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29 of 29 found the following review helpful:
 Everything you want to know about bipolar disorder Sep 30, 2003
By Jim S
Lana Castle does an excellent job in writing a broad survey of help available for those with bipolar disorder. Although she herself gets most help from medication, she also advocates exercise, self-help groups, and herbs. Her personal insights from living with her mood changes were refreshing. She even dives into the biochemistry of moods and of why good nutrition can help. Her medication table in the appendix allows one to track the many types of medication.
Living a lifetime as a bipolar myself, I can testify that many of her methods work. Everyone affected by this condition should read this book and refer to it over and over.
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
An incredibly useful reference Mar 04, 2003
I couldn't disagree more with the previous review - I found this book to be an incredibly useful reference. Yes, it covered a lot that I already knew - but I found much that was new to me. Too, it summarized information that I'd have to go a number of places to find otherwise, so I could unhesitatingly recommend it to my family to help them understand my disorder better.I found much of the nutirtional information useful, and Lana Castle's advice for managing your life with Bipolar Disorder was presented in realistic, unpreachy ways, unlike other authors who seem to expect us to live our lives like Martha Stewarts of BP - doable only if you have no children or have a staff. If I purchased only one book about bipolar disorder, it would be this one.
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Putting the Puzzle of Mental Illness Together Jun 10, 2003
For anyone dealing with the devastation of mental illness, this comprehensive book puts the pieces of the puzzle together. It helped me understand what my own bipolar children have been going through for many years and has given me a compassion that was sorely lacking. Thank you for having the courage to share your story and for all the information, guidance, and resources you provide.
12 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 Trite, But Not Without Merit. Oct 05, 2006
By Maria Morrison
"mmmjkerouac"
Bipolar Disorder Demystified is the third book I've read on the subject of Bipolar Disorder. It's an easily read book covering everything from depression to hypomania, medication to the importance of vitamin consumption. The information in this book is expansive almost to the point of unnecessary. The chapter on Biochemistry and Genetics was informative. The chapter on Personality and the "Quadrants" of Perfectionism was senseless.
Lana Castle's attempt at intertwining her personal experience with scientific knowledge was charming in the beginning of the book, but trite towards the end when she tells of joining a Quaker church only to leave due to a persistent suitor, or the excerpts of her journal which read like the rantings of a lunatic.
From what I've read, I'm guessing that Castle is a little flaky. I'm glad that she's been able to find the stability she needs in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, but it's mentioned more often that the importance of psychotherapy and medication compliance. The chapter on Exploring Nonmedical Options began with substance, but ended disappointingly with the mention of using massage and aromatherapy as viable options for this disorder. She suggest communing with nature to relieve stress, but then recommends tasting "the sweat that pours from your face after an aerobic workout", for reasons unknown.
The chapter on Creativity is extremely self-absorbed. Once again, it begins with good intentions, but disappointingly segues into a timeline of Castle's attempts at creativity and pretty much reads like a resume of her creative endeavors or like a child screaming "Daddy, look at me! Look at me!"
Overall, Bipolar Disorder Demystified isn't a terrible book. It's full of a variety of important information on dealing with this disorder and the destruction it can cause. The unevenness in joining her personal encounters and scientific or substantial information (for lack of a better word) is not entirely the fault of Lana Castle. The blame should be placed on the editor for not reining in her clearly self-absorb writing style. (She figuratively thumbs her nose at a former psychiatrist for shooting down her ambitions for being a writer! See pages 301-302).
If you roll your eyes when you see a hippie, or laugh at the though of using penny-royale to cure a flu, then this book is not for you. If you are a hippie and have yerba mate in your refrigerator you'll find this book right up your alley. I consider myself ¼ hippie and found this book useful at times, disappointing but not entirely without merit. If you can stomach the ego of Castle, then read this book. When she's not too busy staring at her reflection in the mirror Castle can be a solid writer.
18 of 21 found the following review helpful:
First book I've finished in 12 years! Oct 30, 2004
By K. Thayer
This book was well written and EXTREMELY informative. Although I was a little disappointed at the author's constant need for medication as part of a solution, I understand that this recovery route was part of her personal story. This story, intertwined with great facts, was probably the perfect combination of humanity and science that made the over 400 page book incredibly easy to get through.
I am not a "reader", but would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about not only bipolar disorder, but other brain disorders as well.
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