People who have extreme mood swings may have bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness. Their moods may have nothing to do with things going on in their lives. The symptoms of bipolar disorder affect not only mood, but also how people think, behave and function.This guide discusses:• what bipolar disorder is
• the symptoms, patterns and causes
• the treatment options
• what to expect during recovery from an episode of mani...

Part of the CAMH Healthy Aging Project, Improving Our Response provides the information, tools and guidance that service providers need to work more effectively with older adults who may have substance use, mental health or gambling problems.This comprehensive resource includes:an overview of alcohol use, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, tobacco use and other problems as they appear in older adultsa selection of screening tools ...

Finding your way around the mental health system can be confusing, frustrating, scary -- and difficult. Written in easy-to-understand language, Challenges & Choices gives practical information about mental health services in Ontario and how to find them. You could be looking for services for yourself or for a family member, partner or friend. Or you could be a health care provider who wants to help clients and families find out about different services and how to use them.Inside yo...

Making the Choice, Making It Work is an easy-to-read guide for people who are considering treatment for opioid addiction, and for those who are already taking opioid agonist therapy. Families and friends will find it valuable for understanding what their friend or family member is experiencing, and how best to offer their support.The guide provides essential information on choosing and starting treatment, how treatment works, side-effects, interactions with other drugs, co...

This book is a valuable resource for health and social service providers who are not specialists in addiction or mental health issues, but who would like to talk about these issues with clients.Many people who come to helping professionals are struggling with a substance use, gambling or mental health problem – or more than one of these problems concurrently. This guide provides information about how to empathically and non-judgmentally raise these issues with clients, and how and ...

People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have difficulty dealing with relationships and social situations, handling emotions and thoughts, and in controlling their impulses. They may also have trouble understanding why their behaviour is causing problems. Having a family member or friend who has BPD presents unique challenges.This booklet is for people who want to better understand and support someone who has BPD. The guide describes the symptoms and what it feels like to ...

Typically, borderline personality disorder is defined as a mental health disorder that causes people to have turbulent feelings which result in turbulent actions. More often than not, these feelings and actions occur over an extended period of time. Therefore, a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder cannot be made unless an individual has displayed these characteristics for several months to a period of several years. In addition, most mental health experts avoid making a diagnosis ...

If you are like many others living with borderline personality disorder (BPD), you know what it’s like to be overwhelmed by intense and fluctuating emotions; to have difficulty with relationships; and to constantly struggle with troubling thoughts and behaviors. BPD can be especially difficult to treat, though there are ways to gain control over your symptoms and live a happier, healthier life.Expanding on the core skill of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Mindfulness for Bo...

If you or someone you love is struggling with borderline personality disorder (BPD), you need up-to-date, accurate, and accessible information on the problems you’re facing and where you can turn for help. But where do you look? Much of the professional literature on BPD is too technical and confusing to be of much help. And searching the Internet for accurate information can be treacherous, with some sites providing useful information and others giving dangerous advice and misinformation....

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by unstable moods, negative self-image, dangerous impulsivity, and tumultuous relationships. Many people with BPD excel in academics and careers while revealing erratic, self-destructive, and sometimes violent behavior only to those with whom they are intimate. Others have trouble simply holding down a job or staying in school. Overcoming Borderline Personality Disorder is a compassionate and informative guide to understanding this pro...

“An utterly unique journey down some of the mind’s more mysterious byways . . . ranges from the shocking to the simply lovely.”—Marya HornbacherStacy Pershall grew up as an overly intelligent, depressed, deeply strange girl in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, population 1,000. From her days as a thirteen-year-old Jesus freak through her eventual diagnosis of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, this spirited memoir chronicles Pershall’s journey through hell and her struggl...

The first love in our lives is our mother. Recognizing her face, her voice, the meaning of her moods, and her facial expressions is crucial to survival. Dr. Christine Ann Lawson vividly describes how mothers who suffer from borderline personality disorder produce children who may flounder in life even as adults, futilely struggling to reach the safety of a parental harbor, unable to recognize that their borderline parent lacks a pier, or even a discernible shore. Four character profiles de...