Excellent resource for newly diagnosed
933460
I bought this right after my diagnosis and it was very helpful.  This book answered questions I just couldn't get answers to.  It also helped my husband with some concerns he had.  I recommend getting it as soon as possible when you're first diagnosed. It's first rate!
3055174
This book is an excellent resource for someone who lives with bipolar disorder. The problems and solutions presented in this book would be helpful to any person that has bipolar disorder. There is a chapter strictly written to discuss how one can set goals. Explanations are given in detail as to why even with medication a person with this illness may still have off-days in which they struggle. There is even a chapter explaining how lack of motivation can occur and what one can do about it when it does occur. It would be comforting for someone with this illness to truly understand that mood swings, irritability, and lack of motivation doesn't make one less than anyone else and it doesn't mean that the suffering person is ignorant or weak. This book is a great tool to refer to when things are going well and when things are not going so well. A person with bipolar disorder could refer to this book time and time again. I bought a used copy of Break the Cycle for a bargain price. Break the Bipolar Cycle arrived in great condition for a used book. The book only took six days to reach my door step after the order had been placed.
3078958
This book is an excellent resource to use when developing a care plan, because it tells the reader everything about diagnostic tests (say, an MRI), lab values (say, potassium), including the description of the element or test, what it does in the body, what the potential problems are with increased or decreased levels or abnormal findings in the body, and even what factors can give inaccurate lab or diagnostic results. Most importantly, it has a section on client teaching. Teaching clients is a central focus of nursing these days; patients need to be educated on the do's and dont's of certain diseases, afflictions, etc. This easy-to-use book is alphabetized for quick reference, which is useful during a clinical rotation. Part of writing an effective care plan is having a foundation of knowledge of lab values and diagnostic tests, and understanding what needs to be done to ensure favorable outcomes.
625172
Excellent and helpful in understanding and treating this disorder.
4724453
I got this from my local library first for my 8 1/2 year old, who has just gotten a diagnosis this year. She loved it, so I ordered a copy for her to write in. It has been immensely helpful right away. She understands it very well and is able to use the tips suggested for making adjustments in everyday life. It's also helping her understand how her own brain works, and she's able to articulate what's going on in her head for the first time, in some cases. She loves it, and it makes all of our lives a little easier. You should have this book.
2793348
This well written book covers everything from diagnosis, to symptoms, coping, medications and an overview of what Hashimoto's is and the hormones involved.  Although there is a wealth of information inside, it is easy to read and a great place to start after an initial diagnosis.  I found it really helpful and it answered or affirmed many things I had wondered about Hormone related illnesses.  So pleased I picked it up.
4774233
This book is a must for anyone who has been diagnosed with these diseases or knows someone who has been diagnosed.  It is a compilation of patient experiences, information about the diseases, information about the latest treatment options, treatments on the horizon, and comments from doctors from the various specialties that could be involved in treating these diseases.  The medical information about the diseases and treatments was written by Dr. James Berenson, an acknowledged expert in the field.  One could almost call this a handbook for patients and their families.

Truthfully, I was afraid to read this book because I am still coming to terms with my diagnosis.  I thought reading it would make me feel worse.  It was just the opposite.  Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.  Reading the patients' descriptions of their experiences living with theses diseases was extremely enlightening and, most of all, very encouraging.  The overwhelming theme from the patient stories was how, in spite of the disease and the treatments, they were still able to maintain a reasonable quality of life - a lot of them for many years.  That gave me hope.  This book is full of hope.

In case anyone is wondering, all the proceeds from the sale of this book go to supporting the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research.
2213618
As expected, I learned a lot from this book too. Great resources and explanations! I now understand it even better. Just bought this book this morning and I was able to finish it! Like the first book, it's easy to read - even a ten year old can understand it!

My husband was not aware of his sickness so I encouraged him to go and see the doctor. He is now undergoing some tests to assess his condition. This book helps me a lot in understanding the tests that my husband is taking now. I will also have the chance to ask questions to the doctor about his condition in a more in depth manner.

