Abuse Books

One morning Annie is pulled from class to learn now both her parents are dead and she and her brother are to live with grandparents they never really knew. How can anything be normal again, now that everything she's known has vanished? And, death means forever; nothing will ever be the same. A poignant story of vast changes and new beginnings.

One morning Annie is pulled from class to learn now both her parents are dead and she and her brother are to live with grandparents they never really knew. How can anything be normal again, now that everything she's known has vanished? And, death means forever; nothing will ever be the same. A poignant story of vast changes and new beginnings.

One morning Annie is pulled from class to learn now both her parents are dead and she and her brother are to live with grandparents they never really knew. How can anything be normal again, now that everything she's known has vanished? And, death means forever; nothing will ever be the same. A poignant story of vast changes and new beginnings.

If you have ever seen any of Albrecht Durer's woodcuts on the Apocalypse or have read the works of Swedenborg and can relate to the central figures, then perhaps this book is one you might find helpful. If you have experienced what is colloquially called "madness" or frequently undergo mystical experiences which a doctor has told you constitute a psychotic disorder, then I believe that reading this book may be profitable to you. The book relates several tales of individuals and their experience with the mental health establishment. The book is written from an "anti-psychiatry" perspective and includes commentary by Seth Farber and Thomas Szasz (famous libertarian) on the dangers of the mental health system, the harm it has done to many sensitive souls, and the psychiatric survivor's organizations and mental health liberation leagues which have fought coercive treatment. (I generally tend to be somewhat sympathetic to the point of view of the author, although I'm not sure that it would hold true for all individuals and I do believe that medicines and drugs can sometimes be helpful. Afterall, it is very painful to be truly "awake", wakefulness takes energy and thus drains the body, so if you are fully awake all the time you probably will need a medication to sedate you.) If you have ever experienced hallucinations, paranoia, or delusions, and believed they have been improperly handled by a psychiatrist or in a mental health facility then perhaps you can recognize some of what is discussed in this book. My personal experience is this. I went to a very select and intensive math and science academy for undergraduate school and many individuals and friends of mine underwent severe crises and breakdowns as a result of the stress. I have undergone several breakdowns myself or existential crises and have had my fair share of otherwise "mystical experiences". I believe that this sort of thing is not adequately understood by modern science which is biased in a materialistic, scientistic manner. In particular, for example, I believe that the soul can be severed from the body and the body can become a mere "puppet" or "robot" during extreme stress. A psychiatrist has described this experience as "psychotic"; however, a quick perusal of most ancient religious sources will show it to be a fairly common one. If you have these sorts of experiences, believe you have ESP for example, or feel that you can communicate with angels, that the television may speak directly to you, or that God talks to you, then you are not "abnormal" as a psychiatrist or mainstream society may say. Rather, you may merely be a particularly sensitive individual who picks up cues from his environment and perhaps has access to higher levels of being, other dimensions (read for example the book _Flatland_ by Edwin Abbot), or even parallel universes. I believe that the brain is like an antenna that can be tuned to different radio stations (a spike on the energy graph which is "you") and may occassionally pick up some static. Unlike the author however, I disagree with him about the role of psychiatric medications. While it is true that many of these medications do have certain harmful side effects they can be helpful in certain ways. For example, speaking for myself I know that without the drug depakote I am nervous as a cat, paranoid, believe that people are talking about me, have ideas of reference, cannot sleep, do not want to eat, and sometimes cannot even leave the house. With it I have the side effect of cotton mouth and feel sluggish, but otherwise I believe the drug does calm my nerves. So in this sense I feel it may be good for me, despite its long term side effects (a chance I am willing to take, for the peace of mind it seems to offer me now). The choice of course is entirely up to you as far as medications go and they do not work for all people. Otherwise, this book offers an excellent opportunity to examine the role of mystical experience in the lives of those deemed mentally ill and looks at some individuals who are at the higher functioning level of mental illness. Mental illness I believe may ultimately be a disease of civilization. The pressures of social conformity work their way into the minds of people and ultimately cause them to undergo breakdowns, breakthroughs, or transformations. Afterall, civilization has certain cracks.

Also of interest: If you are interested I suggest you consult the book _Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind_ by the late Professor Julian Jaynes, which is one of the most mind-shattering books I have ever read in explaining consciousness.

