Abuse Books

This book is right on the money. I was growing so tired of telling psych professionals, "no....my daughter is not bi-polar". Now I know that they are scared of the taboo of BPD. Now I know how my daughters thoughts and emotions work. Now I know that other people have it harder than I do, SO FAR. This book opened my eyes to a lot. I don't know yet if it will help my little girl, but it has already helped me.

Finding any valid information on BPD in adolescents is close to impossible. We have a 15-yo daughter in a therapeutic boarding school after trying every outpatient treatment available. While our daughter has not engaged in any serious external behaviors, she has lived the last years in a constant state of dysphoria and wild attention-seeking schemes. She's was diagnosed with bi-polar w/psychosis when she was 12 and has since been diagnosed w/BPD as well. Dr. Aguierre's experience in treating adolescents w/BPD provides not only a valid perspective, it also gives very practical advise. This is a must read book!

As a child psychologist, I get very tired of the neo-Freudian mumbo-jumbo that is often associated with this diagnosis. Not only is such an approach not not very effective, but you have to buy all sorts of (ahem) crapola to even start in on it.

This book is a real relief. When I got it I assumed it was just more Freudian malarky, but it isn't. Very CBT and DBT oriented, at least in practice, and I highly recommend it.

First, I am NOT advising anyone to replace any treatment with this book.

I'd simply like to guide parents who, like us, may have been chasing their tails in search of a proper diagnosis and treatment for your teen to this new source of help and hope. Unlike many mental health care professionals, Dr. Aguirre truly attempts to understand the BPD teen and their families, rather than label and medicate.

Last year we spent over 18K on treatment for depression, bipolar and/or PTSD, all the while knowing BPD was her afflication (family history). Only to have our asthmatic honor student move in with the boyfriend, drop out of school, start smoking and get 3 tatoos - last month.

Reading this book has changed our lives in a matter of days. Dr. Aguirre really 'gets it'
and once I was able to speak that understanding truth with my BPD teen - she lit up! She is impressed with his knowledge of BPD depression sometimes not being anything like classical depression. She says her lows are due to feelings of shame and guilt, "I never have a I can't get outta bed sadness." She also agreed that while she is able to pass advanced English courses and write beautiful stories, she lacks the ability to express her feelings. It felt so good to she her finally feel understood.

I know that we still have a long way to go and lots more work to do but this book gave me hope that we are finally headed in the right direction.

Thanks Dr. Aguirre!!!

I found this book on spouse abuse to be informative, concise, and well written. The author did an excellent job with very difficult material.

This was a very informative and educational book. I would like for it to be required reading for all young women.

As a formerly battered woman now working in the domestic violence movement, I encourage other shelter service workers to read this book. It can give you valuable insight as to what you are dealing with!!

The message applies to anyone living in an abusive situation and they should certainly read it. Straightforward discussions of partner violence and intimidation underscores the theme. This book is a strong wake-up call to the danger one may be in if they choose to remain, hoping an unbearable problem may disappear. The various women interviewd and the unique poetry makes this wonderful, sensitive book one I highly recommend.

This tells it how it is and leaves you aware of how devistating FASD is, or can be.

