Win the Battle: The 3-Step Lifesaving Formula to Conquer Depression and Bipolar Disorder
by Bob Olson with Melissa Olson

Publisher:  Chandler House Press
ISBN:  1886284318

Win the Battle, written by Bob Olson along with his wife Melissa, is a unique book among those in the field of depression. It is written from the perspective of a patient who has successfully fought the battle with manic depression and won. Bob Olson's story is more than that, however. He is one of those rare cases who is considered "treatment resistant". After fifteen failed medication trials and twenty-one ineffective treatments with ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), many would have given up on ever feeling better. Those reading this who are currently going through this process may already have an inkling of just what this really means to a patient. Each medication trial involves a period of weeks on just one medication. If this medication fails to help you after a period of time then you switch to a new medication and begin the wait again. Often there is a period in between medications to allow the last medication to be eliminated from the blood stream. Altogether this can add up to quite a long period of time when all a patient can do is wait and hope. Watching one medication after another fail may seem to validate the patient's fears that they are completely hopeless. Bob Olson felt these frustrations and fears, but he didn't give up. With his doctor's encouragement to bolster him, he began the whole series of medication trials again. This time his persistence paid off. The second medication in the series now worked for him. Five years later he is still happy, productive and sharing his message of hope with all who will listen.

Nancy Schimelpfening, your Guide for Depression