Welcome to the Jungle. Hilary T. Smith

Welcome to the Jungle

PRAISE FOR WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

“Hilary Smith brings to light what those with bipolar already know: that just because you've been diagnosed with a mental illness doesn't mean you've lost your insight, intelligence, or playful (and often self-mocking) sense of humor. Welcome to the Jungle astutely captures the roller coaster of emotions that accompany bipolar—from trenchant despair to uproarious mania—and does so in a way that never alienates the reader, but rather sucks you in and keeps you wanting to go along for the ride. Writing with a wisdom and faculty well beyond her years, Smith had me laughing out loud—not at her, but with her. Whether you're a teen for whom the diagnosis of bipolar is as raw and fresh as a snipped nerve, or in your twenties struggling with the disease for what seems like decades, Welcome to the Jungle is the quintessential young person's companion.”

—Malina Saval, author of The Secret Lives of Boys: Inside the Raw Emotional World of Male Teens

“Hilary Smith's wise, hilarious, and candid book is a veritable lifesaver not only for those suffering from bipolar disorder, but for those struggling to keep their sanity while loving them. Maybe because the author suffers from the disorder herself, her book is an actual survival guide, brimming with insight, anecdote, and tough love. Recovery was never so inspiring.”

—Allison Burnett, author of Undiscovered Gyrl

“By far the best, most comprehensive self-help book out there about bipolar disorder. Hilary Smith's incredible sense of humor, candor, and wit make her guide easy to read, a pleasure, and a laugh riot. Every person with bipolar (or family member or friend) should read this book as soon as possible. This book will save lives.”

—Andy Behrman, author of Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania

“Funny, smart, and unflinchingly astute, Welcome to the Jungle is exactly the guide you want on your journey from chaos to stability as you learn to manage bipolar disorder. Smith's sure voice is a welcome companion over some hard road, and her wry wisdom lights the way. Indispensable.”

—Marya Hornbacher, author of Madness: A Bipolar Life and Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia

First published in 2010 by

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

With offices at:

500 Third Street, Suite 230

San Francisco, CA 94107

www.redwheelweiser.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Smith, Hilary, 1986–

Welcome to the jungle : everything you ever wanted to know about bipolar but were too freaked out to ask / Hilary Smith.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-57324-472-5 (alk. paper)

1. Depression in adolescence—Popular works. 2. Manic-depressive illness in adolescence—Popular works. 3. Smith, Hilary, 1986—Health. 4. Manic-depressive illness in adolescence—Patients—Canada—Biography. I. Title.

RJ506.D4S585 2010

616.85'2700835—dc22

2009050798

Cover design by Sara Gillingham

Text design by Donna Linden

Typeset in Perpetua and Toronto Gothic

Printed in Canada

TCP

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1992 (R1997).

This book is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any illness or act as a substitute for advice from a doctor or psychiatrist.

INTRODUCTION

1 WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

LIFE BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS

2 MANIA, DEPRESSION, PSYCHOSIS, OH MY!

A WHIRLWIND TOUR THROUGH THE EPISODES OF BIPOLAR DISORDER

3 YOU'VE GOT DRUGS

WRAPPING YOUR HEAD AROUND MEDS

4 SHRINKS

WHAT THEY'RE FOR AND HOW THEY CAN HELP

5 THIS IS YOUR MANAGER SPEAKING

TAMING EPISODES WITH FOOD, SLEEP, AND EXERCISE