Although Robert Robbins makes insightful comments about psychiatry in his review,his comments would lead someone who read MHRA to conclude that he did not read (or not read very carefully) the book he is ostensibly commenting upon. The focus of Madness, Heresy and the Rumor of Angels is not biological reductionism--which has become the well-deserved target of many authors--most prominently Dr Peter Breggin. But Farber's focus is reductionism in the broader sense--that is, the refusal to recognize--in fact the determination to suppress--the spiritual dimension of human existence. Thus what lies outside the ordinary schemata that determines consensually-validated "reality" (or one might say the consensually validated delusional system) is "reduced" by mental health professionals to pathology, to "mental illness." The (true) stories of "schizophrenics" in this book reveal that "schizophrenia" is not only a breakdown but also a breakthrough (as R D Laing said long ago) to the realm of the extra-ordinary.This book, contrary to Robbins, does indeed elaborate on the idea of a spiritual dimension. Like Laing, Farber attributes the typical unhappy outcome IN OUR SOCIETY of the schizophrenic experience --to the practices of the mental death system--to sins of commission--e.g. zombifying "anti-psychotic medication" and degrading psychiatric labeling, i.e. "diagnosis") and perhaps more importantly the the primary sin of omission
--- the failure of "mental health professionals" to act--as they would if they were genuinely committed to helping their fellow human beings-- as companions (not as jailers and judges) to persons who are typically lost and frightened, having found themselves thrown into the unfamiliar spiritual domain of life.
While the spiritual world --alien to the age of "reason" as Max Weber pointed out--is being re-discovered lately in various circles (eg "new age"), in the mental health system it is still regarded as pathology to be stamped out--along alas with the "patient."

This book brilliantly illustrates the ethical and moral dangers of biological reductionism. The mental health system has adopted a philosophy of biological reductionism. They see human beings as clockwork oranges. They consider the psyche to be an outdated myth. They don't consider psychotherapy to be a valid treatment option for any form of emotional distress. They don't even subscribe to basic psychology anymore. The mental health system has reduced all forms of human behavior to brain chemistry and they define mental illness as a chemical imbalance in the brain which MUST be treated with drug therapy. The mental health system has become a mindless, soulless menace to humanity. Mindless because they are anti-intellectual and soulless because they have no respect for spirituality.

I was intrigued by a vague hint of "intimations of a spiritual reality" mentioned in the blurb but the book does not elaborate on that topic.

I would also recommend the play "Equus" by Peter Shaffer, a now forgotten critique of psychiatry and the threat it poses to spirituality and our humanity.

The idea's and suggestions that Dr Kavanaugh writes about in his book saved my emotional life. I have struggled with mental health and emotional issues for years and this book revealed concepts that changed my belief system and started my healing. His words are powerful to shift a dysfunctional belief system into the realm of all possibilities and healing. I highly recommend the Magnificent Addiction to anyone dealing with any emotional issues to clinical disorders.
My life is back on track because of this book.

I have suffered with depression for 10 years. I have ready MANY books on depression, spiritualism and related subjects. Dr. Kavanaugh had his own breakdown and through AA and other organization, he borrowed their principals and beliefs and adapted to work for him. He was never an alcoholic or drug addict but points out there are other things to be addicted to such as control, emotional problems, panic attacks etc. This book is broken down step by step explaining what happened to him and why. Then goes on step by step to explain how he helped himself through a higher power which he says resides within each of us. That we have to look within ourselves for our answers. To feel or feelings and not to act on them through our addictions. It helped me a lot which say a lot since I am such a skeptic after 10 years of trying to figure out what has been making me depressed all these years. I never dreamed you could be depressed so long. I have to say I am much better. He says it is a long process but you have to work at it and you will be healed. This is a great book.

Second only to the Bible, Dr. Kavanaugh's book, "Magnificent Addiction", is the most helpful and healing book I have ever read. In my role as a Pastoral Counselor, I frequently have to assist someone during their time of Recovery and Healing. I always suggest Dr. Kavanaugh's book. It has profoundly helped me and everyone that I know who has read it. To me, it is a 'Must Have'. What a novel concept - Get hooked on God! Sounds like something right out of Christ's Mouth.

The methods described in this book are easy to use and render any verbal assaults harmless. When insulted or critized, I used to sulk, overthink, insult back, feel helpless or nearly kill myself trying to please everyone. Most of us aren't taught by our parents or school how to deflect negativity without experiencing some negativity ourselves. I can't say how priceless and mind-easing this book has been to me. Thank you Ms. Cohen-Posey!!

You don't need to be a psychiatrist or social worker to appreciate this book. It is well-written and enjoyable to read, and can have a very positive impact on your relationships. Reading it has made me a better person.

I came across Making Hostile Words Harmless when I was looking for books to help me communicate more successfully with a difficult person in my life. It will change your whole perspective and your reactions during any inter-personal conflict. I feel grateful that someone has written this book and passed on such amazing wisdom. Positive speaking is something I wished I had learned about and perfected early in life. The stories and examples were especially helpful.

