Reviews (62)

great reference of psychiatric illnesses
I think this book will be a pretty good resource for anyone searching for information regarding sleep disorders and mood swings. It will also teach anyone new to psychiatrics valuable information on dementia, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc. as well as diagnoses associated with the illnesses.

The closest thing to Diagnostic Guidelines in Psychiatry
This is the full manual that you need to at least be in the ballpark on a diagnosis to help treat your patients with reasonable certainty.With Diagnosis, there is prognosis...and with this book, you can give a patient some relatively confident answers about what they are experiencing.One disadvantage to this full text is that it is large, and there is a lot of verbage. The scaled down desk version or the pocket guide to the DSM IV that you may want to have on rounds.
Still "The" Text We All Know About
DSM will remain as the bible of psychiatry. Despite its shortcomings, DSM has made it possible for clinicians to talk more objectively about psychiatric illnesses. Now more than ever, people around the globe can actually understand what 'schizophrenia' or 'bipolar disorder' really is. So if you're a trainee or a practising clinician, devour it, master it, enjoy it, and use it. But don't take the criteria too literally. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classification    2. Diagnosis    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Mental Disorders    5. Mental Illness    6. Psychiatry - General    7. Psychology    8. Reference    9. Clinical psychology    10. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology    11. Psychiatry    12. Reference works   

Reviews (8)

Very Relevant
This is a great book for finding out how to bring people of differing race to an understanding. For instance, I remember one example where White students, approximately between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, were, as part of a therapeutic course, required to refer to all Black people in their environment as 'sir'.This simple sign of respect was a great way to dismantle racism.

Ethnicity and Family Therapy, third edition
This is one of the best psychology books I have ever read. Not only does it provide advice on how to treat people from certain cultures, it teaches the reader about the culture itself. This book is a marriage of cultural studies and psychology. While the book is large, the reader shouldn't be intimidated by its size. The book is broken up into several (50+) chapters and each chapter focuses on one culture. The book doesn't have to be read cover to cover. Each chapter is free standing.

A must read for all professionals working with families
This book is insightful as the author elaborates on different ethnic populations and the broad range of cultural influences that family therapists encounter in clinical practice. It is a must read for all professionals working in the field of family therapy, social work, psychotherapy and counselling who work with different ethnic populations. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General    2. Family psychotherapy    3. Family relationships    4. Mental Illness    5. Mental health services    6. Minorities    7. Psychology    8. Psychotherapy - Couples & Family    9. United States    10. Psychology & Psychiatry / Family Therapy   

Reviews (17)

Condensed, but not lost.
I actually use this version more than the big DSM IV TR because it is quicker to find things in.It is still a large book (over 900 pages), so it may not be a true pocket guide, but there is that version available also.However, if you do this everyday, this version can still fit in a pocket, and has all the ICD-9 codes for the pesky billing folks. Students could have this with them to learn at bedside the information they need to know for shelf and board exams.Resident psychiatrists, this should always be in you desk ready to go.Invest in this, 30 bucks well spent.

The quick guide that a therapist or Psychiatrist needs
The full DSM-IV is the bible that modern Psychiatry is based around.The book is actually sprisingly a fair read and not to difficult to navigate. But, it is fairly large (943 pages). So how do you remedy this if you need the reference, you get the quick guide. It is perfect as a quick reference for the diagnositc criteria, as well as the ICD-9 codes for billing.This is perfect as well for Medical students to carry around in the pocket and quickly read criteria about their patient's diagnosis and rattle off quickly to their attending, scoring brownie points.They make this spiral bound edition, which is excellent because it holds up better than the bound edition, just for the fact that you will flip through this book a thousand times a day, especially if you are a student.So this is a great companion to the DSV-IV TR, and don't forget the conscise Kaplan and Saddock 10th edition as reference as well.

Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-IV-TR
Perfect!Exactly what I was looking for and exactly what I wanted and needed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Assessment, Testing & Measurement    2. Mental Illness    3. Problems & Exercises    4. Psychiatric Diagnosis    5. Psychology    6. Psychopathology - General    7. Reference    8. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology    9. Psychiatry    10. Reference works   

Reviews (15)

better outcomes...less burnout!
As a relatively new therapist in a community mental health setting I noticed I kept getting clients that were diagnosed with BPD.No one else seemed to want them and as the new therapist I got "stuck" with them.After many months of frustration and questioning whether or not I made the right career choice, I stumbled across DBT.
Innovative protocol
Marsha Linehan's treatment approach to Borderline Personality Disorder is innovative and refreshing.DBT does work!This book explains BPD, it's history, and the development and theory behind several practices and how Linehan, through her own practical experience, came to treat BPD with her effective approach.The text is very clinical, but readable.It is a great, in-depth compliment to the skills manual by Linehan.A must for any clinician who has thrown up his/her arms in frustration while working with a Borderline client!

"The" book on DBT therapy, dense but well written...
CBT of Borderline Personality Disorder is a must have clinical book. Dense and chock full of therapeutic interventions, this book is pivotal for anyone working extensively with persons with BPD or anyone who has chronic suicidal thoughts, or other maladaptive and destructive coping skills. It's so dense however, take your time with it. Not an over night read unless your really good at absorbing a lot of information all at once. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Behavior Therapy    2. Borderline Personality Disorde    3. Borderline Personality Disorder    4. Cognitive Psychology    5. Cognitive therapy    6. Mental Disorders    7. Mental Illness    8. Personality    9. Psychology    10. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior    11. Psychopathology - General    12. Treatment    13. therapy    14. Clinical psychology    15. Psychiatry    16. Psychology & Psychiatry / Clinical Psychology   

Reviews (62)

The Best Book on Borderline Mothers
This is the best book by far for anyone whose mother has borderline personality disorder. It is a book specific to this relationship whereas other books on the market try to cover spousal borderline relationships, etc. as well as parent-child and miss the depth found in this book. This is a must-read for adult children of borderlines -and it's not necessarily an easy go. The author has pegged situations/emotions with uncanny accuracy and puts words to what I personally could never accurately describe to an "outsider". Thankfully I have siblings and all of us have stuck together like glue over the years. I could never imagine an only child having to handle what we did. That's what makes this book so powerful -it is a voice, an explanation, a validation.

Very powerful and nothing short of amazing.
I am ETERNALLY appreciative and thankful to Dr. Lawson and her bold compassion. Until this book came along, the secret life of children born to such parents/caregivers remained silent, misunderstood, disregarded, unexposed, and considered surreal or unimaginable. Any words I choose to include here could not possibly illustrate how intensely grateful I am to the author for writing this book. This book has done more for me than words could EVER express, and after reading it I felt understood, and most importantly, whole.
True understanding at last.
For anyone with friends or family members who suffer from borderline personality disorder themselves or have borderline parents, this book is an absolutely invaluable source of insight and information. You'll feel a lot less alone dealing with the bewildering world of the borderline personality, and the book offers a very helpful section about the practicalities of dealing with the borderline people in your life. Written with grace and a sort of Jungian-archetype framework, the book is readable but precise, mythic but spot on. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Dysfunctional Families    2. Personality    3. Psychology    4. Psychopathology - General    5. Social Psychology    6. Child & developmental psychology    7. Parenthood    8. Psychology & Psychiatry / Mental Illness   

Reviews (10)

Professional Counseling
The book is easy to read and it gives great examples to better understand the concepts.I would recommend this book.

Comprehensive and applicable
The book treats many cases and reaches high level of coverage; it is very helpful, that in practice one can find many similarities, since the cases are very realistic and explained in depth. My opinion is, that it is valuable because it is applicable.

