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Library of Congress Control Number: 2023932627
ISBN 978-1-394-16867-5 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-394-16869-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-394-16868-2 (ebk)
Part 4: Developing Essential Survival Skills
Part 5: Dealing with the Fallout
Part 6: Assisting a Friend or Relative with Bipolar Disorder
Part 7: The Part of Tens
PART 3: MANAGING THE BIOLOGY OF BIPOLAR DISORDER
PART 4: DEVELOPING ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL SKILLS
PART 6: ASSISTING A FRIEND OR RELATIVE WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER
Dealing with Crisis Situations
Introduction
Imagine yourself cruising down the highway at a comfortable speed of 65 miles per hour when your cruise control goes berserk. The speedometer climbs to 75 and then 85 . . . you hit the button to cancel . . . tap the brakes . . . 90 . . . nothing slows you down . . . 95 . . . your car is shaking and weaving . . . 100 . . . people are honking . . . 105 . . . police cars are chasing you . . . 110 . . . your spouse is yelling at you to SLOW DOWN . . . 115 . . . 120 . . . .
Or imagine the opposite: You’re driving through town in a 30-mile-per-hour speed limit zone. Nobody’s in front of you — you’re practically pushing the accelerator through the floor — but your car can only creep along at 3 miles per hour. Your neighbors are honking, passing you on the right — on bicycles — and giving you dirty looks and other gestures of discontent.
When you have bipolar disorder, your brain’s accelerator is stuck. At full speed, it launches you into a manic episode. In low gear, it grinds you down into a deep depression. If this were a situation with your heart, somebody would call an ambulance; doctors and nurses would flock to your bedside; loved ones would fly in from other states; and you’d get flowers and fruit baskets. But when your brain is stuck in park or overdrive, people tend to think you’re lazy, you’ve snapped, or you’re too weak to deal with life. Instead of flowers and fruit baskets, you get a pink slip and divorce papers.
The good news is that the mind mechanics — psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists — have toolboxes packed with medications and therapies that can regulate your brain’s accelerator. In this book, we reveal those tools along with self-help measures you can take to achieve and maintain mood stability and to help yourself feel a whole lot better.
About This Book
Although psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists are better equipped than ever to treat bipolar disorder, studies increasingly show that the more involved patients and their loved ones are in the treatment plan, the better the outcome. Our goal in writing this book is to make you a well-informed patient or support person and to empower you to become a key player on the treatment team.
Organized in an easy-to-access format and presented in plain English, the newest edition of Bipolar Disorder For Dummies brings you up to speed on bipolar disorder, explaining what it is, what causes it, and how it’s diagnosed and treated. We present the most effective treatments, explain why preventive treatment plays such a critical role in keeping symptoms at bay, and point out the positive prognosis that you can expect with the right combination of medication, therapy, lifestyle adjustments, and support.
In addition to comprehensive coverage of bipolar disorder, this book contains numerous first-person accounts from people living with bipolar disorder and their loved ones. These stories give you a glimpse inside the minds of people living with bipolar disorder along with additional insight into how people deal with the challenges in their own lives.
Foolish Assumptions
When you are (or a loved one is) diagnosed with bipolar, you automatically become a rank beginner. You never needed information about this illness before and probably had little interest in the topic. Now you have to get up to speed in a hurry. With that in mind, we assume that you know very little about bipolar disorder. If you’ve been to a doctor or therapist and received a diagnosis, however, you know at least a little. And if you’ve already researched the topic, you may know more than most people. But we assume that however much you do know about the topic, you want to know more, and you’re committed to getting information from a reliable source.
We also assume that you or someone you know has bipolar or that you’re at least somewhat curious about the condition. The more the disorder affects you, your family, or someone else you know, the more this book can help.
Finally, we assume that you have a sense of humor. Yes, bipolar disorder can be brutal, but laughter is one tool that enables you to rise above the absurdity and frustration of dealing with it.
Icons Used in This Book
Throughout this book, the following icons appear in the margins to cue you in to different types of information that you may or may not care to see:
If you happen to forget the rest of the stuff in this book, at least remember what we mark with these icons.
Tips provide insider insight from behind the scenes. When you’re looking for a better, faster way to do something, check out information flagged with this icon.
“Danger, Will Robinson, danger!” This icon appears when you need to be extra vigilant or seek professional help.
Throughout the book, we feature cameos of people living with bipolar disorder. We use this icon to flag the stories they shared.
Beyond the Book
This book’s Cheat Sheet offers assistance in identifying bipolar disorder, a list of bipolar medications, a guide for maintaining mood stability, and some advice on helping a loved one with bipolar disorder. You can get it simply by going to www. dummies.com and searching for Bipolar Disorder For Dummies Cheat Sheet.
We also offer some bonus goodies at finkshrink.com/bonus. There you can find a mood tracking chart, a bipolar disorder glossary, and additional articles related to bipolar disorder, including “Ten Questions to Ask a Psychiatrist or Therapist,” and “Helping a Loved One with Bipolar Disorder: Key Principles.”
Where to Go from Here
Think of this book as an all-you-can-eat buffet. You can grab a plate, start at the beginning, and feast on one chapter after another, or you can dip into any chapter and pile your plate high with the information it contains.
If you want a quick overview of bipolar disorder, check out the chapters in Part 1. Before you visit a psychiatrist for a diagnosis, see Chapters 4 and 5 to find out what to expect during the diagnostic process and be sure that you’re leaving the office with a comprehensive treatment plan. For information and insight into the medications used to treat bipolar disorder, head to Chapter 7. Turn to the chapters in Part 4 for self-help strategies. If you have a friend or family member with bipolar, skip to Part 6. Use the index to look up any bipolar term you’re unfamiliar with and find out where we cover it in the book. Wherever you choose to go, you’ll find plenty of useful information.
1 Getting Started on Your Bipolar Journey
IN THIS PART . . .
Understand what bipolar disorder is and what it isn’t according to the diagnostic categories spelled out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition-Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) — the book psychiatrists look to when developing their diagnosis.
Explore genetic and nongenetic factors, such as physical and emotional stress, that likely team up to trigger the manic and depressive episodes characteristic of bipolar disorder.
Take a look inside the different parts of the brain to understand the biology of bipolar disorder.
Get a bird’s-eye view of the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder, so you know what’s involved and the sort of outcome you can expect when treatment proceeds according to plan.
