Book Review: Unglued: A Bipolar Love Story
Unglued: A Bipolar Love Story, by Jeffrey Zuckerman, Boyle & Dalton, ISBN: 9781633373761, 2020, 323 pages, $15.95.
Unglued A Bipolar Love Story by Jeffrey Zuckerman is a calamitous account of the experiences his family endured when his wife was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Not only does Zuckerman recount events in detail, but he also shares what can only be his true and sincere, raw, heartfelt, and sometimes somewhat uncomfortable feelings.
Zuckerman takes the reader through a windy road of love, disdain, terror, and defense of his wife of many years who developed bipolar disorder later in life. During their journey, the author brings to light the challenges, highs, and lows of living with someone with bipolar disorder from a real and personal perspective. He does not sugar coat the atrocities that ensued over the course of their journey in trying to figure out how to lead their best lives. You are immediately pulled into the story and are constantly left wanting to know more. In one moment, you are sitting with him and his pain when saddled with the agony of deciding whether to fulfill his own needs or hers. In another moment, you are crying for his wife because you know that she cannot control her impulses and that she is sick and needs help. It is a roller coaster of emotions told in precisely the same manner.
Bipolar disorder is a complex diagnosis and can be challenging for anyone dealing with it. It is unpredictable and difficult to understand from all sides. Much of what we know is from the client side, the ones with bipolar disorder, as they are usually the ones we treat as clinicians. Social workers can learn a lot from reading this book, as it sheds light on the perspective of someone inside the story. Zuckerman was able to tell this story with humor and lightness while also being real, which I found refreshing. He included events with family and friends that gave a full picture of his life and his perspective. This is where I felt I got a deeper understanding of the impact bipolar disorder can have on a family. It not only affected Zuckerman and his wife, but it also had an impact on their adult children and their long-time friends and acquaintances.
The biggest takeaway for me was Zuckerman’s willingness to use his support system. The one thing that is clear is the importance of caregivers utilizing resources they have available to them and not doing it alone. Zuckerman used his resources well and called upon his support system when needed. He engaged in self-care and became vitally aware of his physical and emotional needs with the support of his friends and family. Zuckerman was also sure to include resources at the end of the book, so others could seek out help, as well.
This is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it for anyone working with people diagnosed with bipolar or those working with people who have loved ones with this disorder.
Reviewed by Kierstin Carreira, MSW, LSW, Licensed Social Worker, University of Pennsylvania Doctor of Social Work student.
