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Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families, and Providers

[30 Dec 2009 | 5 Comments | | Author: ]
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Surviving Manic Depression is the most comprehensive, up-to-date book on the disorder that affects more than two million people in the United States alone. Based on the latest research, it provides detailed coverage of every aspect of the disorder.

All aspects of the disease are addressed: symptoms, with many direct descriptions from patients themselves, risk factors, onset and cause, medications (including drugs still in the testing stage), causes, psychotherapy, a… More >>

Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families, and Providers

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5 Comments »

  • Nicolas S. Martin said:

    Torrey is arguably the world’s greatest expert on fictional diseases. He and his coauthor do a splendid job of explaining how people who have no discernable organic disorder are actually victims of powerful yet invisible, magically demonic forces that ruin their lives. They make a compelling case for why people who are unhappy, annoying and socially unpopular have malfunctions in a part of the body called the “mental,” and they are undeterred by the fact that the “mental” has yet to be located. All the right people are scapegoated and all the most popular coercive treatments are recommended.

    If the authors had lived and written in Salem history might have taken a different turn. The hunt for witches might still be ongoing.
    Rating: 5 / 5

    # 30 December 2009 at 1:51 pm
  • Anonymous said:

    While it has a lot of information on the disease, and describes the different medications in detail, it is a real snoozer. I would have rated it a 1 but it did serve one purpose: it helped cure those insomnia episodes that come with acute mania.
    Rating: 3 / 5

    # 30 December 2009 at 4:40 pm
  • Anonymous said:

    This is a typical Torrey performance–arrogant, somewhat informative, and certain to inveigle many undiscriminating readers. I realize that the book couldn’t be 500 pages, but 350 would have been nice. Almost every section was too short to do justice to the topic–e.g. brain structure and function; manicdepression from the “inside”; almost nothing on how to survive manicdepression. This is what really makes this book a failure: it doesn’t show how someone with manic-depression can survive this dreadful disease. The reason is obvious: it is very difficult to “survive” manic-depression, if you really have it (most diagnoses in the last ten years misread badly manicdepression). I am sure there are some psyhciatrists who realize that bipolar disease needs to be narrowly defined and treated. Torrey is heavily influenced by Kay Jamison who campaigns tirelessly for manicdepression as a diagnosis of choice. Many doctors have been intimidated and have switched from depression (perhaps with ADD) to a diagnosis of manic-depression. Torrey doesn’t discuss the possibility that we are in a world, awash with over-diagnosis of this disorder. And, as stated above, this book doesn’t live up to its name, whether or not you believe in wide scope of diagnosis of bipolar or, like me, you believe that bipolar has become the flavor of the month. By the way I am considered manic-depressant I (severe depression, never fully escaped and several sever manic attacks), not to mention constant hypomania (ADD ruled out by two nationally regarded doctors). I take Lithium, Lamictal, Seroquel and small amount of Klonopin daily. Also diagosed with chronic anxiety and narcissistic disorder. Several second opinion to ensure proper diagnosis. SO not biased against manic-depression. Only feel that Torrey does poor job explaining disorder and is miles away from writing a book living up to its title. Recommend Patty Duke’s book, not Jamison’s conceited memoir, nor Styron’s essay in self-indulgence
    Rating: 3 / 5

    # 30 December 2009 at 5:36 pm
  • David Moyer said:

    An easy to read, well written, thoroughly researched book on manic-depressive illness. Hmm… Wonder what Koch would say about that? He’s the guy who postulated Koch’s postulates, a set of criteria to prove that the disease (in this case anthrax) was caused by a particular bacterium. Bipolar disorder is too complex for a simplistic application of Koch’s postulates. But then, what about an infection like Lyme disease that was regretfully omitted in the book? Perhaps that disease should be included in “secondary” mania. The authors did admit that mania from syphilis was once manic-depressive illness before it became secondary mania. Some believe it is all secondary, secondary to different biological anomalies that just haven’t yet been identified. More humility about the limitations of our models and our medications would have been helpful, as would a discussion regarding the restorative role of nutrition. Save for a small section on omega-3 fatty acids, this was left out. I also would have liked to have read something on the links between Lyme disease and subtypes of diseases currently diagnosed as MS, ALS, and “manic-depressive illness.” What if symptoms akin to MS, ALS and mania had similar etiologies that met the requirements of Koch’s postulates? I recommend the book, particularly for the discussion on infections. However, while a reader may, with some effort, imagine the implications for the future, the authors have still kept us stuck in an obsolete typology that ensures a revolving door into the hospital for all too many patients who believe they have a disease called “manic-depressive illness.” For them, surviving is about all that can be asked of them.

    David Moyer, Author, Too Good to be True? Nutrients Quiet the Unquiet Brain
    Rating: 4 / 5

    # 30 December 2009 at 7:27 pm
  • LookingForHelp said:

    This is an excellent book about all aspects of Bipolar Depression. It is a terrible disease and the depression is quite dangerous. There is a new FDA approved procedure for depression called vagus nerve stimulation. I would recommend another excellent book; “Out of the Black Hole: The Patient’s Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression”. It’s ISBN number is # 0974848417. I found both books very helpful for the treatment plan with my psychiatrist. As far as I am considered, the more information you have, the better.

    Rating: 5 / 5

    # 30 December 2009 at 9:54 pm

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