Do you want to take the long, hard way to understand your disease, especially if you are newly diagnosed? Or, do you want to get some solid and necessary information right away and waste no time or money? If you would rather the latter, the book Bipolar Puzzle Solution by Bryan Court and Dr. Gerald Nelson is for you.
Hi, I am mjal333 from the chat rooms. I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for about 10 months (at the time of this writing), but now I realize I have struggled with this disease for about 15 years. I had a ton of questions when I was first diagnosed and I still do have a lot, but this book was wonderful in answering many of them in a way I could understand. I would completely recommend it for every newly diagnosed person. I would also recommend it as something that we (those with bipolar disorder) should share with our loved ones to aid them in understanding our disease.
I may be a bit biased because it is clear the author is in 12 step recovery as well, and so am I, but I still think the book is good for anyone with this disorder. The book has a great answer and question format, as well as professional opinions from a pdoc (psychiatrist) as well.
Before this book, few "road maps" have been available for those with bipolar disorder. I especially liked the author's diagram sample of how he tracked his moods over the course of a few months and how helpful that was to him and his doctor.
Bipolar Puzzle Solution is a unique book written by a mental health client (with a psychiatrist's commentary). It contains actual questions from members of bipolar support groups and covers the whole person: physical, emotional, and spiritual components of recovery. It brings all of the essential elements of recovery into one place. In this book, the "pieces" that compose the "bipolar puzzle" come together in a unique question-and-answer format heard in bipolar support groups. No other book I have read has this format and covers a wide range of subjects of interest to those seeking information on bipolar disorder.
The coauthor, Bryan L. Court, is someone who is living successfully with bipolar disorder. He addresses typical questions heard in bipolar support groups and follows each with an in-depth answer. Answering questions about bipolar illness and how to live with it, this book addresses 187 recovery-related questions over the broad range of interest to the patient, family, and friend. Subjects cover a wide spectrum including: understanding the illness; treatment methods; medications; attitudes; faith; living problems; relationships with friends, family, and psychiatrists; support groups; disability; hospitalization; and employment difficulties. The answers come from the experience and knowledge of mental health clients, psychiatrists, a labor law attorney, and an employee of a psychiatric hospital.
Each topical section includes an extensive "Psychiatrist's Response" by coauthor Gerald E. Nelson, M.D., who has been helping individuals with their bipolar disorder for 25 years. Dr. Nelson reviewed the answers to the questions and provided a response to each section of the book.
I can only think of a couple of drawbacks for the book. One is that it is a little too focused on lithium. Many of us are on different meds than lithium, and these other meds are somewhat ignored. Also, the book lists some suggestions or items without sufficient information - for example, it said to avoid tea. I didn't know why. I called the Lithium Information Center and talked to some people in chat rooms and found out it is because tea affects lithium clearance, which processes out in the kidneys. Valproic acid (Depakote) for example, processes out in the liver, and tea would have no effect. Footnotes or endnotes explaining items like this would be helpful.
One other nice feature, however, is that the authors are readily available for questions and purchase inquiries at (858) 755-3094 or yellolab@inreach.com.
