Preventing Bipolar Relapse: A Lifestyle Program to Help You Maintain a Balanced Mood and Live Well

by Ruth C. White

If you buy just one book on bipolar disorder, let this be it. There’s an old saying: “Prevention is better than cure.” If you have bipolar disorder, this is especially true. For you, it's incredibly important to read the warning signs of a possible episode. For instance, you may find you are not sleeping as well as usual, or you might be sleeping too much. You may stop doing things that you normally enjoy, or you may start acting out your impulses in ways that alienate those around you or get you into trouble.
While the path to wellness for those with bipolar may involve psychiatric visits and medication adjustments, preventing manic and depressive episodes is the true key to staying healthy and happy. So how do you do it? And most importantly, how can you keep yourself motivated? In this powerful, breakthrough book, bipolar expert Ruth C. White shares her own personal approach to relapse prevention using the innovative program SNAP (Sleep, Nutrition, Activity, and People). White also offers practical tips and tracking tools you can use anytime, anywhere. By making necessary lifestyle adjustments, you can maintain balanced moods, recognize the warning signs of an oncoming episode, and make the necessary changes to reduce or prevent it.
This is the first and only book on bipolar disorder that focuses exclusively on prevention. To help you stay well, White includes links to helpful online tracking tools so that you can manage your symptoms, anytime, anywhere. If you are ready to stop living in fear of your next episode, this life-changing book can help you take charge of your diagnosis―and your life.

Genres: Mental Health, Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Ruth C. White, PhD, MPH, MSW, is clinical associate professor at the University of Southern California's School of Social Work and has taught undergraduate and graduate students in social work for fifteen years. White received her MSW from McGill University and her PhD and MPH from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked as a social worker in Canada, the US, and the UK in various types of social work settings, and she keeps a blog at bipolar-101.blogspot.com.

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well thought out and informative book about Bipolar episodes. There is a wealth of information and some really great tips. My only two qualms are that I feel like much of the information is basic and just plain old common sense and in this age of information many people with mental illness are well read up on their disorder, and this book doesn't really add anything new. Another issue is that with so many link to websites and charts I feel like this book would have worked better as a journal with all the charts and recording sheets included in the book.

Overall I do think that this book is a good starter guide for people recently diagnosed as Bipolar and I would recommend this book in that context.

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Ozan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bipolar Bozuklukta duygudurum dönemlerinin nüks etmesini önlemek için ipuçları içeren, psikiyatrist ya da psikolog olmayan bir hasta tarafından yazılmış bir kitap.

Kitabı yazanın fena bir araştırma yaptığı söylenemez ancak ben "Bu kitaptan hiçbir şey öğrenmedim" diyemesem de çok az şey öğrendim. Belki burada suç yazarda değil, benim bipolar bozukluk hakkındaki bilgi birikimimdedir.

Bununla beraber özellikle beslenme ve fiziksel aktivite başlıklarında eksik bulduğum önemli noktalar vardı.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accurate and Informative
Sometimes I review a book out of interest. This book I reviewed out of desperation and urgent need of help. On the verge of a family crisis I reviewed this book before attending our first meeting with a psychiatrist. The doctor was amazed and impressed at the knowledge I shared (specifically the charts that we had completed in the two weeks since the initial pre-diagnosis). The information is given in an easy to understand method. The charts focus on specific tasks that the person diagnosed and their family can understand. Words cannot express the gratitude that I feel towards Ms. White and her information. Factual yet simple. Information given to a hungry family wanting to help prevent a relapse. Hope offered to those who felt left behind. NetGalley and Newharbinger Publications, Inc. provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nadia Sebaali · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Preventing Bipolar Relapse" by Dr. Ruth C. White is a comprehensive guide for individuals living with bipolar disorder and their loved ones. The book emphasizes personalized treatment plans, self-care, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle as key factors in preventing relapse. Dr. White's compassionate and empathetic tone offers a message of empowerment, encouraging individuals with bipolar disorder to achieve stability and live fulfilling lives. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to manage the unique challenges of bipolar disorder.

[Nieva21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very simple program that works to prevent mood cycling in a very challenging illness. Can be used with both co-occurring challenges. It breaks down each of the main components to defeating this illness...
SNAP(Sleep, Nutrition, Activity, and People) so they are manageable and achievable for the sufferer. Recommend to therapists and to clients alike

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had a lot of useful information especially for someone who is newly diagnosed. Personally, I was already doing my own version of this so it was not as helpful but I was able to learn a few new tips.

[Sarah Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book focuses on SNAP: Sleep, Nutrition, Activity, and People as way for managing Bipolar. The book has charts and resources. Unfortunately, while it could be helpful, I found it dry and repetitive.

I received a free ARC via Net Galley. I am voluntarily giving a honest review.

[Nermeen Mahmoud · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very informative book, didn't add that much, but it's useful.

