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Book on Bipolar Disorder Valuable

© Robert Powers

Mental illness has somewhat come out of the closet in recent years, in terms of public understanding. For many who suffer from some form of mental incapacity, there's no longer a need to play the role of denial. Mental problems occur all too often, and there's no shame to be assigned because you or someone in your family has been under treatment.

It would be a fairly safe bet that a survey of most "average" families in the U.S. would reveal a history of mental illness somewhere along the line. With the exposure over the past decade to accounts of suffering from bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic depression), there's a realization that shame need not be associated with such disorders as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The latter, in particular, has been linked to some of the most creative people in history. Supposedly such luminaries as Abraham Lincoln, Charles Dickens and Ludwig Von Beethoven suffered from this vexing ailment.

More recently, victims of depression include such notables as newscaster Mike Wallace, author William Styron, and actress Patty Duke. Even one of the better known physicians working in the field, Kay Jamison, wrote a book about her own battle with bipolar disorder.

(For a discussion of bipolar disorder and creativity, see Manic Depression and Creativity (Prometheus Books, $18.95).)

In my experience and reading of many books dealing with bipolar disorder, my recommendation for the best of the batch is the exhaustive and valuable Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families, (Johns Hopkins, $16.95 paperback, $35.95 hardcover) looks at all the recent discoveries in treatment, makes sound suggestions about the best ways to handle patients. The author, Francis Mark Mondimore, is a practicing psychiatrist in Chapel Hill, N.C. and is on the clinical faculty at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Mondimore also wrote Depression: The Mood Disease and A Natural History of Homosexuality, both of which are excellent books

In Bipolar Disorder, Mondimore notes that millions are affected, many going undiagnosed because the affliction is difficult to diagnose.

The typical patient may have uncontrollable spending sprees, engage in promiscuous behavior, or drink alcohol to excess. When depression, the patient feels profoundly inadequate, worthless, and anxious. Work performance can suffer, sometimes leading to loss of a job. As many as 15 percent of people with bipolar disorder commit suicide.

Mondimore's book gives an overview of the illness, its various manifestations, current treatment options, and advice on how to live with bipolar disorder. The book is addressed to patients and their families and friends.

The copyright of the article Book on Bipolar Disorder Valuable in Contemporary Fiction is owned by Robert Powers. Permission to republish Book on Bipolar Disorder Valuable in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.