Excellent account of what is is like to be bipolar
345887
Excellent account of what is is like to be bipolar.  I felt I was living it..felt I was manic while reading it.
1384561
The author gives us a highly personal and intimate narrative in this autobiographical jewel. He talks about bipolar disorder, not as a weakness but as a long road that he has to follow while he is searching for his identity. At times, he can be hypersensitive; at other times, he can be serene with a remarkable interior strength. He has been fighting this disease for a major part of his life and has finally found his inner peace in Buddhism. A must read for those who want to better understand this disorder, because here, we are far from medical literature and clichs; we actually accompany the author for about 20 years of his life, and witness his struggles, his life, his resurrection.
2296430
This book is a ride!  Scary for someone seeking insight into bipolar disorder on behalf of a friend or family member -- Marya Hornbacher's experiences are intense, and her illness is quite extreme (though she also obviously has had a productive and love-filled life, in spite of that).  Hornbacher is a gifted spinner of language into tale.
793076
I read half of this book in one sitting. It hits close to home and I can see myself in much of her experiences. I recommend this to anyone who has anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, depression, and also to those who may not have those experiences but have loved ones who do. You are not alone in your struggles. I cannot recommend this book enough!
967546
Having family members with bipolar and one with symptoms in the 1950's given shock treatment and institutionalization, I was amazed at what I learned about the condition.  My heart went out to the main character.  Very well written descriptions and expressed feelings.  I would recommend if interested in the topic.
815464
Mental illness as a point of empathy is one of those that may be hard to acquire any sort of meaningful comprehension or sense of rapport for, without any direct or personal experience with the subject. This is not due to an overarching unwillingness by all of us to understand the complexity of it. It is because to put yourself in the vastly different and shockingly foreign mind of another human being is no easy feat of anyones capacity to be empathetic, especially if the way that mind sees the world is justified by their own DNA.

In the memoir An Unquiet Mind,  author Kay Redfield Jamison recounts and eloquently told glimpse into her life with manic-depressive disorder, and how from her desire to understand it spurred a lifelong career and endeavor to discover and inform what there is to know about mental illness.  Jamisons vivid retelling of her manic episodes and her depthful, honest recollection of her thoughts thoroughly helps bridge the gap between mental illness and the possibly uninformed reader.

Not only had my thoughts spun wild, they had turned into an awful phantasmagoria, an apt but terrifying vision of an entire life and mind out of control. Jamison describes a hallucination she has during a manic episode. Her detailed and honest depiction of these instances understandably slows down the tempo of the book from its already fairly gradual pace. When reading moments like this, it is easy to admire the emotional honesty conveyed. I find that instances like these can be extremely hard to communicate to an audience with probably no experience on which to base their interpretation of this moment on. The way that Jamison describes her thoughts, manic episodes, and hallucinations are very clear, and grounded in a basis that is much easier to relate to.

Despite Jamison's ability to communicate her mania to a potentially unfamiliar audience, I find that there is still some difficulty in understanding how vivid her experiences are, and to what degree she is experiencing them. Along with that, there is an occasional loss of continuity and inconsistent pacing that can at times make the more narrative portions of the story feel hard to follow.  In all, it is a well-constructed memoir, that beautifully communicates the struggles of mental illness to an audience willing to explore it in all of its actuality. I highly recommend it for those willing to do so.
3240690
I have recently become aware that my father suffered from Bipolar 1 and am in a fairly new relationship with a Bipolar 2 sufferer. Not really knowing anything about Depression or Bipolar before, I found Back from the Brink incredibly eye opening. It helped explain so much, particularly about my father's "weird" behaviour and the grief that it caused my mother and our family.

The front chapter was very useful in providing medical and factual information on Bipolar / Depression and treatments, with enough depth to be give me a very solid understanding of the condition, but also written in a way that was very easy to understand and without too much jargon.

The individual stories were heartbreaking and very scary, but also full of hope. All of these people have persevered and found ways to manage their depression / Bipolar and live fulfilling lives, conscious of the need that it will always be something that must be managed. I found it particularly useful as they talked about their relationships through various stages of their lives, the struggle to connect with family and friends and yet the importance of that unconditional support that helped them get through their darkest stages. It really helped to make sense of what I am experiencing. I would, however,  have liked to see a few more stories about Bipolar (both I and II), as the majority of the contributors were suffering from Depression.

The tips on what worked for each of the contributors and the final chapter on practical ideas for overcoming Bipolar and Depression were a very useful guide and have given me some great practical information on how I can support my loved one.

