The bipolar disorder answer book : answers to more than 275 of your most pressing questions

338 Pages·2007·0.82 MB·English

by  Charles Atkins

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Approximately 5.7 million American adults have bipolar disorder (formerly
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known as manic-depressive illness),a condition that causes abnormal shifts in a
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person’s mood,energy and ability to function.If you or someone you love is living
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with bipolar disorder,you know that the questions are endless … and answers
are hard to come by.
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Answers to More than 275 of
The Bipolar Disorder Answer Bookis a reassuring,authoritative reference for
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you and your family, providing sound advice and immediate guidance. SS Your Most Pressing Questions
Written by an experienced psychiatrist,The Bipolar Disorder Answer Book OO
will give you answers to all your most important questions,such as:
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nIs there a cure for nShould I disclose my nHow do I know which
nWhat are the symptoms of bipolar nWhen should someone go for DD bipolar disorder? bipolar disorder at treatment is right for me?
disorder? treatment? EE work?
nHow do I find a nWhat are some relapse
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nDoes bipolar disorder run in families? nHowimportant is medication in
to having bipolar
nWhat strategies can help reduce the treating bipolar disorder? AA disorder?
severity and frequency of mood nAre there specific risk factors for nn
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Written in an easy-to-read question and answer format,The Bipolar DisorderAnswer Bookhelps
you and your loved ones cope with the disorder,conquer your fears and seek help when necessary. ee
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Dr.Charles Atkinsis a board-certified psychiatrist,author and professional speaker.He is on the clinical
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faculty at Yale University and is an attending psychiatrist at Waterbury Hospital in Connecticut.He has
publishedthree psychological thrillers and has written hundreds of articles,columns and short stories for oo
professional and popular magazines,newspapers and journals.His website is www.charlesatkins.com.
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Self Help $16.95 U.S.
$21.95 CAN
ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-1057-0
£9.99 UK
ISBN-10: 1-4022-1057-4
ATKINS
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www.sourcebooks.com PC AN
C A , MD
HARLES TKINS
Bipolar Disorder Answer Book 2477.qxd 10/3/07 2:53 PM Page i
THE
B D
IPOLAR ISORDER
Answer Book
Answers to More than 275 of Your
Most Pressing Questions
C A , MD
HARLES TKINS
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Copyright © 2007 by Charles Atkins
Cover and internal design © 2007 by Sourcebooks,Inc.
Cover photo © Jupiter Images
Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks,Inc.
All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval
systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or
reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher,Sourcebooks,Inc.
This book is not intended as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified
physician.The intent of this book is to provide accurate general information in
regard to the subject matter covered.If medical advice or other expert help is
needed,the services of an appropriate medical professional should be sought.
All brand names and product names used in this book are trademarks,registered
trademarks,or trade names of their respective holders.Sourcebooks,Inc.,is not
associated with any product or vendor in this book.
Published by Sourcebooks,Inc.
P.O.Box 4410,Naperville,Illinois 60567-4410
[phone]
Fax:[phone]
www.sourcebooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Atkins,Charles
The bipolar disorder answer book :answers to more than 275 of your most
pressing questions / Charles Atkins.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4022-1936-8-1057-0 (trade pbk.)
1. Manic-depressive illness—Popular works. I.Title.
RC516.A85 2007
616.89’5—dc22
2007027692
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
BG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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To Karen Kangas,EdD
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Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix
Chapter 1:Bipolar Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Chapter 2:The Bipolar Spectrum:
One Size Does Not Fit All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Chapter 3:Getting into Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Chapter 4:Medications:Useful Tools on the
Road to Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Chapter 5:Mood Stabilizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Chapter 6:Antipsychotic Medications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Chapter 7:Antidepressants and Other Medications . . . . . . . . .137
Chapter 8:Other Medical Therapies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149
Chapter 9:Psychotherapies and Supportive Strategies . . . . . . .157
Chapter 10:Relapse Prevention Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Chapter 11:Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse and
Chemical Dependency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
Chapter 12:Other Common Coexisting Psychiatric Disorders
and Treatment Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207
Chapter 13:Age,Gender,and Cultural Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221
Chapter 14:Living with Bipolar Disorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Chapter 15:Survival Tips for Family and Friends . . . . . . . . . . .259
Chapter 16:Finding Resources:The Patchwork Quilt of
Behavioral Healthcare in America . . . . . . . . . . . . .273
Appendix A:Resources and Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281
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Appendix B:State by State Guide to Mental Health Agencies .289
Appendix C:Chapter Notes and References . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .307
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
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Acknowledgments
In writing this book,I want to first thank all the people I’ve worked
with over the years who have bipolar disorder and their families;
whatever insights I’ve obtained came from them.I’ve also been fortu-
nate to be able to tap into the wisdom of the experts at the Yale
School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and elsewhere, who
were willing to share their time, enthusiasm, and insights.With this
project it was important to get everything right, and when I started
to drift,having a strong network of consumers,family members,and
experts to keep the ship pointed in the right direction was invaluable.
In particular,I’d like to thank Malcolm Bowers,Zubin Bhagwager,
Steven Southwick, Ezra Griffith, Kim Yonkers, Robert Rosenheck,
Betsy Smith, Gary Jayson, Tracey Violette, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Al
Zuckerman,Jeanine Sullivan-Wiley,Paul Morrissey,Paul Amble,Lori
Sobel,Thomas Reinhardt,Doreen Elnitsky,Colette Anderson,Nassir
Ghaemi,and Ronald Pies.
I’m deeply indebted to the medical librarians at Waterbury
Hospital Health Center, Linda Spadaccini, and Kandace Yuen who
made the research end of this project (which was a lot) a breeze.I’d
also like to thank my colleagues at the Department of Behavioral
Health of Waterbury Hospital for continuing to support my dual
pursuits of writing and psychiatry. And to Waterbury Hospital for
continuing to do that rarest of things—be a full-service community
hospital while maintaining the academic rigor of a university-affiliated
teaching hospital.
Finally to Shana Drehs, my editor at Sourcebooks, for ensuring
that the final product was as good as it could be and accessible to all.
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Introduction
I’m from a family with bipolar disorder;I grew up with it.I was fright-
ened that I might develop it, and scared when someone I loved
became so depressed that I worried that they’d take their own life. I
was young at the time,but I remember the overall sense of confusion
and fear in my family, of not knowing what to do or where to go for
answers.
On a professional level,I’m a board-certified psychiatrist.I’ve kept
a clinical faculty appointment at Yale University since I completed
my residency there in 1994,and I’ve been working with people who
have bipolar disorder and other major psychiatric and substance
abuse disorders ever since. Currently I work in a hospital-based
setting where I see people on an inpatient unit, in outpatient clinics,
and in the emergency room and crisis center. But I could tell you
stories about working with people with bipolar disorder that go back
even further, from my years working as an EMT in Boston through
my first job in psychiatry as a receptionist, where one man with
mania and I decided that we could send the entire ward,including the
staff,to Hawaii for what we were billing the insurance companies,and
wouldn’t that be a great study? When I interact with families on an
inpatient unit, in emergency rooms, and in my office, I understand
their anxiety, fear, anger, and all the other emotions they’re going
through.I’ve been there.
As a writer, I’ve published novels and well over a hundred articles,
short stories, and columns. Much of my writing is focused on the
subjective experience of mental illness,e.g.,what it’s like to have one,
or to be the family member or significant other of someone who does.