A handbook for persons with bipolar disorder, and their families. It offers a practical guide to the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and causes of this potentially devastating psychiatric illness, formerly known as "manic-depression". Dr Frank Mondimore offers advice on getting the most out of the various treatments that are now available -from medication, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive treatment to new approaches such as St John's wort and transcranial magnetic stimulation. For each, he discusses advantages, disadvantages, side effects and other information to help patients make informed decisions about treatment options. Dr Mondimore also describes what it is like to live with bipolar disorder and discusses how lifestyle can improve quality of life. Throughout, he focuses on the importance of building a support system, of planning for emergencies, and of giving oneself permission to seek help. He describes problems that are unique to women, whose disease may be affected by the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and childbirth. He includes information on the forms that the illness can take in children and adolescents, and discusses coping with the stigmatization of psychiatric diagnosis, giving advice on picking a psychiatrist and on dealing with medical insurance issues. Finally, Dr Mondimore tells family members what they can do to help the person with bipolar disorder - and themselves - and he offers hope for the future as researchers learn more about the disease and how to control it.