I first read this book about 15 years ago. The whole story touched me deeply and I never forgot it. It was tucked in the back of my mind all these years. This book is about a 26 year old Native American, single college professor who desires to be a family man and decides to adopt a son. He is a nuturing sort, into his roots and waiting for the "right woman" to come along. (And she eventually does come into the picture) Meanwhile, he is a good father, doing everything he can to help his son have a better start in life and he tries with all his heart and mind to aid his son with health issues and soon to be apparent behavioral issues. He really is naive and doesn't know what he is getting into. But he perseveres and devotes his life to try to figure out his sons problems and discovers he is struggling with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. There are many compelling things to this story. The fact that it is a true story, where you follow his very personal journey from adopting at age 3, to his sons 20th birthday. (This is at the beginning stages of our understanding of FAS/FASE in the U.S.) Later, you see the introduction of alcohol to the American Indians, from the beginning and how it affects Reservation Life today. From there he branches into how alcohol abuse and FAS/FASE is a world wide phenomena affecting every level of society from the poor to the rich. There is a lot of science exposing the danger of alcohol consumption on the developing fetus. This book was utterly facinating. It is complete with loads of documentation and recorded conversations that shed light on the problems that are helpful for today.
(Even though my copy was published in 1979, I think) It is written in a totally readable style.
This book has become dearer to me, as we have adopted a boy at age 4 and who is now 10. I remembered this book and reread it recently, and was blown away! It helped me realize that we too, are on a very similar journey with our youngest son. I found many comman behaviors and have become convinced as I research, that we too are living with
Fetal Alcohol Effects. Our son case is not as severe as Adam's but there are many, many similarities. I would highly recommend this book for every person to read.
If you or someone you love is dealing with these problems, you will find this book encouraging, even though sad at times. It is helpful for broadening your horizons about the needs of people in general, maybe that person you see shabbily dressed, asking for money in front of the store. It is a book that will hopefully not only educate but challenge us all to deeper levels of compassion, especially towards those less fortunate. PLEASE READ! It is a real eye-opener.

The Broken Cord" is the heart-wrenching story of a young man, single and in graduate school, who adopts a developmentally disabled boy who, like himself, has Native American ancestry. The man learns gradually that his son suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, just as the medical community is starting to figure out what Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is. As a child psychologist, I have found the information in this book invaluable. You can read research papers, journal articles, and textbooks to learn all of the facts of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (a complex set of deficits caused by in utero exposure to alcohol), but "The Broken Cord" goes well beyond that and lets you know what it's like to live with, raise, and love a child with this disorder. This book is full of love, pain, and limited triumphs. It is also very well-written. Have a box of tissues handy.

I highly recommend this book for people who want to know a personal experience with fetal alcohol syndrome. This book will want to make you cry. And make you very angry at mothers who risk their babies lives with their selfish use of alcohol while pregant.

I found this book to touch my very soul and bring to the realization of what I had gone through in my relationship with a "Bully". It made me see a side of me I didnt know existed and took away the fog of my past life with this bully. Its a must read for any woman who has gone through and been in a bully relationship. It makes you see things that were always there right in front of your eyes but you were too much in "love" to know it. I highly recommend this book.

This book was offering what it promissed. If you feel you are in an emotionally abusive relationship - this book is for you. The first part explains why people become bullies or vicitms of bullies and the second part gives you a practical 3 Step "Exersise Program" to help you see weather it is worth you staying in this relationship or not. It confirmed my views and help me make the nessesary changes. The book also offers web-sites and other sources that offer help. If you feel you are emotionally abused by your partner - YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!! It is worth it's weight in gold.

Excellant book! Tells it like it is and has great helpful ideas to deal with this issue.

The Bully in Your Relationship: Stop Emotional Abuse and Get the Love You Deserve by Anne-Renee Testa, Ph.D. is one of the most helpful books about emotional abuse available. This up-to-date guide is easy to read, if sometimes painful to digest, and comes across more like a counseling session than the usual impersonal textbooks on the topic.

Although the first half of The Bully details the types of bullies and the denial abused people employ to stay in damaging relationships, the second half makes it all worthwhile. Dr. Testa states, "This impressive body of knowledge you've gained gives you a solid foundation to stand on as you move forward. You know all about the bullying problem--backward, forward, upside down, and inside out. Now it's time for the solution: my A.R.T. Method."

The A.R.T. method: Acknowledge, Reassess, Take action is based on some of the principles underlying popular 12-step programs and includes workbook activities which will prove a boon to the person who has the suspicion that something may be terribly wrong with their relationship. Dr. Testa's A.R.T. method will help anyone in a bullying relationship take a fresh look at the bully in their lives, tame the bully that lies within them, and begin the slow, rewarding process of change that will ultimately give them the power to overcome their situation.

