Bipolar disorder can derail a young person on the verge of adulthood if it isn't managed through acceptance and goal-setting. Resistance to the reality of diagnosis is inevitable, but acceptance of treatment is a necessity. Facing Bipolar is a book targeted to young adults ages 17 through 25, the most common age range for the onset of bipolar disorder. Both authors have worked with young adults with bipolar illness in this vulnerable time of transition. This book presents their simple plan, which is based on four key components: stability, stress management, self-monitoring, and sleep. Early chapters give readers a crash course in bipolar disorder: what it is, signs and symptoms, and how they can recognize its effect on their lives. Later chapters outline crucial issues such as the importance of medication and psychotherapy, the effects of hypomania (which reinforces denial), the relationship between substance abuse and bipolar disorder, and whether or not to tell others about the disorder. The authors then present their four-step plan for healthy living with bipolar disorder.
About the Author :
Russ Federman, PhD, is director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Virginia and clinical assistant professor in the university's Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiological Sciences. He is a licensed psychologist, a diplomate in clinical psychology through the American Board of Professional Psychology, and a member of the editorial board for the Journal of College Counseling. J. Anderson Thomson, Jr., MD, is a staff psychiatrist at the University of Virginia's Counseling and Psychological Services in the Department of Student Health. He is a clinical assistant professor in the university's Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiological Sciences. He is also a staff psychiatrist at the University of Virginia's Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy and at Region 10 Community Services. He maintains a private practice in Charlottesville, VA.
Review :
"Adjusting to the personal and social demands of high school, college, and the young adult years is more complex than it has ever been. And for today's adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder, the challenges are even greater and the stakes even higher. With their book Facing Bipolar, Federman and Thomson provide us with an important new resource. Based on sound clinical research and the rich experience of two knowledgeable practitioners, the book speaks in a direct and easy-to-understand voice that addresses the everyday questions of those initially facing this disruptive disorder. I strongly recommend this high-impact resource for teens, young adults, and others confronting the reality of bipolar disorder, and for the bookshelves of the counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists who treat them."
--Alan M. Schwitzer, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist and editor of the Journal of College Counseling
"Federman and Thomson have written a very thoughtful and pragmatic book. Their poignant stories describe the critical processes of recognition and acceptance while their straightforward advice conveys important treatment strategies required to manage this complex condition. This really is a must-read for young adults coming to terms with bipolar disorder."
--Richard Kadison, MD, chief of Harvard University Mental Health Services and author of College of the Overwhelmed
"In my work with college students who occasionally get derailed, I have found that no issue is more perplexing for students and those who love them than the onset of bipolar disorder. Federman and Thomson provide a valuable frame of reference for making sense of the chaos that bipolar disorder can bring to the life of a college student. Students and family members will also find comfort and order in the sound words they provide."
--Penny Rue, Vice Chancellor of student affairs at the University of California, San Diego
"Adjusting to the personal and social demands of high school, college, and the young adult years is more complex than it has ever been. And for today's adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder, the challenges are even greater and the stakes even higher. With their book "Facing Bipolar", Federman and Thomson provide us with an important new resource. Based on sound clinical research and the rich experience of two knowledgeable practitioners, the book speaks in a direct and easy-to-understand voice that addresses the everyday questions of those initially facing this disruptive disorder. I strongly recommend this high-impact resource for teens, young adults, and others confronting the reality of bipolar disorder, and for the bookshelves of the counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists who treat them."
--Alan M. Schwitzer, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist and editor of the "Journal of College Counseling"
"Federman and Thomson have written a very thoughtful and pragmatic book. Their poignant stories describe the critical processes of recognition and acceptance while their straightforward advice conveys important treatment strategies required to manage this complex condition. This really is a must-read for young adults coming to terms with bipolar disorder."
--Richard Kadison, MD, chief of Harvard University Mental Health Services and author of "College of the Overwhelmed"
"In my work with college students who occasionally get derailed, I have found that no issue is more perplexing for students and those who love them than the onset of bipolar disorder. Federman and Thomson provide a valuable frame of reference for making sense of the chaos that bipolar disorder can bring to the life of a college student. Students and family members will also find comfort and order in the sound words they provide."
--Penny Rue, Vice Chancellor of student affairs at the University of California, San Diego
