The Other Depression: Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is more common and deadly than we think it is, and does not look like what we think it looks like. The misconceptions about this illness are prevalent in our culture and even permeate the medical and psychiatric communities. How does bipolar disorder manifest itself? Who are the people who suffer from it? Why are so many patients misdiagnosed? In The Other Depression, Grieco and Edwards help people understand what life is like for those afflicted with bipolar disorder, what conditions seem to exacerbate it, and how it is diagnosed. Their discussion includes genetic signatures, environmental stresses, and the underpinnings of this disease, along with how it alters the functioning of the brain and how it can be treated. Separate chapters are dedicated to different populations, such as children, adolescents, and the elderly. The authors also introduce resources available to people with bipolar disorder and their families and suggest strategies for coping and getting on with life. Inserted generously throughout the book are case studies and examples of people who have suffered with bipolar disorder, sometimes for decades, before being properly diagnosed. Through these clinical examples, readers come to recognize the effects of the illness and understand treatment options that can provide hope and peace of mind to sufferers and their loved ones.

Robert Grieco, MD, has been practicing family medicine for over twenty years.
Laura Edwards is a writer and a graduate of Bryn Mawr College.

Introduction. Discovering Bipolar Disorder. A Different Kind of Depression. The Bipolar Spectrum. Five Keys to Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder. The Bipolar Personality. Depression. Mania. Mixed States. Bipolar II. Could My Depression Be Bipolar? Associated Physical and Psychiatric Illness. Bipolar Disorder in Children. Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents. Bipolar Disorder in the Elderly. Seasonal Depression. Suicide. Drug Therapy for Bipolar Disorder. Winning the Peace. Do Antidepressants Cause Suicide? The Science of Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar Disorder and Creativity. The Epidemiology of Bipolar Disorder. When a Loved One has Bipolar Disorder. Living with Bipolar Disorder. Appendix A: Dr. Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Speaks to Patients. Appendix B: Dr. Vogel-Scibilia Speaks to Doctors. Appendix C: My Patients and Their Families Speak. Appendix D: Five Keys to Diagnosis. Appendix E: The Mood Disorder Questionnaire.