Overview and Introduction

• A Short Bipolar Disorder Summary
• A more indepth Overview of Bipolar - What it is, How it is treated, etc - (by US NIMH)
• Bipolar (enfermedad maníaco-depresiva) - Qué es?, Cuál es la causa? ... (spanish version)
• Brain Changes in Patients with Bipolar Disorder
• The Genetics of Bipolar Disorder
• Life Events and Bipolar Disorder
  
• Bipolar Disorder - Clinical Complexities, Current Challenges - clinical decisions regarding medication are rarely simple
• New Horizons in Management and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
  

Bipolar Disorder - Related Illnesses

• Schizophrenia - - frequently misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder in situations where there is extreme mania - See - schizophrenia.com for more information.
  • Schizoaffective disorder - These people have symptoms of schizophrenia as well as mood disorder such as major depression, bipolar mania, or mixed mania. Laypeople frequently describe schizoaffective disorder as a sort of combination of bipolar disorder with schizophrenia-like symptoms.

Recommended Books on Bipolar Disorder - for people new to the disease

Dr. E. Fuller Torrey's book "Surviving Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder)" is an book we highly recommend for every family affected by bipolar disorder. Dr. Torrey is a leader in the bipolar disorder research field, and in writting this book he and Dr. Mike Knable have drawn from extensive personal, clinical and research experience. To listen to a speech by Dr. Torrey: "The Mental Illness System: How it Broke and How to Fix It."

Surviving Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder): A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers (1st Edition) by E. Fuller Torrey & Michael B. Knable (Authors), Publisher: Basic Books; 1st edition (January 8, 2002), ISBN: 0465086632

I am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help! - Helping the Seriously Mentally Ill Accept Treatment by Xavier Amador, Anna-Lica Johanson (Contributor), Publisher: Vida Press; (June 2000) ISBN: 0967718902 - This book helps you learn what the latest research says about why so many do not believe they are ill, why they refuse treatment, and how you can help. The book is written for families and therapists. This book is also available in Spanish (see directly below)

No Estoy Enfermo! No Necesito Ayuda! by Dr. Xavier Amador, with Anna-Lisa Johanson

Recommended Books on Day-to-Day Coping Strategies for Individuals and Families

After a family has learned the basics about bipolar disorder in the "Introductory" books above, we recommend the following books be read for ideas and suggestions on how to deal with the many unique, day-to-day challenges that you'll face when trying to help and live with a mentally ill person. "Adamec, herself the mother of a daughter with a brain disorder, presents a handbook for developing daily coping and caregiving skills. Not intended to describe, diagnose, or treat any particular mental illness, this book instead advises the caregiver on how to balance the needs of the family as a whole and suggests strategies for dealing effectively with common and serious symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, poor hygiene) and situations (e.g., refusals to take medication, disagreements between the caregiver and doctors or therapists).

Surviving Mental Illness: Stress, Coping, and Adaptation by Agnes B. Hatfield, Harriet P. Lefley, John S. Strauss, Publisher: Guilford Press; (May 21, 1993) ISBN: 0898620228

Other very good books in this area:

How to Live With a Mentally Ill Person: A Handbook of Day-To-Day Strategies by Christine Adamec, D. J. Jaffe, Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; (April 1996) ASIN: 0471114197

When Someone You Love Has a Mental Illness: A Handbook for Family, Friends, and Caregivers, by Rebecca Woolis, Agnes Hatfied, Publisher: J. P. Tarcher; (September 1992) ISBN: 0874776953

Overcoming Depression, 3rd edition by Demitri Papolos, Publisher: Quill; 3rd edition (February 1997), ISBN: 0060927828