Depression and bipolar disorder : your guide to recovery

Content: Introduction: --
Why you need this book --
Not receiving treatment --
Misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment --
Who will find this book useful --
How to use this book --
About the author --
What this book can\'t do --
Evidence-based information and the bibliography --
Message of hope --
Chapter 1: Managing Emotional Distress And Thoughts Of Self-Harm: --
Options for receiving help immediately --
Suicide risk factors --
Developing a stress and crisis management plan --
Chapter 2: Mood Disorders And The Diagnostic Process: --
How psychiatric disorders are diagnosed --
Disorders: --
Mood episodes --
Depressive spectrum disorders --
Bipolar spectrum disorders --
Chapter 3: Do You Have A Mood Disorder?: --
Mood episodes: --
Depressive episodes: --
Cardinal symptoms: depression and anhedonia --
Other depressive symptoms --
Distress/impairment and medical causes --
Dysthymic disorders --
Manic, hypomanic, and mixed episodes: --
Mood elevation --
Other mood elevation symptoms --
Impairment and medical causes --
Mixed episodes --
Episode duration --
Mood episode summary --
Interpreting your results: --
Mood episodes you have experienced --
Your likely mood disorder diagnosis --
Differential diagnosis --
Coexisting conditions --
Do you have a coexisting (comorbid) psychiatric condition?: --
Substance use disorders --
Psychotic disorders --
Obsessive-compulsive disorder --
Generalized anxiety disorder --
Panic disorder --
Specific phobias --
Social phobia --
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) --
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) --
Eating disorders --
Summary of possible comorbid conditions --
Should you seek further evaluation from a mental health or medical professional? --
Chapter 4: Mood Disorders: Facts And Causes: --
How common are mood disorders? --
Course of illness for mood disorders --
Additional features of mood disorders: --
Psychotic symptoms --
Rapid cycling bipolar illness --
Seasonal symptoms --
Mood episodes caused or worsened by other disorders, medications, or substances --
Biology and psychology of mood disorders --
Neurobiology of emotion --
Biology of mood disorders: --
Brain structure --
Genetic factors --
Neurotransmitters --
Inflammation --
Neurocircuitry --
Summary of the neurobiology of mood disorders --
Psychology of mood disorders: --
Freudian theory --
Cognitive theory --
Interpersonal theory --
Mindfulness theory --
Summary of the biology and psychology of mood disorders. Chapter 5: How And Where To Find Help: --
Prescribers who treat mood disorders: --
Physicians other than psychiatrists --
Psychiatrists --
Other prescribers --
Therapists who treat mood disorders --
Finding help: --
Getting help if you are in crisis --
National resources for finding treatment --
Local resources for finding treatment --
Support organizations --
Costs of treatment --
Chapter 6: Collaborating With Your Team: --
Who\'s on your team? --
Roles and responsibilities: --
Medical and mental health professionals --
Friends and family --
Team captain --
Communication strategies: --
Learning the language --
Managing time --
Avoiding intimidation --
What to do if things aren\'t working out with your provider --
Chapter 7: Diagnostic Evaluation: --
What to expect --
Components of a diagnostic assessment: --
Current psychiatric history --
Past psychiatric history --
Psychiatric disorder and substance use screening --
Medical and surgical history --
Current medications --
Medication allergies --
Family history --
Social history --
Mental status examination --
Physical examination --
Laboratory or diagnostic procedure results --
Psychological testing --
Diagnostic and symptom severity testing --
Getting ready for the appointment --
Preparing your evaluation form --
Chapter 8: Medication And Other Biological Treatments: --
General principles of biological interventions --
Effectiveness studies --
We can\'t know everything about any given treatment --
All biological treatments have risks --
Medications used to treat mood disorders: --
Antidepressants --
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) --
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and 5-HT1A receptor partial agonists --
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) --
Dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors --
Serotonin modulators and norepinephrine-serotonin modulators --
Tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs) --
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) --
How well do antidepressants work? --
Antidepressant side effects --
Discontinuation syndrome: --
Mania and rapid cycling in bipolar disorder --
Serotonin syndrome --
Sexual side effects --
Suicide --
Mood stabilizers: --
Anticonvulsants --
Antipsychotics --
Lithium --
Additional biological treatments: --
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) --
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) --
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) --
Light therapy --
Summary of biological treatments --
Chapter 9: Psychotherapy: --
Why psychotherapy? --
What is psychotherapy? --
Developing self-awareness --
Cognitive and mindfulness-based therapies: --
Cognitive therapy (CT) --
Mindfulness-based psychotherapies: --
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) --
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) --
Summary of mindfulness therapies --
Other psychotherapy methods: --
Family-focused therapy (FFT) --
Group therapy --
Interpersonal therapy (IPT) --
Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) --
Martial and family therapy (MFT) --
Problem-solving therapy (PST) --
Psychodynamic psychotherapy --
Psychoeducation --
Summary of psychological approaches. Chapter 10: Complementary Approaches To Recovery: --
Acupuncture --
Aerobic exercise --
Dietary supplements: --
Folate --
Omega-3 fatty acids --
SAM-e --
St John\'s wort --
Mindfulness meditation --
Religion and spirituality --
Social support: --
Evaluation of your level of social support --
Companion animals --
Self-help books and websites --
Summary of alternative and adjunctive recovery strategies --
Chapter 11: Starting Treatment: --
Which initial treatment approach? --
Potential risks versus benefits --
Three general treatment strategies --
Starting treatment for a depressive disorder: --
Major depressive disorder: --
Uncomplicated major depression --
Major depression with psychotic symptoms --
Major depression with catatonic symptoms --
Major depression with a seasonal pattern --
Major depression with a comorbid anxiety disorder --
Major depression with a comorbid substance use disorder --
Major depression with a comorbid eating disorder --
Major depression with comorbid dementia --
Dysthymic disorder --
Adjustment disorder with depressed mood --
Starting treatment for bipolar disorder: --
Bipolar depression: --
Biological treatments for bipolar depression --
Psychotherapy for bipolar depression --
Manic, hypomanic, and mixed episodes: --
Biological treatments --
Psychotherapy --
Treatment setting: --
Which treatment setting is right for you? --
What about involuntary treatment? --
Chapter 12: Special Considerations For Women: --
Major depression: --
Diagnosis of depression during pregnancy and after delivery --
Depression and your child --
Depression treatment during pregnancy and breast-feeding: --
Antidepressant treatment during pregnancy --
Antidepressant treatment while breast-feeding --
Psychotherapy treatment while pregnant or breast-feeding --
Recommendations --
Bipolar disorder: --
Medication treatment for bipolar disorder during pregnancy and breast-feeding --
Recommendations --
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder --
Chapter 13: Getting Well: Acute Phase Of Treatment: --
Follow-up appointments --
Individual variations in treatment response --
Are you getting better?: --
Mood symptom fluctuation --
Mood cycles --
Nature of treatment response --
Mood charts --
Maximizing treatment: --
Inputs to good decision making --
Evidence-based decision making --
Outputs --
Acute treatment for depressive disorders --
Acute treatment for bipolar disorders: --
Bipolar depression --
Mania, hypomania, and mixed episodes --
Chapter 14: Maintenance Treatment And Relapse Prevention: --
Maintenance treatment: --
Aim or maintenance treatment --
Decisions about maintenance treatment --
Maintenance treatment for depresssive disorders --
Maintenance treatment for bipolar disorders --
Additional strategies for relapse prevention: --
Developing a relapse prevention plan --
Your relapse triggers --
Preventing and managing triggers --
Early signs of relapse --
Responding to a potential relapse --
Final thoughts --
Appendix A: Resources for getting help --
Appendix B: Useful websites --
Appendix C: Recommended reading --
Glossary --
Bibliography --
Index.