Again, this book has so much to offer. It explains all you need to know in a brief and simple manner. You don't have to look all over the internet to find what you are looking for. You can just read it and you will understand the condition better. In addition to that, you will also be aware on how to help in taking care and monitoring the situation.
2272685
This book really helped me jump start figuring out what I wanted to do for my own scary diagnosis.  He researched his health issue and gave the reader good information to research further.  I highly recommend this book for anyone going through a health scare.
 I have seen so many people passively follow along with what their doctor wants them to do, and the results are not as positive as they are for patients who research.
 Patients need to research their health condition, optimal medications, join online support/health groups and come to the doctor with information regarding the direction of care that is best for them.  Allan talks about these things in his book.
4267222
Great book!  Especially great for people just getting the diagnosis and it is an easy to read book with down to earth stories, not all text book material.  A ray of sunshine appeared after I read it and I am thankful to Sharon for sharing her life through this book!
1182785
This book is a good resource for anyone suffering from Hashimoto's Thyroiditis that is looking for a holistic approach to treating this disease. The author does a great job explaining what this disease is all about from the symptoms, lab test and results to look for as indicators of this disease, and treatment options. Karen Frazier also expresses the importance of eating and living well if diagnosed with this disease. She goes on to give detailed shopping list and recipes to help complete this 4-week plan to treat this disease. This is the best part of the book since the list of foods to buy and recipes really makes this plan easy to follow. I do not have this disease, but I think this is a good resource for anyone that wants to try a holistic approach to treating this disease. I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
4733689
I have recently been diagnosed with PD.  Reading this book helped me to better understand this disease.  Further, it has given me insight in how to best deal with the many challenges that lie ahead for me.  This book also proved to be very valuable to my wife as it also helped her to understand what I am dealing with.  Dr Okun's book is easy to read and his empathy for those of us who have this disease is obvious.  I highly recommend this book.  Thank you Dr. Okun.
4836545
This book was recommended by a friend when my 26 year old son was diagnosed with hemachromatosis, before I even knew my husband and I are both carriers. I ended up getting two of my sons (2 of my 3 have hemachromatosis)a copy. It relieved a lot of fears and answered a lot of questions, questions that my family doctor didn't know the answer to. It also gave us direction as to what to do and what to expect. Very easy to read, very easy to understand.
3675700
This is an excellect resource for both consumers and friends and family of someone with a bipolar diagnosis. It is by far the best book I've found on the disorder, and has truely enriched my understanding and knowledge of Bipolar disorder. It's intellectual yet accessable and never talks down to the reader. In my experience many biploar books simplify issues and censor information, just as some psychiatrists choose to not disclose important information rather than honoring the patient's ability to weigh the facts/evidence and make their own informed decision on treatment. It does make some recommendations, such as the importance of being medication-compliant and taking responsibility for the undesired effects of the disorder, but I think these are sound suggestions, and well-founded with personal annecdotes (of a great number of people, not just the author- whose father is bipolar) and medical references.

THIS IS A MUST-HAVE BOOK!

This book is both comprehensive and thorough. It's also very reader-friendly, as it augments the text with highlighted boxes. Ms. Oliwenstein employs these eye-catching sidebars to define terminology, offer personal stories and Q&A with established psychiatrists specializing in Bipolar research and treatment.

I honestly cannot think of any aspect that was omitted. Here are some chapter titles: Navigating the Health-Care System, The Bipolar Medicine Chest, The Cycles of Sanity, Stopping the Swing Before It Starts, Beyond Burned Bridges: Fixing the Problems You Create, Lean On Me, In the Workplace, At Home, The Bipolar Child, A Survival Guide for Friends and Family, (and Glossary, Further Reading and Resources). Sensitive issues are addressed, such as bipolar's effects on romantic relationships, medical concerns related to pregnancy,  and even how to manage/deal with financial burdens one faces as a consequence of mania. Each of the chapters has numerous sub-headings so it's easy to target your reading to specific areas of interest. All of the 16 chapters (of which the above are a small sample) are organized into 4 Parts, each with a conhesive theme.

One of my greatest discoveries in the book was learning that some frequently prescribed medications interfere with nutrient absorption and specific and important deficiencies may result if not addressed. My Stanford-educated psychiatrist never told me that anticonvulsant medications (Depakote, Lamictal, etc) tend to leach vitamin E out of the body. That's an important bit of information, and something I wouldn't have known otherwise. Also, B vitamins (B-6, B-12, folic acid- a crucial vitmin to help cellular growth, something deminished in bipolar disorder yet greatly important), zinc and copper have been found to have positive results in bipolar patients. Good nutrition is often overlooked in treatment, but pharmaceutical drugs are only one aspect of a complete treatment plan (along with psychotherapy, exercise, sleep, regular routines, stress reduction, etc) and it's important to not lose sight of this fact.

Hope that this discussion has given you a good idea of what you'll find in "Psychology Today: Taming Bipolar Disorder" and obviously I'm pretty excited to recommend this book.

Good luck in your journey and best of health to you!
4784439
Having been recently diagnosed as having bipolar type I, I was encouraged to read as much as I could to educate myself. This book, (it's thick so it looks daunting), is incredibly informative on the entire subject of depression; including medications, working with therapists and much more.  It was well worth the higher price compared to other books because it helped me understand all personality disorders as well as depression and bipolar in ways I never had which is also helping me cope with my diagnosis.  Finally, the book is well written and easy to read by the average person.
4527496
Being newly diagnosed this book made me realise that there is light at the end of the tunnel and you need to maintain a positive outlook and not stop your life when receiving this diagnosis. Do buy this book if you have been recently diganosed as it will help you so much as it helped me.
2491819
An excellent, excellent book that really helped me understand my daughter's apraxia. My daughter clearly has oral/verbal/limb apraxia with associated SID and hypotonia. This is the first book that connected all the dots for me and helped me to realize what I've known in my heart all along -- that she has been mis-diagnosed over and over again. There is a ton of important information, including symptoms, treatment ideas, how to handle your IEPs at school and dealing with your insurance company.  I really appreciated FINALLY reading a comprehensive manual that gave me such specifics, and understanding that schools should be administering non-verbal tests to really assess her skills. I only wish I knew about this book 3 years ago. I highly recommend this book.