Short description
An empathetic guide to recognizing and overcoming the chronic mood disorder Bipolar II, a rapidly increasing DSM diagnosis affecting over 9 million Americans
Long description
Bipolar II is a form of bipolar disorder in which a person, when in a manic cycle, is crippled by anxiety, irritability, and highs just intense enough to be embarrassing. Instead of being the life of the party, someone with Bipolar II might be too nervous to go to the party at all. And, unlike the Bipolar I sufferer who may attempt suicide in a depressive cycle, the Bipolar II might be incapacitated by guilt over an imaginary crime. In Less than Crazy, health writer and Bipolar II sufferer Karla Dougherty shares her story, presenting the first patient-expert's guide to recognizing and living well with this condition. Covering both adults and children, this accessible, all-in-one resource includes information on diagnosis, conditions that may mimic Bipolar II, and treatments.
Review
Library Journal, 11/4/08
Dougherty's candor validates why self-help books written by one who has actually 'been there' tend to have much resonance.