Fantastic book
This is by far the best text I have had in my four years of undergraduate work. This book eases you into the subject, yet provides striking depth for even the common reader. Enjoy ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Clinical Psychology    2. Medical    3. Mental illness    4. Psychiatry - General    5. Psychology    6. Psychology, Pathological    7. Psychopathology - General    8. Philosophy & theory of psychology    9. Psychiatry    10. Psychology & Psychiatry / Mental Illness   

Reviews (5)

If you work in an ER or assessment setting...
I used this booklet as a quick reference in my work in a hospital ER and in doing intakes.It's meant to simply be a handy reference to the DSM criteria, and can't replace the study, consultation, and experience needed to understand the difference between clinically problematic and non-problematic behavior.If you work within the DSM/ICD/insurance system, and you've heard the phrase "justify your diagnosis" before, here's an invaluable and pocket-sized (well, for a big pocket) tool.

The Only DSM That You Need
This is a modest little book that you can fit into your pocket but it does everything that its big brother(the much more expensive, full version of the DSM IV-TR) does -- at half the price and with greater ease of use. While the unabridged DSM IV is pretty much a textbook of psychiatry, minus only treatment recommendations, this abridgement unpretentiously lists just the diagnostic categories and the relevent (concisely phrased) criteria. Professionals will find it a handy source of symptoms and diagnosis for insurance purposes. Non-professionals will find it usable for the purpose of diagnosing themselves, their spouse, their parents and problematic friends.

A Great Manual To Promote Mental Disorders !!!
The DSM IV-TR is a great book to promote diseases that fit the armaments of medications that the pharmaceutical companies would like physicians to use.
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Subjects:  1. Medical    2. Mental Illness    3. Psychiatric Diagnosis    4. Psychiatry - General    5. Psychology    6. Reference    7. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology    8. Psychiatry   

Reviews (45)

Extremely helpful
I don't normally write reviews, but I feel really strongly about this one. I have "pure o" OCD which is harder to treat because there are no compulsions. Even so, this book (along with an amazing therapist) really saved me. Every night when I would lay there panicking about the terrible fears in my head, reading this book always helped me feel better (at the very least, it distracted me as is explained in the 4 steps). I wish I could give it more than 5 stars because it has such an amazingly positive impact on my mental health. After 5 years of living a much improved life by this system, I would highly recommend this to anyone with anxiety.
Useful for some types of OCD, but simplistic and judgmental
This book teaches OCD sufferers four steps to use to control their disorder, starting with "relabeling" their fears and urges as just a symptom of a disorder, rather than "something real." By reading the case studies, I figured out that "relabeling" means telling yourself, "My urge to perform my compulsive ritual is not a supernatural omen that something terrible will happen if I don't perform the ritual; it's just a symptom of OCD."The author never actually explains this, however.
An excellent self-help book
I recommend this book to all of my patients who have symptoms of OCD.It is one of the most helpful books on the subject ever written. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Compulsive behavior    2. Mental Illness    3. Mood Disorders    4. Obsessive-compulsive disorder    5. Psychology    6. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior    7. Behavioural theory (Behaviourism)    8. Neurology & clinical neurophysiology    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / General    10. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (78)

Fascinating and brilliant
This is my favorite book! It's fantastic! You can't put it down and the stories stay with you for years. You can pick it up in any chapter and it's quite funny as well. Beautifully written.

I want Oliver Sacks to be my doctor
Oliver Sacks' "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat" is an incredible and fascinating book--I highly recommend it.The book is divided into a number of stories/clinical tales about various patients Dr. Sacks has seen over the years who have exhibited strange symptoms or ailments due to damage in the right hemisphere of the brain (his summary of the differences between the left and right sections of the brain, and how the disorders of the right half have not been given nearly enough attention by the medical community, is also really interesting).All of the stories caught my attention, but "The Disembodied Lady" was probably the most disturbing.Dr. Sacks is a neurologist who not only knows what he is talking about when it comes to medicine, but he is also deeply committed to his patients and their well-being.He is a humanist in every sense of the word.He is also a great writer--he can explain complicated medical conditions with the greatest of ease and such a sense of compassion.He also wrote the book "Awakenings" on which the movie with Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams is based.