One important caveat: Dr. Testa does not acknowledge the real, physical danger some women (and men) face in violent relationships, and at one point states "Open up a space in your mind, and affirm the following...'I'm safe and secure...I'm not in any danger--the fear that I'm feeling right now is about the past, not the present.'" Most experts agree that while "doing it scared" is necessary to overcoming abuse, taking safety precautions can be vital: retaliation all too often results in physical attacks, lasting trauma, and sometimes, sadly, even death.

This is a disturbing-wonderful, painfully-inspiring book of Skip Shea's life journey through the secrecy of clergy abuse. The silent scream for understanding, in a world that didn't want to hear for so long, now has a voice through his powerful words. The agonizing progression from hopeless to hopeful gives encouragement and perspective to anyone who faces tragedy in their life. To be able to move forward with the momentum of hope, is a power Skip has found and continues to hang on to day by day, moment by moment. Thanks for the discomfort and comfort of this book.

There is anger, hopelessness, humor and joy all in this mans poetry. His "Man In Black" picture image, on another site that I saw him, first intrigued me. Now I relate his cover attire to his subject matter, and dark sadness. I found his poetry very hard to put down. His message is profoundly unique.
Well worth the read in the time that it takes to drink a thoughtful cup of java.

Skip Shea's poetry is an incredibly emotional and inspirational story that should be read by all. The reader cannot help but feel heartbreak for all the author has endured in his life. You can almost feel his pain through his beautiful yet heart wrenching poetry. I find this book to be inspirational to all. While most of us have never been through what this man has endured, it makes the reader reflect on his or her own life and realize there's light at the end of the tunnel. Skip Shea is an incredible human being who despite tragedy has managed to turn his life around and still see the good in this world.

The Catholic clergy abuse scandal is one of the most difficult, intractable and devasting tragedies of our time, but Skip Shea, a clery abuse survivor, shows through powerful and compelling words that hope and healing can be on the other side of this darkness. His poetry is both lyrical and raw and through the horrendous veil of the worst evil, he puts in perspective the lowest points of his life - alcoholism, mental illness, suicide attempts and the death of his daughter Shawna. Anyone, whether or not affected by sexual abuse, should read this collection of poetry. It tells a story that needs to be heard.

Ceremonial Uses of the drugs is maybe what the addict is doing; instead of analysing the pharmacological effects of the drugs, the author describes in the pages of this book how were labeled certain kind of drugs as "dangerous" by politicians and physicians around the times, and how they use these labels for discourage the use of "certain ones" and encourage the use of "another ones" under medical treatment.



As water that can " healing " powers and water that does not have " healing " powers, Psychiatric drugs and alcohol can be quit off by the user according with the relationship he or she has with these drugs.



Drugs can be addictive or non addictive as water is, as the user believes how difficult or easy is to break with the habit in regard of his-her ritual use rather than in the chemical properties of drugs.



Dr. Szasz writes about the ways physicians and politicians use to threat the persons around the times for to promote, encourage the use of, and forbidden drugs in order to maintain the concept of addiction and psychiatric (drug ) slavery.

Explains what the war on drugs is really about - and it's not drugs. Highly educational, trancends our brainwashing.

great oppinions. easy to read. very inciteful. must have!...

An excellent analysis of the institutionalized and state-sponsored persecution of certain rule-breaking behaviour (illicit drug use)and the similarities between cultural and religious demands for specific mood-altering ceremonies and substances. This was the first book by Szasz that I read and I was impressed by depth of his philosophical and medical understanding of human behaviour. After reading this book I purchased, read and re-read the Myth of Mental Illness within 24 hours. Although Cermonial Chemistry was a delight to read, I think the Myth of Mental Illness is a timeless read and a comprehensive, logical and linguistic torpedo aimed squarley at an institutionalized war against human responsibility and the deep suspicion of the state against those who question through behaviour or language the role of the state in prescribing the rules of human conduct. Ceremonial Chemistry is an important book and a cornerstone in the debate on the inevitable de-criminalization of illicit drugs or the continued illegalization of certain foods and plants.

