I'll read them first and then get my husband to read them. He has the opposite problem from your father: he dwells in his diagnosis and thinks it determines everything.

The hardest part about it is that I was diagnosed bipolar when I was a teenager. I was institutionalized for six weeks, put on different meds, and have had a ton of therapy. So I really do understand how it feels and what it's like. But I also recovered. I haven't been on meds in more than ten years, the only therapy I've had since then has been marriage counseling (mostly to deal with my husband's problems).

I was put on the right medication, found a fantastic psychiatrist, and slowly came to understand that diagnosis is not destiny. You really can be a happy person and lead a contented life, even if you've been diagnosed with this out of whack brain chemistry.

But he thinks I don't understand because he never knew me when I was in that dark place. He knows it happened, but I think he has a hard time believing that it was really that bad.

Anyway, thanks again for the recommendations. Just purchased the books from Amazon, and wouldn't you know it, they were having an incredible deal on a nonstick grille pan I've been wanting for several months. Something for him, something for me.