You would have to be crazy not to like this book...
And even then, you have a very good chance of appreciating the amount of insight that Dr. Oliver Sacks has into the minds and lives of his patients, and into life and the human condition in general. Sacks, both the author and the narrator in this book, has chosen some of his favorite, poignant, and exemplary cases from the many patients he has worked with in his home for those with neurological disorders (or, more romantically, a home for those who see the world in a completely different way.). Not only does he describe the disease and condition of the patient, he describes the life, the person, behind the disease. In some cases, he also updates the information he has with the specific patient, i.e., what the patient has gone on to do, or not to do, with their life.
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Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Clinical Psychology    3. General    4. Health/Fitness    5. Nervous system    6. Neurology    7. Neurology - General    8. Psychology    9. Literary Criticism & Collections / General    10. Popular medicine   

Reviews (37)

THE BIPOLAR DISORDER SURVIVAL GUIDE
This is the best book on the subject I have ever read.It is an essential read for anyone with bipolar disorder. It really does gives you strategies not just to survive but to have a good quality of life too.

Bipolar Survival Guide
Excellent resource for families struggling with this devastating diagnosis. Lots of great information and help.

Excellent guide to coping with bipolar disorder/manic depression
I have read many books about bipolar disorder, and this is one of the best I've found.It offers strategies for coping with the diagnosis itself, depression, and mania.It talks about diagnostic criteria, biology of the disease, medications, psychotherapy, and coping in both family and work settings.The fact that there is only an 8% chance of passing bipolar to your kids (20% if you include major depression) was worth the price of the book all by itself. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Depression    2. General    3. Manic-depressive illness    4. Mood Disorders    5. Popular works    6. Psychology    7. Psychotherapy - Couples & Family    8. Reference    9. Popular medicine    10. Psychology & Psychiatry / Mental Illness   

Reviews (35)

Unstructured and very disappointing
Reading Waking the Tiger was an extremely frustrating experience, for several reasons. Mr. Levine contradicts himself repeatedly in his writing. On the one hand he repeatedly claims that revisiting painful memories does no good to trauma victims. On the other hand, in the case stories he uses to illustrate his method, the trauma sufferers DO recall their memories, very vividly, as part of their healing. Also, time and again throughout Waking the Tiger, Levine hints at the healing techniques to be revealed to the reader later in the book. But when I reached the end of the book, those appearantly magnificently efficient techniques were still unrevealed - and the only substantial advice to the reader seemed to be to visit a practioner of Mr. Levine's techniques, thereby reducing the book to little more than an advertising poster.
waking the tiger
a worthwhile read for those who have or have not experienced trauma in their lives.

A framework for understanding trauma
This is an excellent book for anyone who wants a mature view of what trauma is and how we heal from it. Peter Levine makes a compelling case that trauma is unique to the human species because our rational brains get in the way of the organism's instinctive physiological responses to life-threatening situations. In a case study near the end of the book, Levine clearly demonstrates his belief that re-exposure to traumatic circumstances as a way to heal must be gradual and at the organism's own pace. Cathartic experiences may be dramatic and lead us to believe we are helping, but in his view this approach risks deepening the traumatic symptoms. This is an excellent book, written in clear, non-clinical language that any non-professional can understand. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Mental Illness    3. Mind and body therapies    4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders    5. Post-traumatic stress disorder    6. Prevention    7. Psychology    8. Self-Help    9. Stress Management    10. Treatment    11. Coping with personal problems    12. Popular psychology    13. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (56)

Start Here
This is the first book I read on Asperger's, and I am glad that it was.Tony Attwood is one of the leading experts on Asperger's.He really gets it and doesn't try to fit an Asperger child into a nt understanding of the world, but goes to the Asperger world.It has really helped me understand myself and my children better.Well done!I can't wait to see more from him.