Ocean Blues

Cheat the Moon is a book about two siblings whose mother died and their dad hasn't been home for 21 days. Gabby is the older of two, who is invited to go on a trip to the ocean with her friend in June. She really wants to go for she has always wanted to see the ocean.
The only problem is her dad hasn't been home for a while , and she can't leave her brother home alone.

I liked this book because it made you think it could be a true story, and when I read it I felt like i was standing next to the characters. It had rich description which made me feel that way. I also like that the book was written in first person. So, I don't only feel I'm standing next to the characters, but there also telling me the story of part of their life.

Cheat the Moon is a book about two siblings who's mother died, and their dad hasn't been home for about twenty-one days. Gabby is the older girl who is invited to go on a trip to the ocean with her friend in June . She really wants to go, for she has always wanted to see the ocean, but her dad hasn't been home, and she can't leave her little brother alone for that long.
I liked this book because it was dealing with real life situations, and when I read it , I felt like I was there standing next to the characters because it had rich description. I also liked that the book was written in first person. So I don't only feel like I'm standing next to the characters, but I also feel like there telling me a story of part of there life.
I do recommend this book if you like a book written in first person. Cheat the moon doesn't have much action but it still is a good book. I gave it five stars because the ending turned out good and not so upsetting.

Gabby is a 12 year old girl that has a 6 year old brother named Will. Their mom passed away and their dad is a drunk. He is hardly ever home. Gabby's friend, Mallie, is going on a vacation to the ocean. Gabby was invited to come along, and Gabby wanted to go. Gabby's dad came back from being gone for 22 days. He promised her he would stay for good, so she could go on the trip. Then one day Clara, a lady that helped them out came over and stayed with them. If you want to find out the ending, read the book.

This is the wonderfully written story of Gabby, a stong and independent 12 year old girl who is essentially raising herself and her six year old brother, Will. Their mother is dead. Their father is an alcoholic who is away on drinking binges for long periods of time. Gabby stubbornly keeps her family's problems private, and does not allow social workers or neighbors to help them.

When her father reappears after 22 days of heavy drinking, he promises to stay for good this time. Gabby's heard this countless times before, and is doubtful. Will, on the other hand, naively trusts his father to stick around. Their father tries very hard to make things up to Gabby and Will. He finds a job, and buys them food and clothes. He even reconciles with the grandmother who raised him, Clara, so that Gabby and Will might have more family than just their father. Gabby doesn't expect her father to stick around, but it comes as a shock when he is killed in an accident at the m! ill where he works.

Gabby, who has always been strong, tries to deal with her loss in a matter of fact, practical way. She insists that she and Will can live on their own, without help. Eventually, Clara helps Gabby realize her sorrow, and persuades Gabby to accept her offer of taking care of them. Only after mourning her father does Gabby learn what her mother meant long ago when she told Gabby to "cheat the moon."

This book is beautifully written, the story is realistic and compelling. The reader grows to understand the characters and their faults, and grows to love them faults and all. Even Gabby's father evokes sympathy rather than scorn. The author expertly weaves together an array of feelings. The story is at once sobering and inspirational, sorrowful and hopeful.

The story is written simply enough for 12 year old readers, and the serious subject matter is dealt with in a manner appropriate for that age. Older readers will be able to appri! ciate this book on many other levels; there many subtle the! mes throughout including coming of age and learning to let go. Although the character of Gabby is 12, she is mature enough to appeal to a wide age range of readers, including high school age. The writing is excellent, and could also be appreciated by adult readers.

This is an extremely valuable book which provides something not many other sources can: an unbiased, scientifically grounded analysis of psychoactives which also includes realistic cultural context, fascinating history, a sense of whimsy, and subjective descriptions of effects. This makes it of use to all kinds of people: those interested in psychopharmacology, drug therapy for mental illness, ritualistic and spiritual drug use, the mechanisms of the brain, safe and informed recreational drug use, and simply being informed about a broad and complicated social reality.

