Living with Bipolar Disorder is designed to help patients and their families develop the skills they need to be good consumers of treatment and to become expert partners in the management of this challenging disorder. Drawing on research documenting the strength of combining drug treatments with behavioral interventions for fighting bipolar disorder, the authors of this book take a skill-based, family-and-friends approach to managing the ups and downs commonly experienced with bipolar disorder. Readers will learn how to better recognize mood shifts before they happen, minimize their impact, and move on with their lives. Family members will learn how to recognize potential problems, provide encouragement, practice new coping skills, and understand what a loved one is going through. Living with Bipolar Disorder provides worksheets and forms to help readers reinforce skills and practices learned in therapy, as well as useful information about the details of living with bipolar
disorder, advice on the best ways to avoid relapses, and strategies for anticipating problems. In this new edition, the authors have expanded the text to reflect the newest advances in research on the management of bipolar disorder, adding the latest in drug information, advice on selecting a therapist, a discussion of the challenges of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood with bipolar, managing stress, improving relationship and communication skills both with the family and with one's clinician, and more. Living with Bipolar Disorder offers a wealth of effective strategies to reduce the likelihood of episodes of depression or mania and maximize the enjoyment of life.

Drawing on research documenting the strength of combining drug treatments with behavioral interventions for fighting bipolar disorder, Living with Bipolar Disorder takes a skill-based approach to managing the ups and downs commonly experienced with the disorder. With this book, readers can learn how to better recognize mood shifts before they happen, minimize their impact, and move on with their lives. Written by the authors of Managing Bipolar Disorder: A Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Program, this helpful guide teaches individuals with bipolar disorder how to take charge of their illness and get the most out of professional treatment. The authors stress the importance of an active partnership in treatment, while providing information and strategies to help patients and their families enhance their indep