Read complete books and articles on: Bipolar Disorder

Manic-Depressive Disorder - or bipolar disorder, severe mental disorder involving manic episodes that are usually accompanied by episodes of depression. The term was introduced by the German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin in 1896. The manic phase of the disorder is characterized by an abnormally elevated or irritable mood, grandiosity, sleeplessness, extravagance, and a tendency toward irrational judgment. During the depressed phase, the person tends to appear lethargic and withdrawn, shows a lack of concentration, and expresses feelings of worthlessness, self-blame, and guilt. The dual character of manic-depressive disorder has given it the name bipolar disorder, in contrast to the unipolar depression symptomatic of the majority of mood disorders. The symptoms range in intensity and pattern and may not be recognized at first. Individuals suffering from bipolar disorder may have long periods in their lives without episodes of mania or depression, but manic-depressives have the highest suicide rate of any group with a psychological disorder.

Incidence

Estimates suggest that about 2 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorders. Symptoms usually appear in adolescence or early adulthood and continue throughout life. The disorder occurs in males and females equally and is found more frequently in close relatives of people already known to have it.. It has had notable incidence among creative individuals, affecting such artists as Hector Berlioz, Gustav Mahler, Ernest Hemingway, and Virginia Woolf.

Treatment

Therapy includes lithium (to control mania and stabilize mood swings), anticonvulsant drugs such as valproate and carbamazepine, and antidepressants. Electroconvulsive therapy has been useful in cases where other treatments have had little success. Psychotherapy can provide support to the patient and the family.

Bibliography

See F. K. Goodwin and K. R. Jamison, Manic-Depressive Illness (1990); publications of the National Institute of Mental Health.

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14 of the Best Books and Articles on: Bipolar Disorder

as selected by Questia librarians

1.

Schizophrenia and Manic-Depressive Disorder: The Biological Roots of Mental Illness as Revealed by the Landmark Study of Identical Twins » Read Now
by E. Fuller Torrey. 274 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library

The author of the classic Surviving Schizophrenia and his colleagues present an important contribution to the ongoing debate on the origins of mental illness. Illustrations.
2.

Manic Depression and Creativity » Read Now
by D. Jablow Hershman, Julian Lieb. 240 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library

From Plato, who originated the idea of inspired mania, to Beethoven, Dickens, Newton, Van Gogh, and today's popular creative artists and scientists who've battled manic depression, this intriguing work examines creativity and madness in mystery, myth, and history.
3.

Bipolar Disorder in Childhood and Early Adolescence » Read Now
by Barbara Geller, Melissa P. Delbello. 342 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library
4.

Students in Discord: Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (Chap. 14 "Bipolar Disorder") » Read Now
by C. Robin Boucher. 420 pgs.

Collections: Education, Psychology, Entire Library

A number of emotional and behavioral conditions--including depression, Tourette's syndrome, bipolar disorder, and narcissism--have been viewed as predominantly adult disorders until recently. The author discusses these and other problems that afflict students enrolled in school, and gives guidance to the professionals who work with them.
5.

Treating Bipolar Disorder: A Clinician's Guide to Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy » Read Now
by Ellen Frank. 212 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library
6.

Bipolar Disorder in Adolescence: Diagnosis and Treatment, in Journal of Mental Health Counseling » Read Now
by Greta Buyck Wilkinson, Priscilla Taylor, Jan R. Holt. 10 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library
7.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Bipolar Disorder » Read Now
by Monica Ramirez Basco, A. John Rush. 324 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library
8.

Women's Mental Health in Primary Care (Chap. 3 "Bipolar Disorder") » Read Now
by Kathryn J. Zerbe. 366 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library

This unique guide provides useful, practical summaries of the most important mental health concerns of women. This resource helps readers intervene efficiently and effectively by providing comprehensive, yet practical answers to the most common problems seen in practice, with an emphasis on...
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This unique guide provides useful, practical summaries of the most important mental health concerns of women. This resource helps readers intervene efficiently and effectively by providing comprehensive, yet practical answers to the most common problems seen in practice, with an emphasis on treatment guidelines and other vital steps that should be taken.
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9.

