Thriving on the Bipolar Roller Coaster, An Upbeat, User-friendly Guide to Success

Dec. 13, 2007 - PRLog -- Thriving on the Bipolar Roller Coaster
Is a Realistic, Upbeat and User-friendly Guide for Success
Following a Life-Altering Mental Health Diagnosis
Written by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Living with Bipolar Disorder,
The Book is a Manual for Patients, their Families, Friends and Social Workers

New York --- When she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 44, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Phyllis Elliott was well aware of the challenges ahead. She had spent years advising patients with mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, an illness characterized by extreme mood swings from mania to depression.

Now it was time to take charge of her own recovery.

In her new book, Thriving on the Bipolar Roller Coaster: How To Succeed With Bipolar Disorder, Elliott offers hope for the future and dispenses practical, proven advice based on what has worked for her and her clients.

“My purpose in writing this book is to let everyone know that having this illness makes life more challenging but it doesn’t make it impossible,” she writes in the user-friendly 76-page handbook. “It is my valentine to the people with bipolar disorder that courageously seek to live their dreams, the families that support them and the professionals that continue to try over and over to help.”

Despite her diagnosis, Elliott never let bipolar disorder stop her from reaching her goals.
With the help of doctors and therapists who worked with her to find the right combination of medication and therapy and the love and support of her family and friends, Elliott started – and finished – graduate school, earning her master’s degree in social work. She had been accepted to Fordham University just prior to her diagnosis.

Through a wealth of experiences as a therapist, a patient and even a family member of others with mental illness, Elliott brings a unique perspective to the recovery process. Her goal is to help those with bipolar disorder re-evaluate what they can achieve, to provide family members with hope and coping skills and to encourage professionals to remember to see the person before the illness.

“The most important thing to know is that recovery is possible and you have a right to expect it,” Elliott tells readers. She points out, however, that recovery takes time and isn’t easy. She also reminds them that it takes determination, vision and a team of professionals, family and friends to help make it happen.

Elliott’s book provides readers with symptoms checklists for both mania and depression and outlines the pros and cons of using medication to treat bipolar disorder. She details the coping skills she has found successful when she feels herself becoming depressed or manic, even though she remains on medication. She also delves into the importance of educating oneself about the illness and being an advocate for yourself or your loved one.

The book also includes worksheets, which patients or their families can use to assess their strengths and list their goals; questions to ask when choosing a professional; tips and tools for the families of children and teens with bipolar disorder and strategies for life for the families of those living with the disorder.

About the Author:
Phyllis Elliott, LCSW-R, holds a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University and has 10 years experience in private practice. She is the manager of a resource center for families with children who have social, emotional and behavioral challenges. A member of the National Association of Social Workers and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Elliott lives in New York State with her husband and is the mother of three and grandmother of four. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 44.

About Thriving on the Bipolar Roller Coaster: How to Succeed With Bipolar Disorder:
Elliott’s handbook is an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide to help patients get the lives back on track after a devastating diagnosis. Intended for patients, their families and their therapists, the books offers hope and practical advice for using the diagnosis of bipolar disorder as a starting point, rather than an ending. Elliott can be reached via e-mail through her Web site, www.thrivingonthebipolarrollercoaster.com. Her book is available on iUniverse.com, amazon.com and bn.com, or by calling 1-800AUTHORS.

Website: www.thrivingonthebipolarrollercoaster.com