When Gracelyn Guyol was diagnosed in 1993 with a mild form of bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, she was prescribed a commonly used antidepressant. Soon she developed breast cysts and benign tumors, a possible side effect of the antidepressant. She went off the drug and within two months, her tumors disappeared. Under the care of a naturopath, Guyol embarked on a quest to educate herself about the underlying genetic, hormonal, and other causes of depression and bipolar disorder. She investigated many natural therapies-including diet, vitamins, herbal treatments, and energy healing-before finding the solutions that have kept her free of depression and bipolar symptoms since 2002. Healing Depression & Bipolar Disorder Without Drugs features Gracelyn Guyol's own story and those of thirteen other people around the country who have cured their depression and bipolar disorder using only natural therapies. In-depth research and the expertise of alternative health-care professionals are included in this landmark guide for patients and caregivers seeking responsible, safe alternatives to psychiatric drugs.

This manual attempts to provide simple, adequate and evidence-based information to health care professionals in primary health care especially in low- and middle-income countries to be able to provide pharmacological treatment to persons with mental disorders. The manual contains basic principles of prescribing followed by chapters on medicines used in psychotic disorders; depressive disorders; bipolar disorders; generalized anxiety and sleep disorders; obsessive compulsive disorders and panic attacks; and alcohol and opioid dependence. The annexes provide information on evidence retrieval, assessment and synthesis and the peer view process.

Who's Crazy Here? is a concise guide for people seeking options to psychiatric drugs. Author Gracelyn Guyol ended her bipolar disorder in 2002 by addressing its underlying causes instead of treating the symptoms forever with drugs. When readers of her first book confessed difficulty "wading through" the length and science in most health books, Gracelyn created this 113 page guide to recovery from ADD/ADHD, Addiction, Eating Disorders, Anxiety, PTSD, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Autism. Part I covers remedies for the most frequent causes of mental dysfunction: inadequate brain fuel, nutrient imbalances, disruptive substances, four "genetic quirks," flawed digestion, food allergies/sensitivities, environmental toxins, and emotional trauma. Chapters in Part II focus on a specific diagnosis and its unique causes. Innovative practitioners are introduced who have developed effective, drug-free treatments. Each chapter concludes with bulleted Steps to Recovery to discuss with your holistic practitioner. Since it can be difficult to locate doctors trained to treat mental illness without drugs, Chapter 1 provides key words, web sites, and tips for finding one using the Internet. For readers who want more scientific data and details, DVDs, books, and web sites are recommended throughout. Learn about practitioners using methods developed by the late Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD, who enabled 75% of his schizophrenic patients to live "normal" lives. Discover the clinic that ended Gracelyn's bipolar mania in just four months, which has been helping mental patients for two decades. Most addiction programs achieve long-term abstinence for only 3-10%. The approach Gracelyn recommends that addresses the physical causes of addiction enjoys 60-74% success. Even children with autism, the most complex disorder, frequently recover. Explore how holistic treatments can help you or a loved one restore mental health.

The book provides treatment recommendations for bipolar patients, a review of evidence about bipolar disorder, and states research needs

More than three million people in the United States suffer from bipolar disorder, a mental illness that is now classified as one of the ten leading causes of disability in the US and the world. While psychiatric drugs may control bipolar disorder, they do not offer any lasting cure and carry the risk of lasting side effects. The Natural Medicine Guide to Bipolar Disorder offers an alternative: innovative, natural, non-drug based approaches that treat the underlying imbalances and restore a healthy mind. Medical journalist Stephanie Marohn identifies the key contributing factors and triggers for mood disorder and profiles a wide range of natural medicine therapies that can truly restore health: biochemical therapy, applied psychoneurobiology, biological medicine, nutritional therapy, cranial osteopathy, allergy elimination, homeopathy, amino acid/nutritional therapy, and more. This fully revised edition offers the latest statistics, research, and interviews with physicians and other healing professionals who are leaders in the field. Each approach is illustrated with case studies and includes resources for additional information. This is an accessible approach to bipolar disorder, full of helpful information and anecdotes that will be a valuable resource for those who suffer from this disorder as well as their family and friends.

When you travel to a new city, it helps to have a map close at hand. On the first day of school, you need to have your schedule of classes. And if you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or suspect you may have it, then it's even more important to have a guidebook within reach. Facing Bipolar will help you navigate the world of medications, therapists, and the up-and-down mood cycles common to the disorder. It clearly explains what bipolar disorder is and provides sound guidance for developing the necessary coping skills to manage its impact on your life. In this book you'll discover: How therapy and medications can help When and how to tell your friends, roommates, and teachers The four key factors that will bring more stability to your life How to develop a support network and access college resources Ways to overcome the challenges in accepting this illness

Bipolar disorders were once considered rare in children and adolescents. A growing body of scientific evidence now suggests that they may be more prevalent in this group than previously believed. At the same time, the practitioner faces significant clinical challenges in both the assessment processes and also the implementation of a treatment plan. A paucity of treatment manuals and pharmacological algorithms providing practical guidance makes the task of the clinician even more difficult, despite the fact that more is known about the assessment, neurobiology and treatment of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder than ever before. Written by three distinguished experts, this book conveys to clinicians all the information currently available in this area. They review both the neuroscience and also the integration of rational, practical, pharmacological and psychosocial interventions. Based on what is known, a sound approach to the assessment of these youngsters can be developed. Similarly, available evidence allows practitioners to ground their treatment protocols solidly on scientific knowledge. Concise and authoritative, Pediatric Bipolar Disorders will give the reader a practical approach to both the art and science of providing the best possible clinical care to children and adolescents with the disorder. This book is written primarily for clinical psychiatrists, but will also be of interest to non-specialist doctors and other members of the health care team.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A deeply powerful memoir about bipolar illness that has both transformed and saved lives—with a new preface by the author. Dr. Jamison is one of the foremost authorities on manic-depressive (bipolar) illness; she has also experienced it firsthand. For even while she was pursuing her career in academic medicine, Jamison found herself succumbing to the same exhilarating highs and catastrophic depressions that afflicted many of her patients, as her disorder launched her into ruinous spending sprees, episodes of violence, and an attempted suicide. Here Jamison examines bipolar illness from the dual perspectives of the healer and the healed, revealing both its terrors and the cruel allure that at times prompted her to resist taking medication.

This innovative manual presents a powerful approach for helping people manage bipolar illness and protect against the recurrence of manic or depressive episodes. Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy focuses on stabilizing moods by improving medication adherence, building coping skills and relationship satisfaction, and shoring up the regularity of daily rhythms or routines. Each phase of this flexible, evidence-based treatment is vividly detailed, from screening, assessment, and case conceptualization through acute therapy, maintenance treatment, and periodic booster sessions. Among the special features are reproducible assessment tools and a chapter on how to overcome specific treatment challenges.