At the very top of my list
My son was found with some type of High Functioning Autism about two months ago. I'm a physician and behavioral researcher, though not in the area of autism or anything related to children or developmental disorders. I've read many books, scientific texts, online publications... you name it, in the past weeks. I've obtained very valuable information from all of them. This book does not go into the details of genetics or the neurological issues around Autism, in which I'm deeply interested, but I got that from other sources. However, it was from this book that I could draw a clear plan of action for my son and my family. Mr. Atwood must be a very smart and practical person. So far, of all that I've read, I'd put this book at the top, with the much more academic though less practical textbook on AS by Klin, Volkmar and Sparrow.

Aperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals
This is a good book to help you better understand asperger's syndrome and high functioning autism.It defines the basic symptoms and discusses areas that are problematic.Goes through some great social skills techniques and career ideas too. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asperger's syndrome    2. Autism    3. Children with Special Needs    4. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    5. Learning Disabilities    6. Mental Disorders    7. Mental Illness    8. Psychology    9. Clinical psychology    10. Disability: social aspects    11. Paediatric medicine    12. Psychiatry   

Reviews (8)

Excellent book
I bought this book after being diagnosed as Bipolar II.For many years I've been diagnosed as having PMS, PMDD, and most forms of depression.It wasn't until I experienced a major depressive episode (suicidal), became euphoric while on antidepressants, and saw a good psychiatrist that I felt I was finally diagnosed properly.
The best book for patietnts about bipolar spectrum disorders.
This is a very important book in these days when many depressed patients are placed on antidepressants after a too short 5 minute visit to their primary care doctor. The National Comorbidity Survey found that 15-20% of patients with depression may be part of the bipolar spectrum. These patients will not get well and stay well with antidepressants alone as their treatment. Dr Phelps explains clearly how to tell if your depression may be part of the bipolar spectrum and tells you about the treatments that can help. I have recomended Dr Phelps website at psycheducation.com for some years. I find the book to be just as good. There is very balanced presentation of all the controversial issues.

Good, if not a tad condesending
As a Bipolar II sufferer I agree with all that has been stated by the other reviewers.However this books greatest failing is in its definition of Bipolar II as "soft" bipolar.It is a seperate illness and should not be compared as such.Bipolar sufferes have greater highs, but bipolar II sufferers have greater lows (which also tend to last longer than bipolar I).
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Subjects:  1. Depression    2. Depression, Mental    3. Diseases - Genetic    4. General    5. Manic-depressive illness    6. Mental Depression    7. Mental Illness    8. Popular works    9. Psychology    10. Self-Help    11. Coping with illness    12. Health & Fitness / Diseases / Genetic    13. Popular medicine   

Reviews (19)

Everyone should read this book
Whether or not you have personally experienced mental illness in your family or have experience in the criminial justice system, this book will open your eyes. I want to thank the author for bringing this difficult and stigmatized subject the the attention of the average citizen. A very important book that will hopefully bring about change in both the mental health system and the criminal justice system.

In depth and accurate
I found myself fascinated from the point of view of nurse, police dispatcher, and victim of a brutal assault by a man who had gone off his meds.I like the way he writes and plan to read more of his books.

A Powerful Must-Read
This book is a must read for, well, everyone.It especially will be helpful to those whose lives are impacted by a friend or family member's illness or those who work with the mentally ill, but is a well-written and thought provoking read for anyone. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Case studies    6. Family relationships    7. General    8. Medical - General    9. Mental Disorders    10. Mental Health    11. Mental Health Services    12. Mental Illness    13. Mentally ill    14. Parental Memoirs    15. Psychology    16. Specific Groups - General    17. Psychology & Psychiatry / Mental Health   

Reviews (3)

Clinicians Thesaurus6th Ed.
As a clinician in an Emergency Room, this is a very important tool of the trade. This offers concise, descriptive information on the symptoms, and enhance accurate report writting. It is compliant to HIPAA/JCAHO guildlines. It's presentation is easy to understand and presentation has an interview like flow to the presentation of the information. It offers definations, formats, concise medical terminalogy, and dual listing with the MSM-IV-TR as well as the ICD-9.