[Robert Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Resource

Good way to develop a strategy and plan. Clear steps that can be tailored to individual needs and situations. Thanks.

[Gabriella Bishop-Schiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and useful!

[Doni · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a straight forward and redundant guide to living with bipolar disorder.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

NETGALLEY


How-to- 'survive' 'cope with' 'understand'- (insert illness here) are rarely… no never successful. They are incredibly singular in approach, with scant review of gender, age, social-economic demographic, or other crucial factors. In this way they establish a baseline of irrelevant suggestions, a passing, hasty analysis of data, and deliver a shallow arrangement of ill-constructed out-come-based hypotheticals. Let's put it this way, generalizations applied to human experiences and behavior never work, and never will work.

The most agitating competent of these how-to-books is the abundance of hope one places on its contents. this misplaced hope in turn can lead to further complications, most specific of which is a deeper loss of hope.

This book is not an exception to this trend, and it may even be one of the worst examples. Bipolar disorder is not, as the label suggest, cemented within binary variables. It is a continuum of behaviors that are, to a large extent very individualized. irritability, depression, anger, panic, sadness, aggression, alcohol and drug dependency, as well as others trail alone from one extreme, depression, to the other mania; and guess what? they make pitstops along the way. This is not your game of pong with one emotion ricocheting off another.

point is….

This book regurgitates information, data—briefly, and hastily—in such a way that it could convince people that it has girth and substance to it. A closer inspection reveals that it is supplying a lean version of care that one would (SHOULD) obtain in therapy and through medical interventions. From contracts to an explanation on sleep cycles, to a very poor review of medication interventions, this book not only misses the mark, it establishes the criteria of failure for future 'manuals' to come.

The danger of books like this is that they can so easily distract people, rather than support them with their health care needs. this is even more relevant with a bipolar population, where adhering to medical, psychological, and social elements essential for maintenance are often ignored, or avoided.

[Beach Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have struggled with being bipolar for over 3 years now. While I don't think there is any perfect formula to regulating swings between manic and depression, I do think Ruth white offers very practical advice in this book as to how you can make an effort to be as healthy as possible in the areas of sleep, nutrition, activity and people (SNAP). In my own personal experience, sleep and nutrition are the key elements I struggle with. If you deprive you mind of rest and nutrients, you can't expect it to function in a "normal" way.
I will definitely be recommending this book to my doctor and other friends who struggle with Bipolar disorder as well.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read multiple books by Ruth C White about Bipolar disorder, there is no other author I trust more than her with this subject. She has helped me to understand my disorder more and more each day. She's helped with tracking my symptoms and has helped a very newly diagnosed bipolar person find peace that I didn't think was possible with the understanding of my disorder. I can't properly thank her for the help and guidance she has given not only me but others.


Would highly recommend anyone who has been diagnosed with bipolar or is a family/friend of someone who is to read this to gain a deeper knowledge.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads First Reads.


The tables and graphs were beneficial and the open letter/contract with yourself at the beginning to start the process was a clever idea but overall the read was dry, repetitive, and obvious.

If it's your first book reading about Bi-Polar management, it's a good start.

However if you were looking for a book with more resources other than journal-writing, it was lacking.

This book seemed more like a thesis paper for a college graduate than a self-help book concerning relapsing into the Bipolar mindset.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very informative without using major medical jargon so anyone with any background could read and comprehend this book. Whether you have bipolar disorder or someone you love does, I would recommend this book to further understand the disorder and to help prevent a relapse. Knowledge is power.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The book is intended for those with a diagnosis I think; I can't imagine that a non-bipolar person would find it especially interesting There were some goodreads reviewers that complained about how basic the book was— I saw that as a strength. I have found that the key to staying healthy is to find a few simple, basic things that work for you, and don't complicate things.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The information in this book, while important, seems like a very basic summarization of other (more detailed) strategies that have come before. Additionally, the strategies are not organized into a program--may be more accurate for the subtitle to be "Lifestyle Tips to Help You Maintain..."

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good advice, but nothing that shook me up. Of course, i've been in therapy for ages so i pretty much have the routine down. A solid introduction to the wide world of bipolarity and how to handle it with aplomb.

[Aaron Polish · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good on the way the actions of fixing the relapse of bipolar gets,,,,only one problem,,,, the publisher had made the three errors of the typing spells.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I found it very informative, easy to read, and full of valuable information and tools that will be helpful to anyone living with bipolar disorder.

[Janel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy, straightforward. Although some repetitiveness and misinformation on medication.

[Jen]

While some of the information in the book is pretty standard and can be found elsewhere, White focuses on developing a plan to keep you healthy. The way she outlines strategies that can help you manage is helpful, as are the resources she provides. The many worksheets she includes for tracking food, medicine, symptoms, exercise, and more may be helpful to some, but I like using tools in mobile apps instead. They are more convenient and I can set reminders.

[Emily]

skimmed through this one, it's attitude was fine, but bit a lot of info I didn't already have