Mania, Madness, Melancholy - all terms used to describe the symptoms of manic-depressive illness, a disorder that has been chronically misunderstood and feared throughout history. In the United States today, more than two million people suffer from manic depression, and now for the first time comes a truly comprehensive, up-to-the-minute guide to all aspects of the disease, written for patients, families, and the professionals who treat them. Basing their conclusions on an exhaustive analysis of the latest scientific research, the author of the best-selling Surviving Schizophrenia joins psychologist Michael Knable to provide detailed coverage of every aspect of the disease, including drug and alcohol abuse, medication non-compliance, suicide, sex, and AIDS.

By providing the cold hard facts about manic depression, Torrey and Knable demystify the illness for its victims and their loved ones. Boldly confronting the lore associated with this disease and its different incarnations, Torrey and Knable separate fact from fiction, dispelling myths about the link between manic depression and prenatal exposure to influenza, for example, but providing evidence to support such ideas as the higher incidence of depression in urban areas. They give factual, non-sensationalized accounts of the disease, from patients' own words, and a detailed list of conditions often mistaken for manic-depressive illness. With special features such as a listing of selected websites, books, videotapes, and other resources, Surviving Manic Depression is the essential handbook for anyone living with manic depressive illness.