Welcome to the Jungle has a greater focus on bipolar people, not the diagnosis: the ways in which each person can find his or her own way through the extreme emotional states and intense experiences that we are calling "bipolar"-whether that means medication or meditation, psychiatrists or vision quests, good sleep or good all-night dancing, or a little bit of everything.

An honest, relatable book that can help you figure out how to live your life with bipolar disorder. Many bipolar books are too clinical, too alarmist, and too clearly written for family members and caretakers of people diagnosed with this mood disorder. Welcome to the Jungle is different. Author Hilary Smith wrote this guide because it is the book she wishes she'd been given when she was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It answers questions, points to resources, and most of all, comes from someone who understands what it's like to be thrown off course by an overwhelming mental health issue-and what to do afterwards.

Know that you are not alone-and that many paths can lead to healing. Just like for everyone else, there are many, many paths that bipolar people can take in life. Learn more about how to live your own life with a mental illness using the help of the insights in Welcome to the Jungle, which covers topics such as:

• Wrapping your head around triggers, causes of mood swings, medications, and therapists
• Recovering from mental breakdowns, manic moments, and major depressive episodes
• Living your life beyond the diagnosis-and helping your family to do the same

Readers of bipolar mental health books like The Bipolar Workbook, Rock Steady, or OMG That's Me! will love the devastatingly on-target, honest insights offered in Welcome to the Jungle.

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

Smith, Hilary T.

Hilary Smith was born in 1986. She grew up in Canada and received a BA in English Literature at the University of British Columbia. Her adventures with bipolar disorder began when she was in her late teens, when constant insomnia and crazy thoughts started making her life a little more "interesting." Now she lives somewhere on the West Coast of the USA (her exact home at any given time is subject to frequent changes, as she and her paramour tend to ramble around the country a lot in pursuit of their dreams).

Hilary wrote Welcome to the Jungle because it is the book she wishes she'd been given when she was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Any comments or letters from readers are welcome. Hilary can be reached at bipolarjungle@gmail.com.