Author Description

Fifteen years ago, this groundbreaking book provided new hope for those whose lives were devastated by moodswings and depression. Now, in this newly revised and updated edition, Dr. Ronald R. Fieve, the pioneer in the treatment of depression in America, offers an even brighter prognosis. Major advances in drug therapy have provided dramatic chemical "cures" that alleviate symptoms faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost that ever before. In this revised and expanded Moodswing, Dr. Fieve sheds new light on the causes and symptoms of specific mood disorders, including manic depression, seasonal depression, and PMS. Then, through case studies, he illustrates the effective use of the latest diagnostic methods and drug treatments. He also provides fascinating information on: Why creative types are often prone to manic-depressive disorders--the results of a fifteen-year follow-up study. How manic depression, alcoholism, and substance abuse go hand in hand. How presidents, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights, and Wall Street wizards can benefit from "manic advantage," but crumble when their moods crash. The revolutionary uses of one of psychiatry's greatest wonder drugs: lithium, as well as new material on the latest antidepressant drugs. Why teenage and adult suicide is on the upswing and what friends and family can do to prevent it. Why traditional psychoanalysis in the treatment of depression is, in many cases, no longer necessary.