Where is the CD?
While the text portion of this book is acceptable there is NO CD that accompanies it. That one is told after buying the book is available by spending another $50.00 to get edition #6 which was just released this month. I wished I had known that before...would have saved the $$$ and bought #6.

Every clinician will benefit!
This guidebook offers so much you will use it time and time again.With sections on what questions to ask, different formats for writing reports and progress notes, abbreviations, DSMreference, and medical conditions that masquerade as mental illness, you will find this book invaluable.Great for students who are new to diagnosis and report writing and a wonderful tool for the skilled clinician in avoiding stale reports and progress notes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Assessment, Testing & Measurement    2. Clinical Psychology    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Interviewing in psychiatry    5. Mental Illness    6. Mental status examination    7. Neuropsychological report writ    8. Neuropsychological report writing    9. Psychiatric records    10. Psychology    11. Reference    12. Terminology    13. Psychology & Psychiatry / Clinical Psychology   

Subjects:  1. Family Psychotherapy    2. Mental Disorders    3. Mental Illness    4. Psychology    5. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior    6. Psychotherapy - Couples & Family    7. Family & relationships    8. Psychiatry    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / Family Therapy    10. Psychotherapy   

Editorial Review

When Terrence Real was studying to be a therapist, he acceptedthe notion that women suffered depression at rates several times thatof men. Now he believes that conventional wisdom is wrong, that therehas been a great cultural cover-up of depression in men. Real isconvinced of the existence of a mental illness that is passed fromfathers to sons in the form of rage, workaholism, distancedrelationships from loved ones, and self-destructive behaviors rangingfrom stupid choices at work and in love to drug and alcohol abuse. Menreading Read more

Reviews (71)

Great book for understanding the man inyour life
This book is very helpful in understanding depression in men.My husband and I have two copies and I have sent copies to others who are suffering from depression.
Brace Yourself
I am on my second reading of this book. My first reading profoundly moved and disturbed me. It's like having a veil lifted and seeing with a little bit more clarity some of those things about myself I've never been able to quite understand. If you've ever had those moments when you catch yourself wondering, "Why am I not feeling (emotionally) anything at this moment?" or "Why did I get that angry?" you might want to brace yourself for a very insightful and upsetting read. I went into this trying to do some research on what was going on with my son, only to learn a few things about what was going on with me, and also my father.

Not bad, but...
...about half way through this book I started to realize it's more a collection of stories intended to give this disorder a context for readers, rather than concise descriptions of what the disorder is and how to treat it. That said I'm sure many men recognize themselves in the stories and thus hopefully get some help or help themselves somehow. Worth reading... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Depression    2. Depression (Psychology)    3. Depression, Mental    4. General    5. Masculinity    6. Men    7. Men's Studies - General    8. Mental Illness    9. Mental health    10. Psychology    11. Coping with personal problems    12. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (104)

Excellent
Those who have read it usually have two comments: I wish I had read this book years ago, and this book is the only thing that has really helped my relationship with this person.This insightful book was recommended to me by people I work with as a pathway inside the minds of people with BPD.Paul Mason helped me to understand why sufferers of this disorder do the things they do, and how to effectively deal with them. It is an excellent book.

