Another book I have come across but have not read yet, although it is on my bookshelf, is:

Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher

Perhaps I will post a review once I have finished it.

There's "why am I still depressed?" by Dr Phelps which is more for BP2 and what he calls "soft bipolar".

Have you gone through the web. I have just started researching myself. I will keep you posted. I did out that taking fish oil every day helps. I love to research this stuff.

lilbe, you will find that Dr Phelps has a website with lots of research.

I did however, find the Bipolar Survival Guide to be the best resource for practical management aids to be used in conjunction with meds.

Sometimes web resources can be a little flaky and biaised.

lilbe, I am also taking Fish Oil and at first was skeptical as to whether or not it was beneficial as, being new to bipolar, I could not differentiate what are the effects of the medications vs the Fish Oil. I did an experiment and dropped the Fish Oil from my regimen and noticed a difference almost immediately. Since then I dutifully take between 4-8 capsules per day.

Like you, I really love to research these things as it is a form of therapy which works for me and keeps me prepared / informed. :)

Acuriousfish, I'm going to pick up the Dr. Phelps book as it seems like an edifying read after checking out the descriptions on Amazon and a review of it on Chapters.ca.

I am in complete agreement with you on the flakiness of websites, a large number of the sites I have come across recommend foregoing meds or some dodgy form of vitamin treatment. This is also true for virtually any disorder actually, one can take almost any illness and you'll find a plethora of hits for 'miracle cure sites' in the top hits. The funniest is Apple Cider Vinegar being recommended for virtually everything.

contrite that's awesome about the fish oil. I am a pretty natural eater to begin with so I must have some form in my diet already. I am going write all these books down. Have any of you had blurred vision. I can't see the screen so well.

When I first began taking Epival, I quite often had blurred vision and still do from time to time. Previous to taking medications for Bipolar Illness this almost never happened. Over time this had cleared up. In addition to taking Fish Oil, I also take a garlic capsule, multivitamin and B12. That combo seems to work well for me.

fish i agree, bipolar disease: a guide for patients and families by mondimore has been a valued resource, i go to it all the time, in fact i keep it on my printer right next to the computer.

This is a booming genre, scarily..& there is some pretty dodgy, schlocky reads (yeah, have ploughed through a few) among them.
If I name them I'll get all these 'i loved that' replies!

I thought The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon was outstanding- ok, extreme (& psychotic) depression is the subject..but that is relevant, of course & it's such an interesting book- how depression is perceived & dealt with in different cultures around the globe, among other things. It's quite devastating but rings true, I thought.

Heard about a book just published, sounds terrific..called sth like 'Leave a light on for me'? I'll have to go find review again.

I like the survival guide a lot, I also like An Unquiet Mind. It is well written and not a text-book, which has been really helpful when I want to attempt to explain how I think to others.

oh yeah, that's the first one to recommend..Unquiet mind, I mean.

I give high marks for the "Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide" by David J Miklowitz PhD as well. I wish I would had discovered it years ago. It is a wonderful resource.