A 4-Step Plan for You and Your Loved Ones to Manage the Illness and Create Lasting Stability

Needed more help on what is available to the person in financial aid, subsidized living, mental health programs, free medications, disability, etc.... and how he can apply for these things on his own. He lives in another state.

As a mental health professional who specializes in the management and treatment of persons with bipolar spectrum disorders, I find this to be the most informative and helpful book on the subject. I keep copies available in my office to make sure my clients have a copy in hand when they begin treatment with me. Fast's personal insight and well developed coping skills make this the best resource for those recently diagnosed or who have been struggling for years to find ways to live with this disorder. Fast/Preston help to bring "order" out of disorder in a well organized and easy to read book. Families and friends find this book user friendly and the best source of answers to many questions. It is a must read not only for those challenged with bipolar disorder but also for those who live with, work with or seek a greater sensitivity for someone trying to take charge of their lives. Thanks for providing such a user friendly text which provides hope and help in all the areas which need attention. Vilda S. Brannen, MS, LPC, NCC

My therapist recommended this book for me. I have read most of it in less than a week. It is by far the best bipolar book I have read. It is very down to earth with simple ideas that really hit home and make you think. One thing that really sticks with me and I am starting to use, is becoming aware of what "triggers" me. What sets off the irritability, etc. It's very informational about medications and most specifically about how antidepressants can work against us. I don't think you'll regret this $13 spent. I am reading it and then going to re-read it and do the workbook part of it. Good luck all!

I consider this book "required reading" for all of us with bipolar disorder. It is thorough, easy to read, and incredibly helpful! I've read quite a few books on bipolar disorder, but only this book and another were valuable enough to purchase and add to my home library.

I especially appreciate the authors' chapter on "triggers". It explains what triggers are - events that lead to a mood swing - and details how to identify your own triggers and how to avoid them. I plan to share this chapter with several colleagues who will benefit from this information when working with me. This chapter also helped me understand why it takes some "recovery time" following a trigger event. Until I read this, I considered this a flaw within me, not something characteristic of the disorder.

I would strongly encourage anyone considering purchasing a book on bipolar disorder to purchase this one. Not only does it explain the disorder thoroughly, it offers excellent information for learning to live successfully with bipolar disorder. Personal narratives and lots of sidebars for friends and family make this helpful for others dealing with this disorder, too.

Finally a book that has actual actions for the emotional states of bipolar. I am a parent of two teens with bipolar encompassing all of states of bipolar I and II within my children. When things get overwhelming and I feel like giving up I return to this book for step by step solutions to behavior and understanding thought processes. I am not the best at writing reviews, sorry if I am not more detailed. The bottom line... I have read all the books I can find and like this one the best.

This is a a wonderful, easy to understand book. I definately recommend it to anyone with Bipolar Disorder, and to anyone with a Bipolar person in their lives. This book discusses the needs of the person with bipolar disorder as well as the needs of family members, friends, and health care professionals.

My brother has just been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and while I knew basically what that meant, I needed to know more to understand what was happening to him. It is written for the person with Bipolar, with notes for family and friends on how to help him/her. I have just sent the book to my brother knowing that when he reads it, it will help him tremendously. It will help him understand what is happening and will teach him what to do when the mood changes begin. Like the book says on the cover - it will help him (and us) manage his illness so he can live a more stable life. It will help him understand why his brain is behaving the way it is and is written so positively that he should not feel scared or overwhelmed when he reads it. AND it teaches us how to respond to his mood changes which is very important.

Julie Fast's unique perspective on bi-polar disorder comes from personal experience. In dealing with her own bi-polar disorder, she has personally had to do the challenging work to carve her own path through so she could live a productive life. Reading this book is a short-cut. It cuts through all the theory and goes to the heart of what actually works. If you need real assistance in dealing with the disorder yourself or if you need to know how to deal with a loved one who has bi-polar disorder, this book sends you life line. It lays out a step by step, practical approach that you can use as a handbook to guide you as you carve your own path through your individual challenge with bi-polar disorder.

Supporters of Julie Fast will find this book as easy to read, understand and follow as her other books and materials. Being a survivor of bipolar disorder myself, I appreciated the way she lays out a comprehensive plan of lifestyle changes, behavioral changes, asking for help, and using the 4-step treatment plan in everyday life. I like the way she keeps things interesting by using shaded areas, charts, conversations, people's stories, checklists, fill-in-the-blank response interactive sections, etc. to keep you involved in the process. I also like the charts and journal pages at the end. This book is not only a good resource for survivors of bipolar disorder, but also for supporters.

This book has a nice overview of different ways one can better manage their bipolar disorder and find and maintain stability more easily. It shares a "prevention" approach to the illness, rather than a "reaction" approach, which is helpful to anyone who is willing to help themselves as much as they can. It does also talk about when one is experiencing the illness and different ways to plan for these times, and how to ask for help. Family members can also use this book to better understand their loved-one's illness.

Through the authors very experiences and decades of dealing with this illness, show us what conversations work, and also how not to deal with those we love, and valued information from both bipolar patients and family members who have made it through the effects of this illness. They tell you what worked for them when they made the choice to take charge and get well.

This is a unigue book designed for both the loved one and the individual diagnosed.

I valued this book greatly

Jan

[...]

This is an excellent resource for not only Bipolar sufferers, but for their spouses/families as well. I recommend this for the spouses and/or families of clients with Bipolar that I see in my private practice. Dr. Preston is gifted in his ability to take complex clinical subjects and discuss them in easily understandable terms.

I am a young woman struggling with bipolar disorder. This book gave excellent insight and education to myself, those that love me, and those who are dealing with their own issues related to my illness. I would definately recommend this book to those newly diagnosed, and for their friends and families as well.

This book was very well written & easy to read & understand. Very basic writing makes it an easy book for those with bipolar disorder as well as their family & friends. Workbook adds another element for the user.
Very helpful.

The clearest, most concise and most useful guide for living with and dealing with Bipolar Disorder we have found. For people with bipolar illness, their family and friends, this is a tool that helps all understand, deal and move on toward a full life.

The authors were well intentioned but missed a very important point in their book.
They emphasize the negative aspects of the disease to an agonizing level. The book
emphasizes the need for medical and psychiatric care to control the disease. But no
where in the book does it emphasize the need to really seek help from their family
and loved ones. In fact on page 246 it states: "Talk with family about other issues,
and save bipolar disorder for my health care professionals." That statement is absurd.
The health care professionals won't be with the person at night when they really need
someone who loves and understands them. The health care professional spends thirty
minutes to an hour talking with the person every two weeks or monthly about what the
person is feeling. So I feel for good reason that this book can be very destructive
reading for a bipolar person.

Piosonous psycho "meds" should NEVER be the foundation towards managing bipolar disorder. Running to some doctor doesn't make the madness go away. Before i EVER again go to some ama quack-hack I would eat a bullet.