The book spends about equal time on the mechanism of action and chemical structure of the substances described, and the various uses to which they have been put throughout global human history. In these descriptions, it thoroughly cites studies and explains why said studies are the most useful, making it rather unbiased. That said, it is occasionally critical of drug laws, though any objective analysis is likely to come to the same conclusion, and included are very subjective quotations, though these are never stated as fact and give the book a page-turning, fascinating sense of narrative unexpected from a textbook. Overall, the work's scientific rigor is unquestionable and unlikely to meet critique but from opponents of drug use so strong in their fervor that they would deny objective truth.

Having been last updated in 1996, there are a few missing pieces of information regarding current drugs of abuse. For example, dextromethorphan is mentioned, but in very little detail compared to it's fairly widespread use in the current underground drug culture (and it is categorized mysteriously in the opioid section, despite being fairly well-recognized as a ketamine-like dissociative at higher doses). Another curious omission is Salvia divinorum, not recreationally popular until about the time of publication, but having been in shamanic use in Mexico for a very long time, and written about in scholarly literature as early as the 1960s. One other drawback for certain uses is that this is not a practical handbook: there is not much in the way of dosage information, and durations when present are a bit buried in the text rather than presented up-front. Luckily, the book, as stated earlier, is very well-referenced, and exploration of the works of cited authors/researchers (Huxley, Hoffman, Shulgin, et al) will provide far more depth into many of these areas. Hopefully future editions will be updated to include these and any other important omissions.

Hello, I just unpacked my copy today and I'm already hooked, ironically enough.

Great book. I'd highly recommend it!

This book has it all, chemistry, cultural context, use, abuse, past, present and future. Is geared toward someone who has at least taken some o-chem, although non-science types could still get something out of it. The synthesis explanations can be a bit in depth, I have a degree in chemistry and a bit of that was way over my head. Book is also well refrenced, so should you ever get the urge to make some of these drugs you know where to go.

While I would not say that the merit of the book lies in its non-committal stance, I was certainly convinced that the author knew his chemistry. My reading was facilitated by the poetic interludes and anecdotes, which seem to have become a genre within science writing. Mr. Perrine should write another book, non-technical, and I am sure he will be as entertaining and informative. Inspired by his book I have released my newsletter with this theme this time.

Not to put too fine a point on it, the book is mind-altering itself. It changed the way I looked at my erstwhile indulgences.

The first sentence grabs you and pulls you right into this story of a seventeen year old college girl named Lissa who suddenly finds out she must raise her little sister all by herself in the big city. This novel reads like a screenplay with snappy dialogue between the sisters as they try to carve out a new life for themselves in Chicago. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a very heartwarming book. This is the second book I have read by Julie Reece Deaver, and it is the second best book I have ever read,just falling short of the best which is "Say Goodnitght,Gracie", also by Deaver. Marnie is just a little girl who is forced to live with her older sister, Lissa who is just a child herself, because their mother has a drinking problem. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking for a heartwarming story about a little girl and her sister who have everyday struggles and have to survive with just each other.

This is a story of two girls who's mom is having drinking problems. The eldest is asked to take her little sister with her to Chicago. There is only one delima she doesn't want to stay with her, she wants to go home. They are having problems with getting along when suddenly their dad shows up and he is not approved by the eldest. He is always staying out late with her little sister without asking her. Are her problems solved? That's something you'll just have to find out when you read the book. This easy read book catches your attention and you can't put it down once you start!

This is a cool story of a seventeen year old girl who has to raise her little sister alone in the city. I loved seeing how the big sister, a talented art student, had to learn in a hurry how to be a parent a sister who was quite a handful! This is a story for any age! I'm not a teenager, but I loved it!

