Guides and tools for managing bipolar disorder

– By Alex Rowan

– After my manic episode faded, a depression set in. My manic episode was severe. I was out of control for months and fit every symptom of mania. I’d never experienced anything like it before in my life. The depression was a rapid descent downward. It was as deep or deeper as the mania was high.

My mind spiraled with negative thoughts. I felt shame and embarrassment for my actions. I mourned all I’d lost during my erratic behavior. Death seemed like the best option.

I sometimes lay in bed all day. The simplest things became daunting tasks. One thing I did do to help was read or listen to books on audio. I especially wanted to try and understand Bipolar Disorder I, mania, depression, and what I could do about it.

Here are some books I recommend:

Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. 272 pages. It’s a candid memoir about his struggle with depression and anxiety. He blends his personal story with practical advice. He offers hope, resilience, and perspective. It’s a moving book that lets readers know they’re not alone and that recovery and joy are possible.

Living with Bipolar Disorder: The Most Effective Strategies for a Great Sense of Structure, Overall Mood Enhancement, Empowerment and Increased Confidence by Patricia Natpikia. 228 pages. The author helps explain the disorder’s biological roots, treatment options, episode management and tips for emotional wellbeing, how to be aware of triggers, repair relationships, and address loneliness.

The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know by David J. Miklowitz. 444 pages. This is a practical manual for patients and families. It explains symptoms, treatments, and relapse prevention strategies. It includes tools for managing mood swings, building routines, and improving communication. It helps those suffering bipolar and their loved ones navigate the disorder and try to create long-term stability.

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison. 224 pages. This book is a memoir of living with bipolar disorder. It’s powerful because she is a clinical psychologist and bipolar herself. She shares her personal stories of mania, depression, and suicidal impulses even while treating others.

Manic in Miami by David Funes. 290 pages. This is a first-person narrative of a man living through a full-blown manic spiral—infidelity, addiction, white-collar crime, homelessness—amid undiagnosed bipolar disorder. The book is his raw, darkly humorous memoir of hitting rock bottom, reclaiming stability through treatment, recovery, and self-acceptance, and emerging as a mental-health advocate offering hope.

Because of the brain fog I’m left with from my bipolar episodes, my short-term memory is lacking and I often forget the things I read or listen to. Even so, these books have helped me, and I hope they help you too.

You can find most of these books or audiobooks for free at your local library, or on Amazon or Audible, Spotify, or Apple Books.

If you have books to suggest, please share them in the comments below.