human perspective drawn from her experiences. Her path to recovery is exciting and positive. --Robert Winram, Executive Director Mood Disorders Association of B.C.

This excellent first person account of manic depressive illness is filled with encouragement for those managing mood disorders. It delivers understanding, insight and very tangible strategies on how to overcome the difficulties of depression and manic depression. Marja Bergen gives us a very human perspective drawn from her experiences. Her path to recovery is exciting and positive. --Robert Winram, Executive Director Mood Disorders Association of B.C.

From the Publisher

Riding the Roller Coaster offers positive approaches to coping with bipolar illness or depression and is extremely useful for families trying to understand what their loved ones are going through. Drawn from the author's own experience, practical day-to-day tips make this an essential handbook for anyone struggling to deal with mood disorders.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Northstone (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1896836313
• ISBN-13: 978-1896836317
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,400,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful and Encouraging, February 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Riding the Roller Coaster: Living with Mood Disorders (Paperback)

This book was recommended to me by my doctor after recently diagnosing me with bipolar disorder. It was very helpful in calming my fears and linking me back to my "normal" life. The book is written in a very segmented way (lots of subheadings) that is useful for jumping around to subjects that interest you. It provides very useful suggestions and practical tools for dealing with periods of depression and periods of mania. Throughout the book, the author provides first-hand accounts of her own experiences with different episodes in her illness. This gives a good sense of what the illness is like for those never having experienced it, and a sense of not feeling alone, for those who have. Probably most importantly, this book maintains a very hopeful outlook, and really instills the sense that anyone with a mood disorder can still accomplish their goals and live a relatively normal life. That is how it helped me at least. I think that this book would be excellent for not only those diagnosed with a mood disorder, but also their loved ones.