A hard to find book but one well worth reading to anyone interested in law enforcement or, in particular, the LAPD. I couldn't put it down. Gates does an excellent job in providing the reader with a good picture of the Los Angeles police force and the trials and tribulations it's endured for the last 40 years. Gates comes across as a chief who genuinely cares for his department and it's officers as well as the community in which they serve. Plagued by a seeming knack to say the wrong thing or be endlessly misinterpreted by the media, one can not help but like the man and sincerely hope he will pen another one in the future

I was a potential victimof one of the serial killers in the book. I live with survivors guilt everyday. I fit the profile of his victims. I lived in the motel, and my friends and myself hung out at his room! I was mortified to hear what he did!

The Prologue starts with his visit to Washington for a conference on violence. He returned to Los Angeles at the time of the Rodney King attack. (Who was minding the store?) Chapter 1 tells of his early life, and the impact of the Depression on his family. His father's lost job was followed by alcoholism and hard times; they depended on government handouts (p.6). His mother was the backbone, and sole support of the family; his father was often in trouble with the Glendale police. After graduating from High School, Daryl joined the Navy and saw action in the Pacific. Daryl went to college on the GI Bill, married, and needed money. A friend suggested joining the LAPD.

Officer Gates learned there were more traffic deaths than homicides in 1950 LA. People got citations because warnings had no deterrence (p.20). The people Gates encountered were no poorer than he had been, but the Gates home was never without hope (p.23). Chapter 3 tells of the corruption in the LAPD before Chief Parker. Gates says Mayor Shaw and the underworld controlled the LAPD (but doesn't speak of the local ruling class). Gates was picked to be Chief Parker's chauffeur, and learned the importance of political support (p.31). Gates also learned of Parker's faults. Chief Parker streamlined the organization, reassigned police by time of day and neighborhood where crimes were committed. Parker instituted pro-active policing, creating the most aggressive police department in the country. Page 36 tells of the power of the 'Los Angeles Times': it elected mayors, and told the City Council how to vote (no mention of the powers behind them). Chapter 5 tells how hard he worked at preparing for exams. Gates came out first for the sergeant's exam, and for every exam afterwards (p.58). Promoted to lieutenant, he rejoined Chief Parker, and became his executive officer (p.65).

Promoted to captain, he learned "you can't give up on people" (p.68). Soon he was in charge of Intelligence. Gates noticed a lack of good protection for JFK in 1963 (pp.73-4). Gates explained the conflict between Chief Parker and J Edgar Hoover (p.76). Mob influence was minimal in LA, compared to Chicago or NY (p.78). There were checks and balances to avoid corruption (p.85). Gates was promoted to inspector in 1965, before the Watts riot. The postwar baby boom led to a huge increase in the number of young people, the predominant age group for criminals (p.105). Gates political skills paid off when he won the biggest pay raise in department history (p.130). The May 1974 incident with the SLA made SWAT famous.

"People really don't have the freedom to know what is going on in the world, only the freedom to know what the media wants us to know" (p.181). Proposition 13 "substantially lowered property taxes", and Chief Gates came up with a budget cut that avoided layoffs. One of Gates decisions was to allow each officer to choose when to wear a short-sleeved shirt. Gates discusses the two "chokeholds": one disables, the other can kill (p.214). Page 216 tells how the 'LA Times' misquoted him. Page 242 tells how the FBI tried to gain control of the LAPD. Chapter 19 tells of his efforts for gun-control. Was he angling for a plush job with Gun Control Inc? Or a Federal job with some agency (p.128)? Chapter 20 has some suggestions on fighting crime. The Rodney King beating gave his many enemies a chance to oust him (Chapter 22). Gates boasts of the lower ratio of police to population compared to NY or Chicago. But the places with less population density tend to have less crime. And so do places with "the right to keep and bear arms". This also made LA different from NY and Chicago. LA also has a lower ratio of pedestrians.

There is a good reason this book is so hard to find: it is onehell of a good read from the early start of the superchief's careerall the way to his unfortunate retirement this book takes the reader to the inside of the LAPD's world. The Chief did a great job for his first attempt. This reviewer only hopes he will produce more! The viewer gets an insiders look at the nations best police department the Los Angeles Police Department.