My favorite books about bipolar disorder from someone who has lived with it

Why am I passionate about this?

Dave has lived with bipolar disorder and severe anxiety all of his adult life. He has also worked with over 800 people with mental illness in a certified peer support role. Dave is a blogger with Bp Magazine for Bipolar and a mental health influencer. His blog posts have been read by over a million people. Dave has been hospitalized, had most of the treatments available for bipolar disorder including ECT. Dave has come out the other side and has the rare ability to put all of his emotions and experiences in his writing with complete openness and honesty, making him a best-selling author about bipolar disorder.


I wrote...

OMG That's Me!: Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and More...

By Dave Mowry,

Book cover of OMG That's Me!: Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and More...

What is my book about?

What started out as a couple of blog posts blossomed into a following of over 1,000,000 people—who have all read and been touched by Mowry’s stories. The most extraordinary thing he found when writing about his experiences is that the most common comment about his work is “OMG that’s me. You are telling my story. I don’t feel so alone now."

This book is a must-read for anyone living with mental health challenges, and their family, friends, doctors and therapists, and the general public for them to know what it is truly like to live with a mental illness.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

Dave Mowry Why did I love this book?

I love that Jameson writes from both the perspective of living with bipolar disorder, and as a scientist and professor. Her story is true and relatable. When seeking to learn about bipolar disorder, An Unquiet Mind is the place to start. Jameson was one of the first people to shatter the stigma against bipolar disorder.

By Kay Redfield Jamison,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked An Unquiet Mind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An Unquiet Mind is a definitive examination of manic depression from both sides: doctor and patient, the healer and the healed. A classic memoir of enormous candour and courage, it teems with the wit and wisdom of its writer, Dr Kay Redfield Jamison.

With an introduction by Andrew Solomon, writer and lecturer on psychology and culture.

'It stands alone in the literature of manic depression for its bravery, brilliance and beauty.' - Oliver Sacks

I was used to my mind being my best friend. Now, all of a sudden, my mind had turned on me: it mocked me for my…


Book cover of Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness

Dave Mowry Why did I love this book?

Darkness Visible is a work of great personal courage. This bestseller is Styron's true account of his descent into a crippling and almost suicidal depression.

I read this book in 1996 in the depths of my deepest depression. We had lost our home, were homeless, in debt, just out of the hospital, and in the beginnings of my lost years. Styron’s descriptions of his fight with depression described the darkness of my life. I drew strength from this book. I realized I was not alone, and that made all the difference.

By William Styron,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Darkness Visible as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is a story of depression a condition that reduced William Styron from a person enjoying life and success as an acclaimed writer, to a man engulfed and menaced by mental anguish. With profound insight and remarkable candor, Styron tracks the progress of his madness, from the smothering misery and exhaustion, to the agony of composing his own suicide note and his eventual, hard-won recovery. Illuminating an illness that affects millions but which remains widely misunderstood, this book is about the darkness of depression, but it is also ultimately about survival and redemption.


Book cover of Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding & Helping Your Partner

Dave Mowry Why did I love this book?

This is the second book about bipolar disorder that my wife read on her journey of understanding this illness. Family members of people with bipolar disorder are usually left in the dark. Loving Someone brings light and hope to the loved ones of people with bipolar disorder.

By Julie A. Fast, John D. Preston,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This fully revised and updated second edition of the bestselling Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder discusses all aspects of readers' relationships with bipolar partners: work, money, sex, medications and their side effects, therapeutic treatments, and more.

Also called manic depressive disorder, bipolar disorder can cause extreme mood swings, and people who suffer from this disorder can alternate between manic and depressed behavior without much warning.

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder, Second Edition, builds on the practical advice offered in the original book by offering critical new information on the medications that are sometimes prescribed to manage bipolar disorder symptoms. Readers…


Book cover of As A Man Thinketh

Dave Mowry Why did I love this book?

Originally published in 1903, James Allen’s As A Man Thinketh is a change of pace. It reveals the fundamental truth of human nature: “A man is literally what he thinks.” Allen’s deceptively simple principle has changed the lives of millions of readers, making As A Man Thinketh a classic bestseller for a century. This book gives one a path out of the depths of bipolar disorder. This little book is a treasure.

Book cover of Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder: Understanding & Helping Your Partner

Dave Mowry Why did I love this book?

In this book, Julie tells her story of living with bipolar disorder. She also shares some tools to help during the dark days. I started the OMG That’s Me! series so folks living with bipolar disorder will know they are not alone and that there is hope. Julie communicates this masterfully.

By Julie A. Fast, John D. Preston,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This fully revised and updated second edition of the bestselling Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder discusses all aspects of readers' relationships with bipolar partners: work, money, sex, medications and their side effects, therapeutic treatments, and more.

Also called manic depressive disorder, bipolar disorder can cause extreme mood swings, and people who suffer from this disorder can alternate between manic and depressed behavior without much warning.

Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder, Second Edition, builds on the practical advice offered in the original book by offering critical new information on the medications that are sometimes prescribed to manage bipolar disorder symptoms. Readers…


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Medical Hostages

By Shawn Jennings,

Book cover of Medical Hostages

Shawn Jennings Author Of Locked In Locked Out: Surviving a Brainstem Stroke

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

The five recommended nonfiction books on my list profoundly affected my life in my time of need. I struggled when a minor accident led to a brainstem stroke and being locked in at 45. How would I find happiness now? How can I go on? These five books gave me the strength to work hard, accept what couldn’t be improved, and be grateful for each day of good health. I hope the recommended books will help you prepare for the day your life will change...and it will.

Shawn's book list on accepting and moving on from a tragedy

What is my book about?

Duke, the leader of a bike gang, is in custody for murder. He plans an escape by feigning illness and hospitalization. But an unexpected turn of events results in two gang members and Duke holding a medical floor of patients hostage. Patients will die if the police don't meet their demands within hours.
The drama follows Duke and Drs. Mindy Fletch, director of the Intensive Care Unit, and Craig Russell, a family medicine resident, in this tense hostage stand-off.

Will the bikers find freedom? Will hostages die? Can Mindy and Craig survive and prevent deaths? In times of stress, people often discover new directions and strengths.

Medical Hostages

By Shawn Jennings,

What is this book about?

Duke, the leader of a bike gang, is in custody for murder. He plans an escape by feigning illness and hospitalization. But an unexpected turn of events results in two gang members and Duke holding a medical floor of patients hostage.


Patients will die if the police don't meet their demands within hours.


The drama follows Duke and Drs. Mindy Fletch, director of the Intensive Care Unit; and Craig Russell, a family medicine resident; in this tense hostage stand-off.


Will the bikers find freedom? Will hostages die? Can Mindy and Craig survive and prevent deaths?


In times of stress, people…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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