Bipolar Disorder Community

that's my favorite book on the subject. it was the first one i read after i was diagnosed.

Sky has keep a list of books and websites we recommend. I don't remember them all but ' Bipolar Disorder for Dummies" by Candaia Fink MD is often suggested especially to new patients and there families as its easy to read information and easy to find practical tips areof instant help.

I like the first person books by Lana R. Castle ( who I met at our NAMI recovery dinner last year) with her book Bipolar Disorder Demystified. Bob Bradley wrote an excellent first personal account called "How to survive your bipolar brain (and remain functional)" Kay Redfield Jamison is simply a wonderful writer and expert. Her touched with Fire and The Unquiet mind are favorites with this board. For older people Paaty Duke's (also a local NAMI speaker) A Brilliant Mdness is a good introductory book. Another one I like is "A Mood Apart" by Peter C. Whybrow MD.

I how Sky post the entire list she has developed over the years from recomendations we;ve collected as a group. Also Dr. David Miklowitz has recently written a nother survival book devoted to Bipolar Teens. Joye

for anyone who needs it...

This is a re-post from May, 2008, periodically posted again & updated for reference.

Helpful resources: = BOOKS =

"01CHow to Survive your Bipolar Brain (and stay functional)"01D By Bob Bradley

"01CBipolar Disorder Demystified"01D by Lana R. Castle

"01CBipolar Disorder for Dummies "01D by Candida Fink MD

"01CMadness: A Bipolar Life"01D by Marya Hornbacher

"01CA Mood Apart"01D by Peter C. Whybrow MD

"01CA Brilliant Madness"01D by Patty Duke

"01CThe Bipolar Child"01D by Demitri Papolos, M.D., and Janice Papolos

"01CWe Heard the Angels of Madness"01D by Diane and Lisa Berger

"01CThe Complete Idiot"019s Guide to Managing Your Moods"01D by Psy. D., ASPP, John D. Preston

"01CAn Unquiet Mind"01D by Kay Redfield Jamison

"The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide" by David Miklowski MD

"The Bipolar Workbook Tools For Controlling Your Mood Swings" by Monica Basco, PhD

"Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life" by Martin E. P. Seligman

= WEBSITES =

www.facingus.org

www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml

www.bipolardisorder.com/index.jsp

www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home

www.realmentalhealth.com/ (24 hr chat)

www.bpso.org (for significant others)

www.newhopenow.org (Free 24/7 live IM counselors)

www.nami.org (national Alliance for mental Illness) - they have 1400 local chapters in every state and provide information and resources FREE

= Help-lines =

Hope Line Network: (800) 422-HOPE (1-800-422-4673)

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: (toll free) (800) 273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)

SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center: (800) 789-2647

Mental Health America:(800) 969-6642

The Alcoholism and Addiction Treatment Hotline (800) 993-1161

Nationwide Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center Hotline (866) 96-SOBER (1-866-967-6237)

Substance Abuse Help: (800) 622-HELP

1-800-ADA-Work (for job discrimination/accomodation help)

1-888-4PPA-Now ( for help getting free meds) also the same organization can be found at www.pparx.org

JFK in 1963 signed a law that put a mental health clinic in every county in the US. You can find these by looking in the blue pages ( gov) of your phone book under mental health.

================

Canada

NAMI-CANADA

David Crane

Suite 387 (Box 138) 401 Richmond St.

West Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 3A8

Tel: 416/822-2107 Fax: 416/926-8048

e-mail: crane@interlog.com

Additonally Here's the link for Canadians to find their nearest CMHA office: www.cmha.ca/bins/loc_page.asp?cid=58-85&lang=1
(From the Bipolar Disorder Support Group)

hmmm, i don't know why that posted like that, but all the info is there at least

Thanks for the info. Skypper and Dr.G

Thanks Sky! Joye

Hey Michelle, thanks I am going to compile some more contacts for Canucks, as there are many good ones, and also we have a t least 6 Canucks that I know of on the boards, it would be nice to add them too. I know CAMH in Toronto is a great contact, but let me get more details together... hugs
Snowy

There is also a very good "Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Workbook" that I'll sent to several people. It is perfect for Cannucks as it is written in the Queen's English. Joye

I received mine today.

Thanks Joye

well if it's written in the Queen's English, I must have one....lol
You wanna ship up here???
Snowy

Snowy, send your address to sage248@,mchsi.com and Ill have one shipped to you. Joye

I think there should be so much info out there about mental illness. Families just do not get it. For one thing, we don't ask to be bipolar, those wacked out genes are passed down to us. Secondly, why would anyone want to be bipolar. I tell my psychiatrist all the time I guilty I feel that I put my family through all of this. Does anyone really care? Never ever heard any of my family members say it wasn't your fault. And console me give me support. It's like you are the whack job of the family please stay away...not enough programs out there to explain it to everyone, and the ones who are suffering, just keep suffering because we are the ones that had all of this happen to the family. My husband use to accuse me of just laying around when I was depressed, and if I would just get the hell out of bed, maybe I would feel better, boy was that a smart thing to say, good God, it's amazing how some people were raised in families with not one ounce of compassion and support. It's like they look down on you because you are sick, and weak...God I just don't know, isn't that being part of being a Christian helping Gods people get through terrible times. I am a lucky one, my parents, grandmother and my two brothers, my dad wasn't that way but thank God my mom and grandmother was...put the damn news out there, make more programs about it, make people share stories and have support groups for people like us to go to...

Help families to help their families. Teach them to show compassion for members who have an illness that hit them out of the blue. If you don't come from a family that had compassion shown to them when they were little, they won't know how to show compassion as they age, and God really we definitely will need help then because the older we get the more things go wrong. I don't not need a unsupportive husband. Yes, he was there when I was diagnosed, but he screamed at me to get the hell out of the bed and maybe I would feel better, that's support!! That's compassion...not in my book Better or Worse, that's what I thought marriage was about, but really staring to guess. His family looked down on illness and not compassionate at all, that's why I ask God to take care of me, and pray all the time..get the info out there, put more programs on TV, we need the media's help...

Write more books and get the info out on the computer, TV and any type of media available.