When Secretum posted about this book, I wasn't sure if I'd read that one or another and was going to look it up (because I'd only recognize it by seeing the cover). When I read THIS, I went straight to Amazon, because if it was the same book, I needed to chime in. It WASN'T! Thanks for the heads up. I had the same experience with Manic A Memoir by Terri Cheney. Stuff in the first few pages was horrific, and though I've (TG!) never dealt with anything of the sort, it really shook me up. If anyone has dealt with sexual assault, I would urge EXTREME caution.

It (Cheney book) was one I borrowed from my PMHNP --I occasionally do what I call "book reports", lol. There were two major things I noted that I couldn't relate to --besides full-blown mania -- ED and BPD. Mind you, she doesn't say BPD, but there's a helluva lot of evidence for it in her story, and my psych completely agreed. (Can't remember if she actually said ED or not.) Why mention this? Because it is the one thing that I've sometimes found problematic in autobiographies. If they've got other things going on, and don't say so, it leads to the impression that non-BP stuff is part of BP. This might not be so problematic for those of us who've been at it awhile and can recognize that, but it bothers/concerns me for those reading who are not so familiar. BP can be confusing enough as it is(!)

Because so many BP reads are pretty heavy, I'd like to recommend a book that I found a fun read. The Up and Down Life. The Truth of Bipolar Disorder -- the Good the Bad and the Funny by Paul E. Jones. It's been a few years since I read it, so I might be forgetting some stuff, but a couple of the funny things stick with me to this day.

Mommyof2girls, I agree on BP for Dummies. It's one of only 2 BP books I actually own.

(Guess that coffee's kicked in(!) )