Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder: A 4-Step Plan for You and Your Loved Ones to Manage the Illness and Create Lasting Stability

by Julie A. Fast, John D. Preston

Revised and updated, this important book offers a groundbreaking, comprehensive program to help those with bipolar disorder—and those who care about them—gain permanent control over their lives. 

Most people diagnosed with bipolar disorder are sent home with the name of a doctor and a bag of medications. However, only 20% of those with the illness are able to gain long term control over their lives with medication alone. Now, bipolar disorder expert Julie A. Fast, who was diagnosed with the illness at age 31, and specialist John Preston, Psy.D., have developed an effective program that helps readers promote stability, reduce the risk of suicide, increase work ability, decrease health care costs, and improve relationships. The book guides those with bipolar disorder and their loved ones toward a comprehensive personal treatment plan by
By helping readers gather these powerful resources, TAKE CHARGE OF BIPOLAR DISORDER delivers a dynamic program to treat this dangerous, but ultimately manageable illness.

Genres: Mental Health, Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Health, Mental Illness

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2006

About the author

Julie A. Fast is a critically acclaimed six-time author, radio host, national speaker, and sought after expert in the field of mental health management. Since starting her website www.BipolarHappens.com where she offers a treatment plan and advice for those affected by bipolar disorder, Julie has written three traditionally published books on the topic of mood disorders:

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding and Helping Your Partner

Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder: A Four Step Plan to Help You and Your Loved Ones Manage the Illness and Create Lasting Stability

Get it Done When You're Depressed: 50 Strategies to Get Your Life on Track

Julie is also the author of The Health Cards Treatment System for Bipolar Disorder.

Her former partner Ivan was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1994- and she was diagnosed a year later. Their experiences together form a basis for all of her books.

Julie knows that work, money and relationships are the main struggle for people with bipolar disorder - and her goal is to help people find stability in all three areas.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had great information for a patient who wants to work at getting better. In our case, our daughter isn't interested in this or anything I bring up about it. Maybe it'd work for a later time. I'm looking for a book to help parents of adult children cope with taking care of this awful illness since she's not willing to try much of anything.

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a resource for people with BD and those that love one. It’s incredibly practical guide. I recommend navigating this book when you’re stable and/or in partnership with a loved one. There are so many valuable activities and reflections that can feel grueling or skewed if you are in a swing. The amount of information can also feel overwhelming when considering what strategies to implement for management. Another stable person can support you in being realistic and gracious with yourself. HIGHLY recommend as someone with BDII.

[Cheryl Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing I found on the subject when my daughter was diagnosed. Most helpfully, it contains regular suggestions for friends and family members trying to help someone with bipolar disorder (including what NOT to do or say.) If you have been diagnosed or are helping care for someone with the disorder, you will want to keep this book as a reference.

[Ashley Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone new to the diagnosis of bipolar this book has been extremely helpful for me in understanding my diagnosis. It has a lot of great tips for those who want to work on their mental health and understand what is happening in their bodies/brains.

I also think this book would be extremely helpful for anyone who has a loved one who is diagnosed. It has little excerpts for family and friends. It also explains the behaviors that come with bipolar so those who have a relationship with someone diagnosed with bipolar have a better understanding of what is going on with their loved one and why.

If your child, partner, parent, friend, or anyone else you have a close relationship with is diagnosed I highly suggest you both read this book.

If I could rate it higher than 5 stars I would.

[Raina · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book for us "crazy" people

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very basic book that I'd suggest for loved ones of a person with bipolar disorder. It is written from the perspective of someone who has bipolar disorder; however, I found it lacking.

[Jennifer Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read several books on the subject, and I think this one’s the best. Great info and tells you what you need to know, not just what you want to hear. (But not discouraging either).

[Claire Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically DNF because it ruined my life learning even more about how bipolar can ruin you but it was informative.

[Diane Bator · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I highly recommend this book!
Julie A Fast has lived with bipolar for many years and done some fantastic research on how to live with the condition as effectively as possible. It not only speaks to the person with bipolar, but to family members as well. It also offers a great list of books to continue the journey and learn even more.

As the parent of a bipolar young adult, it was extremely helpful in helping me be more mindful of how I talk to my child, as well as treat them. And to understand bipolar is an illness, much like cancer or diabetes.

[RXSLYNN & CO. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive at times, but a decent read

[Alex2739]

If you want to learn what bipolar disorder is, its symptoms and concequenses, how it changes your life and how to come to terms with it, this is a good book. It is very informative and I think it can be useful to a lot of people.

[Sherry Joiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie A. Fast's Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder: A 4-Step Plan for You and Your Loved Ones to Manage the Illness and Create Lasting Stability, is an encyclopedia of Bipolar Disorder. I enjoy the insights on bipolar disorder in the exercises of this work book. An important read for those who are struggling with or have a family member or loved one with Bipolar Disorder or a mental illness.

[Olivia]

This is a really helpful book for anyone who has a bipolar (1 or 2) diagnosis or cares for someone with that diagnosis.
It provides practical steps for someone who bipolar to use, and it gives family and friends tools to help their loved one.
Definitely recommend this.

[Bridgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good general overview on steps you can take to control Bipolar Disorder.