Stress, Coping, and Depression (Chap. 14 "Integrated Family and Individual Therapy for Bipolar Disorder") » Read Now
by Sheri L. Johnson, Adele M. Hayes, Tiffany M. Field, Neil Schneiderman, Philip M. McCabe. 364 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library

...depressed, bipolar depressed, and obsessive-compulsive disordered OCD patients also provided evidence that depression...than OCD patients without depression, and depressed...
10.

Dealing with Depression: A Commonsense Guide to Mood Disorders (Chap. 5 "Unipolar and Bipolar Disorder" and Chap. 6 "General Features of Depressive and Bipolar Disorders: The Experience") » Read Now
by Gordon Parker, David Straton, Kay Wilhelm, Philip Mitchell, Marie-Paule Austin, Kerrie Eyers, Dusan Hadzi-Paviovic, Gin Malhi, Sue Grdovic. 182 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library

Covering both traditional and alternative approaches to treating depression, this fully revised and updated guide outlines the many different types of depression, including mood swings, clinical depression, and bipolar disorders. Each type of depression is explained fully and is accompanied by...
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Covering both traditional and alternative approaches to treating depression, this fully revised and updated guide outlines the many different types of depression, including mood swings, clinical depression, and bipolar disorders. Each type of depression is explained fully and is accompanied by suggestions for the most appropriate treatments. Simple descriptions and a user-friendly layout make this guide accessible for those suffering from mood disorders, their families, and the health professionals who care for them. Expanded sections on bipolar disorders and the influence of personality styles on nonmelancholic disorders are included in this new edition, and an online diagnostic test associated with the book encourages confidence in self-diagnosis and in seeking professional care.
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11.

Comprehensive Guide to Interpersonal Psychotherapy (Chap. 16 "Bipolar Disorder") » Read Now
by Myrna M. Weissman, John C. Markowitz, Gerald L. Klerman. 492 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library

Since its introduction as a brief, empirically validated treatment for depression, Interpersonal Psychotherapy has broadened its scope and repertoire to include disorders of behavior and personality as well as disorders of mood. Practitioners in today's managed care climate will welcome this...
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Since its introduction as a brief, empirically validated treatment for depression, Interpersonal Psychotherapy has broadened its scope and repertoire to include disorders of behavior and personality as well as disorders of mood. Practitioners in today's managed care climate will welcome this encyclopedic reference consolidating the 1984 manual (revised) with new applications and research results plus studies in process and in promise and an international resource exchange.
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12.

Psychological Behaviorism Theory of Bipolar Disorder, in The Psychological Record » Read Now
by Helmut P. R. Riedel, Elaine M. Heiby, Stephen Kopetskie. 26 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library
13.

Advances in the Pharmacological Treatment of Bipolar Affective Disorders, in Perspectives in Psychiatric Care » Read Now
by Susan McCabe. 9 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library
14.

The Years of Silence Are Past: My Father's Life with Bipolar Disorder » Read Now
by Stephen P. Hinshaw. 227 pgs.

Collections: Psychology, Entire Library

This work presents the life history of a philosopher who experienced severe, recurrent, and misdiagnosed mental disorder. The compelling narrative portrays the father's seventy-five years: his childhood and adolescence, his high levels of achievement, intermixed with recurrent episodes and brutal...
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This work presents the life history of a philosopher who experienced severe, recurrent, and misdiagnosed mental disorder. The compelling narrative portrays the father's seventy-five years: his childhood and adolescence, his high levels of achievement, intermixed with recurrent episodes and brutal hospitalizations, his marriage and family life, his tenderness as a father, and his gradual decline following years of maltreated bipolar disorder. Themes of self-image, resilience, causes of serious mental disorder, accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, and linkages between social context and mental disturbance are intermixed with the narrative. Alternately harrowing and uplifting, this work captures the experience of growing up in a family with severe mental illness as well as the courage and dignity that can emanate from mental disorder. This poignant work will be of strong interest to the public at large and to those in the mental health fields.
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