The Bipolar Handbook by Dr. Wes Burgess, M.D., Ph.D.

*This review is crossposted from SMS Book Reviews (my book blog)

Stars: ****


Summary: The Bipolar Handbook comprehensively illuminates every area of the disorder by drawing upon the real questions asked by patients and families during the nearly twenty years that Dr. Wes Burgess has worked as a bipolar specialist.

So what's covered exactly?

• Basics of Bipolar (types, mania, depression, mixed-state, cycling etc....)
• Healthy Life Changes (stress reduction, sleeping, nutrition, weight loss, vitamins/herbs/supplements, exercise, caffeine/alcohol/drugs/tobacco, health fads etc....)
• Medical Treatment (info and common questions on meds used for Bipolar - mood stabilizers, anti psychotics, anti anxiety + seldom used meds, new meds, treatments without meds, meds that make bipolar worse and seizures with depression.
• Finding the Right Doctor
• Psychotherapy (types and their differences, benefits, choosing a therapist, 4 stages of Bipolar recovery etc....)
• Strategies for Career Success (choosing a career, interviewing, decreasing stress, dealing with supervisors and coworkers, boundary issues, work attitudes, disability etc....)
• Healthy Relationships (conversation, socializing, love, sex, anger/jealousy, fantasies/obsessions, social boundaries, finding the right partner, etc...)
• Women's Issues (Bipolar premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy, women's sex issues, hormone supplementation, bipolar women in abusive relationships
• Crisis Management (family and friends, warning signs of crises, psychosis, hospitalization, etc...)
• Resources (websites/forums/groups, services/organizations, US health information, books, etc....)
• Official DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Mania and Atypical Depression and NIMH list of symptoms of mania, combined bipolar and unipolar depression and psychosis.

That's a lot crammed into one book but each section (except the last two which are Appendices) are made up of questions and answer from Dr. Burgess's own patients and families. For example some of the questions in the Bipolar Basics section are:

"What does the name "bipolar disorder" mean?, If I have bipolar disorder, how much of my life will I actually be sick?, Does bipolar disorder cause physical health problems, Can I be hopeful about my future, Why do you talk about bipolar disorder like it is a disease? I think I am a normal person?"

In the section on medications, there are a bunch of questions under each med listed. For example under Lamotrigine (Lamictal) some of the questions are:

"How do you decide when to prescribe lamotrigine?, What are the usual side effects of lamotrigine?, Does lamotrigine cause weight gain? "

I can't say whether the career part was helpful as I don't have a job of any kind. The section on disability was very short and isn't US specific which was nice. The book has helped me understand a few things better (I have bipolar) and inspired some questions that I asked my doctor about to clarify. The book was written in 2006 but as of today, only two of the links listed no longer work, which is great. Personally I can think of a few better sites to go to then was listed but it's a good start.


Buy The Bipolar Handbook from Amazon.com
Dr. Wes also published The Bipolar Handbook for Children, Teens and Families - buy from Amazon.com

Dr. Wes Burgess's Website (info on his practice as well as short articles on mental health issues)

Other Reviews
Fear and Anxiety

March 1 is Self Injury Awareness Day (SIAD)

March 1st is Self-Injury Awareness Day around the world. The date doesn't seem to be as well-known as I think it should be.

First Signs is the home of the offiical website for SIAD but is in the UK. However most if not all of the information provided is helpful to anyone wanting to help spread the word that self-harm is real and is more than just a cry for attention.

I would have posted this sooner but I just found out today.

You may also be interested in these posts by Dr. Kathleen Young:
Common Myths about Self Injury
Self Injury Awareness Day

MY STORY:
I started self-harming at about age 16 (1999) and wasn't able to quit until 2004. Since then I've had two slipups but I was able to stop them from continuing. I still struggle with thoughts of SI, especially if I accidentally hurt myself or someone else does. Sometimes I find myself wishing it had happened to me. How did I stop? It wasn't easy. It tooks years of therapy and a few hospital visits, medication and a class on trying to stop SI. IT involved finding out why I did it and coming up with less harmful ways to get the same effect. The hardest part of it all was deciding that I wanted to quit once and for all. Without the determination to quit, you're not going to be able to resist the temptation. I wouldn't be surprised if the temptation never fully goes away for me.

Here are a few hints:

1. Some people find reading books or websites about self-harm make them feel better and some people find it makes them feel worse. I found the information helped me understand it but after that, chatting online about it with other self-harmers made me want to do it.
2. Try and figure out why you do it. There are a variety of reasons. Usually: you like to see the blood, you feel pain when otherwise you feel numb, you can control the pain unlike other pain or you feel it's self-punishment.
3. Research things to try instead of self-harming, based on your reasons for doing it:
   
   
   • Draw lines with red washable marker on your arm if it's the blood you like
   • Keep an elastic around your wrist and snap it on your wrist (this one worked for me)
   • Journal or talk to someone who cares

Helpful Links:
(Remember, if you find reading about it makes you WANT to do it, stop reading.)
Selfinjury.net
Crimson Tears

I'm back on Seroquel for now...

The last few weeks have been rough. My lack of meds has really taken a toll. I was anxious, irritable and raging internally at times. I was also a bit depressed at the same time. So my doctor and I decided I needed a little something. I'm on 50mg of Seroquel at night. When I become pregnant I'm to stop taking it immediately and we'll try med free again. If I have problems again while pregnant, we will take them one at a time and figure out what to try then. I may go back on Seroquel or try something else, it depends on what symptoms I'm having.

I was feeling like a failure at first, because I wanted to do it med free but I've since come to my senses a bit. Getting pregnant and staying healthy are my priorities and if I need a little medicine to do that, great.

I've also been thinking a lot lately about the standards we set for ourselves so I'll probably be doing a post on that soon.

Update on Me

I've been off meds for 1 month and 2 weeks now. I'm definitely starting to notice a difference now but I'm perservering. I'm a bit more angry, frustrated, anxious, paranoid and I don't sleep as well but I'm also enjoying not feeling drugged. I know this is not an option long term but I'm certainly going to enjoy going to sleep when I want for now. If I don't get pregnant soon or being pregnant doesn't make my moods a bit better (it has in the past) then I'll ask the doctor for a little something.