[Alyssa Gaede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you need help to develop a management plan for yourself or a family member? This book is extremely practical and therefore very valuable.

[Stephanie Rubke]

It's my bible

[Kris Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 20 y/o son has a bipolar 1 diagnosis, so I experience bipolar as an observer and a sometimes caregiver. This book is the main reason my son is stable today. We went from chaos and crisis to stability thanks to the strategies and practical plan outlined in this book. This book covers everything that touches bipolar and teaches a loved one how to communicate & incrementally treat bipolar as an illness. Julie strips the illness of the emotional rollercoaster of the symptoms and breaks down the illness into recognizable & predictable symptoms & then outlines a practical management plan that works. This book focuses on preventing major episodes by learning to treat symptoms when they are just beginning. This plan works. The management plan we use today has given my son's life back. Thanks to the practical plan outlined in "Take Charge of Bipolar" my son went from total chaos to stability. The ideas in this book work. If you have a loved one with a bipolar diagnosis and you need help knowing how to effectively treat bipolar, this is the book to read, to study & to implement.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that "Take Charge of Bipolar" saved my son's life. This book teaches you that bipolar is an illness and that it can be effectively treated with a comprehensive plan. This is the hardest thing our family has ever experienced. Julie Fast's book was the first and only book that gave me hope because of the practical & hands-on approach to treating this illness.

Begin with the chapter on "the bipolar conversation" and you'll see that symptoms are the same for anyone with this diagnosis. This chapter was a revelation when I first read it because I realized for the first time, this is an illness impacting the brain. The symptoms are predictable. The symptoms can be treated.

I highly, highly recommend this book.

[Dyane Harwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie A. Fast and John Preston's revised classic "Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder" is THE book to get if you suffer from bipolar disorder or care about someone who is affected by it. It's an outstanding tour de force! The authors' strengths combine to make this an exceptional resource. Fast's lived experience with bipolar disorder and her extensive research background are the ideal complement to Preston, a neuropsychologist board-certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in counseling psychology. The book is comprehensive in every way. It covers medications, lifestyle/behavioral changes, how to reach out for help, and even how to use the powerful ketogenic diet for bipolar disorder, a modality connected with the cutting-edge field of Metabolic Psychiatry. (I'm leaving out many other incredibly useful sections, but suffice to day, this book contains a wealth of practical as well as compassionate information.) I'm a mom who was diagnosed with postpartum bipolar one disorder (a.k.a bipolar disorder, postpartum-onset in the DSM-5) in 2007. Since then, I've become a perinatal mental health advocate and a Metabolic Psychiatry advocate, I wish I had "Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder" in 2007 as it would've been profoundly helpful for me, my family, and my care team. If I could give it 100 stars, I would!

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I didn't. Then I really tried to *like* this book. Unfortunately, it fell short of that goal, too. But I don't hate the book.

I've suffered with bipolar I most of my life. A lot of the information stated in this book is old hat to me and I was not surprised by any of it, despite really hoping to get some new information on coping. The primary lesson the book boils down to is 'take your meds'. If you are someone who really needs that advice delivered in a myriad of ways to really 'get' it, this is a fantastic book. Unfortunately I take my meds religiously and have for decades so there was nothing to gain. I was really hoping for tips on how to cope with manic episodes when your meds work imperfectly, or how to ride out a depressive episode when it feels like it just won't end. I didn't get that sort of commiseration from the book. In the end this felt like a lecture from a non-bipolar parent or medical professional.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good basic book for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder and their loved ones. I like the idea for the 4 step plan (lifestyle changes, behavioral changes, medications and support people). At times I found it dry and hard to get through. I was mostly reading it to if it's something I'd recommend to clients. I do think it would be helpful as it has very practical applicable tools. A great "how-to" for those newly diagnosed or folk unable to manage symptoms.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be incredibly informative and enlightening. I appreciate that it's actually written for people who live with bipolar disorder, but also provides insights for people who care for or live with or are in relationship with people as well.

The information is easy to track with manageable steps and insights. It is a bit overwhelming, but I can see how it's giving great information on the whole.

[Danae Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book that gives such a structured way to handle bipolar disorder. I am particularly grateful for the sections on ketogenic therapy, something I started over a year ago, but haven’t seen much mention in books on mental illness (outside of books specifically about ketogenic therapy). This book has been outlined, tabbed, and highlighted to death. I know I will use it again in the future.

[Jane Rozek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good handbook for those families with who struggle with this health issue. It has actually practical advice written with compassion. Ms. Fast also has personal experience, is a mental health counselor and writes an awesome blog!

[Helen Geng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Feb 2020

[Olea · Rating 4 out of 5]

So great to help me understand my daughter's new diagnosis, the what's, why's and where do we go from here's.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BEST book on BiPolar disorder I've ever read, and written by a lady *with* the disorder.

[Amy Hartsough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably helpful for those who have the correct diagnosis. It’s a great book for bipolar disorder recovery, I imagine.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

#TakeChargeofBipolarDisorder #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-Arc copy of this novel.

[Jewel Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of helpful information included in this book for navigating through mood swings and working to maintain stability as much as possible. It also helped my husband better understand my disorder.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️