Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Part 1 What Type of Depression Do You Have? 1
1 Understanding the Mood Spectrum 2
2 The Down Side: Depression 7
3 The Up Side: From Hypomania to Mania, and Everything In-Between 14
4 The Mixed-Up Side: When Mania and Depression Collide 34
5 A Little Bipolar? How Much? 42
6 About Your Diagnosis 54
7 Is It All in the Genes? 64
8 The Living Side: Finding Normal 72
Part 2 A Healing Lifestyle 77
9 Daily Rhythms 80
10 Light and Dark 85
11 Managing Insomnia 93
12 Getting Active 101
13 Exercise? How About Just Walking 106
14 Diet 116
15 Managing Substances 126
16 Coming Soon: Bipolar and Technology 133
Part 3 Treatment 139
17 The Right Stuff: How to Find Good Care 140
18 Medications: Our Top Choices 149
19 Mood-Lifting Stabilizers: The Full Details 153
20 Antidepressants and Other Mood Destabilizers 171
21 Medications for Breakthrough Episodes 181
22 Anxiety, Concentration, and Sleep: The Other Poles of Bipolar 188
23 Natural Healers 204
24 Knowing When to Stop Medications 220
25 Live Long and Minimize Side Effects 225
26 Beyond Medication: Electricity, Magnets, and Depression 238
27 Good Therapy 242
Part 4 Reclaiming Your Life 251
28 Relationships 252
29 Work and School 260
30 For Friends and Family 267
Appendix 281
Appendix A Medication Glossary 282
Appendix B Hypomania in 900 Words 285
Appendix C 150 Things to Try When You're Depressed 290
Appendix D Online Resources 295
Appendix E Further Reading 298
Appendix F Support Groups 299
References 300
Index 325