This book provides a middle option to either more drug interdiction or legalization of drugs.We need to deal with the demand for drugs in America because these drugs can be made locally,in spite of drug controls. This book also challenges the quick fix of drug legalization because the age restrictions for these drugs would still create a black market and the drugs would have to be free to defeat any illegal drug dealers.But, the most important issue is that the American people have the ability and the ideas to deal with the problems feeding a drug habit.Mathea Falco has given us a blueprint for a better War on Drugs!

Crichton and Falco present clear, easy to understand suggestions for preventing drug use among our children. Every parent, every teacher, every concerned citizen can benefit from this inspiring account of drug programs that make a real difference. At a time when society is saturated with alcohol and tobacco advertising and growing acceptance of illicit drugs, this book tells us how to teach our kids to resist. This is a must read for all Americans who care about our country's future.

Falco is not a politician. She is a practical visionary who understands that you cannot solve a problem by avoiding it. I was especially impressed by her sections on what we, as individuals, can do to help our children and our society overcome this deadly threat. She does not preach. She reaches out for answers

This is the tale of a young man searching in his average American life for something to set himself apart from the dreary routine of his existance, and finding it in opiates. The narritive is not so much an existential quest as a study in transformation, growth and realization. The protagonist is at once both accessible, as if it could be anyone you know, and also distant. But distant in that dark secret sort of way that seperates the inner lives of each one of us from another.

The booklover should beware as the diction used here can be offputting for casual readers. This appears entirely intentional and seems used to effect the slowing of the mind of the reader by throwing it off the standard turns of phrasing. This device instead sets a frame of reference for getting into the mind of a struggling youth in a very real and personal way. A warning is warranted as this book may touch you and provide the ability to sympathize with those struggling with this particular pathos, which can be dangerous to any right thinking person's wellbeing.

At times it is challanging in its intensity and ferocity and at times sublime in its mystical, almost lyrical articulation. This is a book that any who seek to understand the psychology of an addict would be well served by reading thoroughly and studying in depth. I look forward to more from this author.

I can sum up this book by saying that it's as if you took a twenty something year old guy off the streets, crammed his head with about a thousand literary references from like recent poetry to plays in ancient german and Italian, then had him sit down to a typewriter and tell an extraordinary story about becoming an opium addict in 21st century america. While checking out books about heroin, I came across this title in my local bookstore. The title stuck in my mind, and by the next night I found myself ordering it here online. When I got it I expected to read a couple chapters a day but wound up reading the whole thing in one wack. While this book is kind of hard reading at the beginning (most because the author writes most of the book in this like street style of talking), it doesn't take long to get sucked into the writer's mind and the story and find yourself like halfway through the thing before you even know it. Told in first person, it chronicles the life of one like lonely street kid who's super bright and follows as he becomes a teenage alcoholic and then an opium addict in his twenties. Most people I tell this to always mention trainspotting and ask if it's like that. I tell them no, it's not like trainspotting at all... it's shorter, much more intelligent, much more readable, it's totally focused on an intividual mind, and it's one of the strangest tales of like modern literature (for its style, its subject matter, and the fact that the actual plot of the book follows a book from the 1800s called Confessions of the English Opium Eaters. This might be the most readable "intellectual" books I've ever read, as it really does challenge the mind and stretch your grasp on the English language and your familiarity with literature references in general. Check it out, and you won't be sorry you did.

While I've never messed with drugs myself, reading books like this one can really see why a person would yield to them. Mic, the narrator, is a character that you feel is constantly looking for something with real meaning in this world, finding it, then losing it. And with the perpetual losses, as he puts it, he feels he has no choice when he suddenly discovers a way of "charming away those phantom bogeys that beset me." Since the very first part of this book (the "prelude") the sense of loss leaps out at you. While it's subtle at first, talking about parents and growing up in a neighborhood where he has no friends, Mic gradually makes his way through "teenhood" and into adulthood by a constant repetition of gains, losses and escapes (chemical escapes from the pain of the losses). Not to spoil the end, but the reader does get a feeling of hope as he/she finishes up the book. And it's not so much a hope that is black and white (like Mic finally has some great epiphany - nothing cheesy like that), but instead it's more a sense that Mic, through all he's written on the page, has found a way of dealing with the crushing disappointments in life, rather then finding a way to avoid them. This whole aspect of the book is summed up perfectly in a single exchange of dialogue near the end, where Mic is talking to a friend you know he's about to lose. "Mic, do you always get what you want?" "Yes, I do... But I never get to keep it."