Overall a very well written, easy to read and useful book which I found extremely helpful.
1265309
This book is difficult to read as someone who also suffered from a postpartum mood disorder (PPD with psychotic features and PPA) but a beautiful, well-written story. I especially found the excerpts-notes from her caretakers while she was hospitalized-to be very interesting because they revealed a different perspective. When you are going through a mental illness like this, it's very difficult to know what is reality and what is in your head. Perceptions are very powerful. Although of course neither the caretakers nor Dorothy had a completely objective account of what was happening, it was so fascinating to compare the different viewpoints. I also thought that the second appendix, written by her husband, was very interesting and important to include in the book. It's so admirable and brave of them both to share this story with the world so that others can learn about PPP and other mood disorders!
1213226
This book is so honest at times it hurts.  I would recommend it to anyone who has ever suffered through bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or know someone who has.  Not only does this book help you understand the disorder, but it shows you that there is light at the end of the tunnel and you are not alone.  I love it.
3884600
The author breathes possibility into managing Bipolar Disorder and "harnessing it for good."As the sister of someone with BPD, I'm thrilled to buy a copy and share it. Growing up with and loving a family member with mental illness takes such a toll on family. Colleen Wells captures this struggle. She also captures the lighter moments of managing mental illness: a key to survival. I will be buying more copies to share with family members.
1299462
This is a very good memoir about the author's struggle with and recovery from bipolar disorder.  It reminded me a little of "Manic by Midnight" in that an important message of the story is how to rebuild your life in the wake of the disorder, particularly in the wake of mania.  The quality of writing is pretty good, as the author writes well enough to bring the story vividly to life.  Not being too religious myself, I nonetheless didn't mind the juxtaposition of religion with the story, and if anything this contributed to the story.  Overall, an interesting read.  Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".
1779257
For anyone who has or has been touched by mental illness in their life, this book is a must. I have Bipolar I, as I was reading this book, I could not believe there was someone else out there who suffered the way I did.  Thank You Kevin Hines, today I do not feel so alone.
782753
I usually have a difficult time keeping focused while reading but found myself at the end of this book in 2 short days! I found the page layout to be easy to read. It keeps the reader's attention focused. What may have started out as a great bipolar idea to take a journey and write a book about it became more a learning tool for life. Lizzie Simon takes us on her journey to find her sense of belonging to the group of people that have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She only wants to interview young successful bipolar because she is afraid that she will lose her success due to this illness. She is afraid that she will give up on herself at some time in her life. Lizzie Simon gives us a glimpse into the struggle that bipolar people go through to find their way. She comes across as a know-it-all at times but proves that she is on a journey like all people. She makes mistakes too. She talks about her inability to believe alternative treatments but at the same time drinks alcohol while taking lithium.
I agree with Lizzie about learning all you can about what it means to be bipolar. This book should be a definately recommend for all mental health professional's reading lists. I got more out of this book as compared to Kay Redfield Jamison's "An Unquiet Mind". I found that book slow and it skirted around emotional issues more than Lizzie Simon's book. I have been looking for a book like this for some time now. Like a bipolar person, it still feels like there are things or issues not said. Leaves you wanting more in a good way!
1699872
Sean does a great job detailing his experience. This is a book that I could not put down and a must read for people living with someone who is bipolar or who is bipolar this elves.
2819127
Informative in that the author has in-depth experience of what it is like having severe Bipolar I. She has been hospitalized, she has tried drugs, acupunture, yoga, homeopathic remedies-you name it! The author is Catholic, although she does not talk about it much. Good also for getting tips on how to live with bipolar. The author has read/tried it all! A very good read!
3391570
My Body is a Book of Rules lays bare the mind of a young woman who happens to be Native American and happens to have bipolar disorder. Her story is relevant to every young woman in this century who faces questions of identity and sexuality.

I appreciate how the book demystifies mental illness; some people are wired differently and require medication to function. At one point, Elissa says that her childhood was as close to perfect as one can get, and she is unaware of a family history of bipolar disorder. She describes the challenges of getting the proper diagnosis and then finding the right medication, and how it feels to be improperly medicated, until finally, she lists the good things and the bad things in her life, realizing, "For the first time in f*cking forever, the bad things are just not that bad at all." (I kind of want to put that on a T-shirt.)

The nonlinear essays of varied styles highlight how a single event can affect one's entire life. Readers experience Elissa's rape as the final (first) entry in a reverse-chronological listing of her sexual partners, in the footnotes of an academic paper about the language of "hooking up," juxtaposed with dialogue from Law and Order: SVU, via an instant message conversation, and in a Match.com profile. Everything in her life circles back to the rape.

The rest of her life is fleshed out, too. We learn about the books she read as a child, the impact of her Catholic school upbringing, and her gradual understanding about her Cowlitz and Cascade ancestry. I found the structure quite satisfying in this way.

I related to Elissa. At times the book is quite funny, in the Match.com chapter for example, often unsettling, and always unflinching. Really, it's an astounding piece of writing.
357088
As a college counseling center psychologist I found this book amazingly on target for someone with a new bipolar diagnosis.  It tells honestly and frankly what is involved in addressing this disorder so a person can live a full and satisfying life.  Living with bipolar is not easy or simple, and this book does not mislead with optimistic platitudes. At the same time the authors are encouraging and empathetic, and offer lots of practical advice for the client, friends, and family.  I gave a copy to a personal friend's daughter as well as recommending it to students at our university. Our staff unanimously found the book to be a useful, compact review of the treatments and issues of bipolar disorder. Thanks for a volume both caring and competent.