Life-saver when I felt desperate!
This book was a total life-saver for me when I was in a really desperate situation. I am a straightforward, honest, responsible, compassionate and unfortunately naive guy who cannot say not if somebody needs help. People with borderline features are very needy and may drain you until you feel like a wreck, and beyond. (If you are in love, you are twice as vulnerable!) This book explains you what is going on and helps you recognize that you are not crazy and that although the other person may be charming and miserable at once, you must not neglect yourself. If you are feeling desperate, check out the BPD central webpage (by the book author) immediately and read this book within days or weeks. If you feel that you got back some control, consider reading "Codependent No More" by Melody Beattie. She will explain you how to improve your own life and how to avoid self-defeating patterns in the future. Both books have helped me in a very difficult private situation, but now I am also using the knowledge in the workplace, it is quite universal.

Useful, but dont agree with labels
Definitely an accurate and knowledgeable approach to this common array of symptoms.Personally I do not choose to label those individulas that are struggling with life.I actually choose to work with them and discover their true beings.Some of the most creative and wonderful human beings I have worked with have been diagnosed with BPD and unfortunately made worse by this label. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Borderline personality disorde    2. Borderline personality disorder    3. Emotions    4. Family Relationships    5. Interpersonal Relations    6. Mental Illness    7. Patients    8. Personality disorders    9. Popular works    10. Psychology    11. Coping with illness   

Reviews (12)

The Revolving Door of Schizophrenia
Reading this book is like watching a train wreck in progress.You can't take your eyes off of it because you want to know how it all works out.When I was putting together a course on psychology in literature a friend gave me this book but made me promise to return it because it was a favorite of hers.After reading it, I can understand why.The author does a fantastic (although disturbing) job of describing the life of a woman with schizophrenia while also discussing the impact that the woman's illness has on her family.While reading the book the reader often begins to feel the anxiety and frustration experienced by Sylvia, a woman with schizophrenia, and her family, and can see in their mind's eye how the disease unfolds and engulfs their lives.
nicely researched
but having read it just this year, it seems a little outdated. I would recommend this book as an introduction to the subject of mental illness, institutionalization etc., but if you know a little more on the subject, skip the book and read something else.

True, intimate, and slow
I think this book shows the reality of liveing with schizophrenia and the feeling that there is no place for you.This book takes you through relaspe and healing periods with the main women character.It also shows the failures in our system.I think the book gets a little slow at points, it is a book you can definately put down, but it does do justice to teaching and learning about life with schizophrenia. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Creedmoor Psychiatric Center    3. Frumkin, Sylvia    4. Mental Illness    5. Psychology    6. Schizophrenia    7. Schizophrenics    8. United States    9. Psychology & Psychiatry / Mental Illness   

Reviews (14)

A psychotherapy practice could be built on this book!
I have recommended this book to one client who found it extremely useful as a means of managing his fear of death. Yalom's idea that the fears associated with the existential concerns of isolation, freedom, death, and sense of purpose form part of our subconscious-conscious dynamics is brilliant and original. He makes the argument that the anxieties associated with these concerns form a very early part of our experience and that they're repressed when the newborn is taught that it is not OK to experience these fears because he/she is either "special" or protected by a higher power, such as God. He states that the existential crises challenge these defenses creating depression, panic attacks, and other disorders. He develops these and many other useful notions all throughout the book. It is a long but fairly easy and clear read. If you're stymied by the length of the book you could start with his "The Gift of Therapy". Enjoy!

Not morbid in the least
Yalom points out that people often use one of two opposite methods for quelling death-anxiety: the "myth of specialness" in which a person places themselves outside of humanity so as not to die, and the myth of an ultimate rescuer, where a person clings to the idea of a savior to whom they can be subjugated.Both are dysfunctional.Other than saying that love ameliorates but does not eliminate death-anxiety, Yalom fails to offer a construct for balancing inward and outward-directed methods of dealing with that most terrible of all prospects, one's personal annihilation.
From Literature to Science
My approach to Yalom came from literature. This is an interesting point of view of what our lives are supposed to be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Existential psychotherapy    2. Mental Illness    3. Movements - Behaviorism    4. Psychology    5. Psychopathology - Compulsive Behavior    6. Psychotherapy    7. Phenomenology & Existentialism