I read "Miles To Go Before I Sleep: My Grateful Journey Back from the Hijacking of..." and I assumed "A Survivor's Story..." would be the sequel. It is actually the same book with a new title and cover.

The story is very inspirational. I would love to see a sequel about where Jackie is today.

I just heard Jackie Pflug speak at an event yesterday and she was amazing. Her incredible story and her determination to recover and remain positive truly are an inspiration. I had to get her book after hearing her story and she really explains why you shouldn't sweat the small stuff in life. She was simply amazing and blew me away.

I saw Jackie Pflug speak at a luncheon and I knew I had to buy her book. Her speech was the most inspirational I have ever heard and I have been a "junkie" of inspirational speeches. The book did not disappoint.
There is something here for everyone -- a riveting adventure story as she gives a moment by moment account of the hijacking. There is inspiration in her telling of her recovery and the goals she set for herself. Jackie explains her philosophy and spirituality in a way that would be consistent with most any relious belief-- or non belief.
Most of all, you will learn to appreciate every single day. This is not a sappy "survivor" account but a real life experience that happened to change the author's life. This book will give you the courage to face your obstacle's. It is on my gift list for everyone I know.

The story of young Kara's life will keep you up at night trying to see just what will happen next. Unbelievable experiences in the everyday life of a young girl as she grows up under the rule of "Momma", who doesn't have the "mother gene" in her! I enjoyed this book so much, it has left me wanting more! LueWana Bankston is a talented writer with great imagery throughout the book. Can't wait for a follow up!!!
You go, Kara/LueWana!!!!Great book!

POWERFUL AND ELECTRIFYING! Kara's voice is vividly heard, and her soul felt in every word. The emotions rise to the pinnacles pleasure and delight, and in an instant descends to the depths of an abyss of fear and pain. Kara's fiery zeal and passions launch her into and out of many adversities. With mature wisdom she quickly learns to govern her hyper energies to allow her rational mind to out wit her opposers. Kara is an eight year old child never allowed to be such. She amazes the heart and mind as she fights to overcome her mother's diseased perception of reality. This is a work that is difficult to put down as it carry your emotions from hatred, death, and darkness to love, life, and light. A must read, not only for pleasure, but for wisdom, determination, and victory!

I am an avid reader. Books, words are my greatest passion. This book grabbed me from the first page! I found myself waking up in the middle of the night wanting to read more. The characters are so real, so much so that I felt I knew them and wanted to see how things turned out. I became totally involved. The main character Kara is fascinating, being so young and so determined, I found myself actually rooting her on!
I cried, I laughed, I was enraged. Momma's House is an emotional rollercoaster. I am recommending it to all my girlfriends as a must read!

After reading this book, I passed it along to my mother. She has also enjoyed it. I feel that Dr. Stone portrays a part of her feelings that really involve you and true feelings in life. Sometimes its hard to deal with the facts and family. Sharing this with everyone can sometimes help others deal better with it. I strongly recommend this book. The book not only involves personal feelings and got me worked up, but it also involves sympathy for Dr. Stone herself. I was given the book to read by Dr. Stone herself, I had no idea that she had ever undertaken this kind of horrific event. There is not a week that goes by that I do not think "How did this women survive?" I am only thankful that her husband was there to help her through such a tragic event. If only every family was like that. There for each other.

"More than love" offers a personal view of the devastating effects of physical, mental and sexual abuse. Dr. Stone shares her heartbreaking experience of adopting Attachment Disorder children, and allows the reader to see the many difficulties that parents in every community will face. This book is a wonderful educational tool for every member of society.

Impossible to put down!! WOW!!! Everyone should read this book, even if you never plan to adopt children. As a matter of fact, I highly suggest that anyone that has children, works with them, and or is around them read this book, including Parents, Teachers, Doctors, Psychologist, Sociologist, Police Officers, Adoption Agencies, and Government officials. It will really open your eyes. While reading "More Than Love...", I was filled with every emotion possible, sadness, anger, and yes even happiness. I could not help crying, laughing, smiling, and empathizing with Dr. and Mr. Stone. I take my hat off to them.

The author obviously knows what it means to be resilient and does a wonderful job of passing that informaton on to others. A great read, short and to the point.

I work with a number of women who were sexual abused as children. Several were sexually abused by their mothers. This book has helped my patients realize that they are not crazy or alone. It is a difficult read, but well worth it if you want to understand the complexities of the impact of abuse on a child.

This was the first book that I have ever read that helped me feel not so alone with maternal sexual abuse. It was not really "clinical" but instead was written by a woman who is a clinician but gave her personal account of what happened to her. There are precious few personal accounts written on this subject and for those of us who have been sexually abused by our mother's it's definitely one to cherish.