If you have a loved one who is suffering from bipolar disorder, you should read Living with Someone Who’s Living with Bipolar Disorder – A Practical Guide for Family, Friends, and Coworkers by Chelsea Lowe and Bruce M. Cohen, MD, PhD.

I bought the book for a family member, and I decided to read it myself. I’m glad I did, because there is a wealth of information about all things related to the disease of bipolar disorder. Living with Someone Who’s Living with Bipolar Disorder gives a detailed explanation of what the disease is and isn’t, including the symptoms. It also gives a look at the history of the disease. It discusses how doctors diagnose patients with the disease, as well as the different types of treatment.

The second part of the book gives excellent advice on how to cope with the changing moods and sometimes bizarre behaviors of patients suffering from bipolar disorder. It shows you how to build a system of support. It discusses how to determine who should be told about the disease, and how to tell them.

The book discusses the Americans with Disabilities Act, and how bipolar disorder is covered in some cases, but not all. It also discusses different aspects of employment for the patient, including requesting reasonable accommodations. Some bipolar patients may also be able to collect Social Security Disability Insurance.

The book includes a chapter on physical and emotional intimacy and relationship issues, which is very important. There is a section on manic hypersexuality, which can be a terrible strain on marriages/relationships of those with bipolar disorder.

A chapter on suicide, hospitalization and commitment is also included in the book. Since the suicide rate among sufferers of bipolar disorder is estimated at ten to twenty times the rate of the general population (10-15% of those diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder), this is an extremely important issue for those with the disease, as well as those who love them.

Living with Someone Who’s Living with Bipolar Disorder gives a list of resources including phone numbers, email addresses, and websites for many organizations that may be helpful to the bipolar sufferer and/or their loved ones. It also lists books on the subject of bipolar disorder that would be helpful.

Living with Someone Who’s Living with Bipolar Disorder – A Practical Guide for Family, Friends, and Coworkers is a book that I would recommend for anyone who suffers from the disease of bipolar disorder, and perhaps even more importantly, for the loved ones of those sufferers. The loved ones are also sufferers, and this book can be a great aid in helping them learn to cope with the disease of bipolar disorder, thus helping to save families.

*Even the abbreviated title of this book is so long that I was unable to list it completely in the title of this review. I apologize for any confusion this might cause.