Books about coping with a Bipolar 1 family member?
May 13, 2018 9:44 PM Subscribe
I'd love some reviews and recommendations from the smart minds of Metafilter. Are you a family member of someone with Bipolar 1? Is there a book that helped you understand and cope with how your family member acted, how they treated you, etc?
It would be especially good if it's a book from the view of a sibling/child of the affected person, rather than a spouse/parent, but all recommendations for helpful books are welcome.
Any good 'Bipolar 101' books would be helpful too, especially if they are appropriate for someone who knows nothing about mental illness / modern mental health treatment. Or if there's a popular book on this topic that you read and absolutely hate, feel free to mention that.
As for books about other mental illnesses: if you think a book about schizophrenia is very good, feel free to mention it. But I'm really looking for a book about coping with a family member that has intense mania, thinks she's right about everything, and is not interested in treatment. Books about depression won't be super helpful.
It would be especially good if it's a book from the view of a sibling/child of the affected person, rather than a spouse/parent, but all recommendations for helpful books are welcome.
Any good 'Bipolar 101' books would be helpful too, especially if they are appropriate for someone who knows nothing about mental illness / modern mental health treatment. Or if there's a popular book on this topic that you read and absolutely hate, feel free to mention that.
As for books about other mental illnesses: if you think a book about schizophrenia is very good, feel free to mention it. But I'm really looking for a book about coping with a family member that has intense mania, thinks she's right about everything, and is not interested in treatment. Books about depression won't be super helpful.
An Unquiet Mind by Kay Jamison is a memoir has a good roadmap.
posted by childofTethys at 12:49 AM on May 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by childofTethys at 12:49 AM on May 14, 2018 [3 favorites]
I have bipolar 1 and tend not to read very many books about it anymore (although I do plan on reading Carrie Fisher's biographies at some point and I know from reading excerpts that they have good bipolar wisdom in them) but I do recall years of refusing my diagnosis and causing my family distress. I was diagnosed in 1992 and there weren't very many books out then. My mom found the Patty Duke memoir helpful at the time but I don't remember it well.
Somehow I recently stumbled upon Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sone. It's a YA novel in verse that I read part of a while ago and lost interest (I think I got bored with the poetry format) and I just went and finished it (it is a quick read if you are paying attention) and I think it works well in the "from a sibling's perspective" way. It has a ton of resources in the back of the new edition and discussion questions because I guess it's assigned reading sometimes and it's all very focused on understanding, compassion, reducing stigma, and other mental illness related topics. I'll be mining the back of the book for my own interests - it looks very comprehensive and well-organized.
My younger sister and I were just talking this weekend about what a tool I was in the beginning and it was interesting but also frustrating and sad to hear how she and my family worked their minds around it. I'm happy to be at a point where I've accepted it but it still sucks to have it, of course. But talking about it helps sometimes, so if you have any questions or want more info, feel free to memail me. That goes for anyone reading this, too!
posted by danabanana at 7:51 AM on May 14, 2018
Somehow I recently stumbled upon Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sone. It's a YA novel in verse that I read part of a while ago and lost interest (I think I got bored with the poetry format) and I just went and finished it (it is a quick read if you are paying attention) and I think it works well in the "from a sibling's perspective" way. It has a ton of resources in the back of the new edition and discussion questions because I guess it's assigned reading sometimes and it's all very focused on understanding, compassion, reducing stigma, and other mental illness related topics. I'll be mining the back of the book for my own interests - it looks very comprehensive and well-organized.
My younger sister and I were just talking this weekend about what a tool I was in the beginning and it was interesting but also frustrating and sad to hear how she and my family worked their minds around it. I'm happy to be at a point where I've accepted it but it still sucks to have it, of course. But talking about it helps sometimes, so if you have any questions or want more info, feel free to memail me. That goes for anyone reading this, too!
posted by danabanana at 7:51 AM on May 14, 2018
I have Bipolar 1, I rate highly the books put out by Julie A. Fast, there's one that either has "loved one" or "loving someone with bipolar" in the title which might be aimed more at partners but I guess would work for family members too.
posted by AuroraSky at 8:02 AM on May 14, 2018
posted by AuroraSky at 8:02 AM on May 14, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by colorblock sock at 10:37 PM on May 13, 2018 [1 favorite]