In A Mood Apart, Dr. Peter Whybrow examines mood disorder as "an affliction of the self," exploring the human experience of manic-depressive illness, rediscovering the human being within the diagnosis. Our culture stigmatizes and romanticizes mental illness confusing it with questions of willpower, personal weakness, or creative impetuosity. Dr. Whybrow teaches us that we live our lives by systems of regulation and control - a process he calls "emotional homeostasis. " The primary goal of treatment, using a combination of psychopharmacology and talk therapy, is to restore to the patient a new understanding of and healthy mastery over mood disorders, a recovery of the self. From one of the country's most distinguished psychiatrists and an internationally renowned authority, A Mood Apart consoles by combining the intimacy of detailed case studies with the objectivity of a lifetime's scientific research and clinical experience. It is essential reading for all those curious about how our brains "work" and our lives "feel," for those suffering from mood disorders and for those who care about them.