The Bipolar Bear Family

The Bipolar Bear Family is a story about a young cub who struggles to understand his mother's behavior and her subsequent diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. The story of The Bipolar Bear Family helps children of bipolar parents address such questions as: Is this my fault? Is it contagious? Can I fix it? According to the National Institute for Mental Health, Bipolar Disorder affects more than 2 million American adults. Further, we know that the dynamics of Mental Illness closely mirror the dynamics of alcoholism and addiction in its impact on the family system. By compassionately educating parents and children, the author hopes to make a life-long difference for these courageous families.

Fictional story about Brandon, a young boy living with bipolar disorder. Readers learn about his symptoms, fears, and treatment from a child's viewpoint.

Sometimes Bipolar Bear finds himself at the bright North Pole or the dreary South Pole. Using tools he finds either on his own or with the help of his family, he's able to make his way back to his home. Cut out the sunglasses and the flashlight in the back to get involved, and if you flip through the pages quickly, you just may find a nice surprise!

This book chronicles bipolar illness through the eyes of a 7-year-old "cub" of a bipolar mother. He takes us through the heartache, frustration and embarrassment he experiences, but poignantly shares his compassion for his mother. When the cub finds the courage to communicate his basic needs, mama bear finds some surprising and creative ways to help her child cope. The cheerful drawings and heartwarming ending will delight all ages and give parents, children and the caregiving community helpful ideas and a bear-sized heart. Many thanks to Northern Essex Community College and Children's Literature Professor Janet Clark

Eli the polar bear learns to deal with his bipolar disorder.

When bipolar disorder afflicts the person you love, you suffer too. How have other couples learned to manage the relationship strains caused by this illness? What can you do to provide your partner with truly helpful nurturance and support? No one cares more deeply about these questions than Dr. Cynthia Last, a highly regarded therapist/researcher who also has bipolar disorder. Sharing stories and solutions from her own experience and the couples she has treated, Dr. Last offers heartfelt, practical guidance for getting through the out-of-control highs and the devastating lows--together. Learn how you can help your spouse come to terms with a bipolar diagnosis, get the most out of treatment, and reduce or prevent future mood episodes, while also taking care of yourself.

Nanook the Bipolarbear is a bear in chaos... Riding the icy waves of Bipolar Affective Disorder and barely coping with the stress of everyday life. Nanook isn't here to pretend everything is OK and that this bear is doing any better than anyone else in life, Nanook just wants to show that its OK to not be OK.

As a wife and mother, Momma Polar struggles daily with chronic pain and bipolar 2. She is becoming severely depressed and once again must go to the hospital to feel better. Her husband, Papa Polar, does his best to explain her mental illness to their two cubs, Eli and Sky. He wants them to understand that there are two sides to this illness: the very, very happy side (hypomania) and the very, very sad side (depression). I hope you enjoy my book and that it helps you explain bipolar 2 to your child/ren.