Bipolar Disorder: Rebuilding Your Life Book

	Dedication	v
	Permissions	vi
	Author's Notes	VII
	Introduction	XIII
Part 1	Childhood: Ongoing Family Strife and Sexual Abuse	1
1.	Surviving in a Dysfunctional Family	3
2.	Coping with Sexual Abuse	18
3.	An Emotional Orphan on the Battlefield of Key Relationships	27
4.	The Beginnings of an Eating Disorder	38
5.	How a Dysfunctional Family Communicates	40
6.	Good and Bad Spiritual Influences	43
7.	Dire Predictions	45
Part 2	Finding Guidance in Education, Career and Marriage Decisions	51
8.	Bulimia Begins	53
9.	Guidance Issues	62
10.	A Spiritual Awakening	67
Part 3	Job Happiness, Stresses and Horrors	81
11.	Church Opportunities and Issues	83
12.	Alarming Problems Facing Today's Clergy and Their Families	87
Part 4	Depressions, Near-Suicides and Hospitalizations	97
13.	Events that Trigger a Life-threatening Depression	99
14.	Life in a Psychiatric Unit: Sometimes Awful, Sometimes Fun	109
15.	Serious Insurance Conflicts and a Near Disaster	119
16.	More Important Facts about Bipolar Disorder	122
Part 5	Treading Water to Survive	129
17.	Facing Losses	131
18.	Problems Adjusting to Work	137
19.	Finding Understanding Friends	140
20.	Stigma's Distressing Effects	143
21.	Family Struggles with Pain and Loss Due to Mental Illness	145
22.	More Stigma: Toxic Church Members and Clergy	149
23.	Recurring Depressions and the "Treatment-resistant" Patient	155
24.	Searching for the "Whys" of Mental Illness	159
25.	The Value of Humor	165
26.	Taking Responsibility for Recovering; The Role of Faith	167
27.	The Benefits of Professional Counseling	170
28.	The Rewards of Marriage Therapy	176
29.	Living Between the Worlds of Mania and Depression	179
30.	Self-Education: More Than Half the Battle	183
31.	Life-saving Discoveries about Medications and Recovery	188
32.	A Support Group Makes All the Difference	200
33.	The Potential Risks of Work: Hours, Pace and Deadlines	201
34.	The Forgiveness Process: Finding How to Let Go of Resentment	203
35.	Applying the Serenity Prayer and AA's Twelve Steps for Rejuvenating Relationships	209
Part 6	The Promise of Recovery: Moving onto the Offense	211
36.	Breaking Free from Needing the Approval of Others	213
37.	"God Things" That Can Keep You Going	215
Part 7	Self-Care: Practical Strategies, Techniques and Tips for Rebuilding	217
38.	The Perils of Sleep Deprivation	219
39.	Reentering Spiritual Kindergarten to Find Help with Attitudes, Habits and Relationships	227
40.	The Risks of Good Stress, Bad Stress, and a Lack of Routine	228
41.	The Medical-Biological Model for Treating Mental Illness	231
42.	New Freedom, New Strength from Honest, Supportive Relationships	236
43.	A Basic Coping Strategy that Works	239
44.	Overcoming Resentment and Self-pity	243
45.	How a Crisis of Meaning Can Lead to a New Role in Life--Hope and Encouragement for the Mentally Ill and Their Loved Ones	248
	Epilogue	258
	Acknowledgements	259
	Resources
Appendix A	Strategies, Techniques, Tips and Tools for Those Living with Bipolar Disorder and Depression	263
Appendix B	Simple Ways You Can Give Help and Hope to a Mentally Ill Person or His Family	269
Appendix C	Practical Things Your Faith Community Can Do to Help the Mentally Ill and Their Families	272
Appendix D	Support, Information and Advocacy Organizations	275
	Notes	280
	About the Author	289
	Order Form	290