Mental Health Books

This is the most important publication concerning Psychiatry in the 90's. I wrote this book "with a little help from my friends", specially Gustavo Prado, a brazilian medicine student (a genious, I bet. He was just 17 y/o when this book was first issued). R.E.Kendell

Extremely focused and balanced general text of contemporary psychiatry.Primarily geared towards the MRCPsych, but also useful for other psychiatry boards. Basic sciences have been updated w/o being too overwhelming. New section on sociology has been added which was omitted on the last ed. The new layout is also more pleasing to the eye. Overall it's an wonderful alternative to K/S synopsis.

In my opinion as a psychiatry resident, this is the best textbook bar none for medical students and junior doctors. The Oxford double volume is far more comprehensive and a must-have for serious players, but where the Oxford tomes are encyclopaedic this item is practical and user-friendly. It is also a pleasure to read, which is significant advantage over Kaplan and Saddock's Synopsis.

The further one delves into "Conquer Crisis With Health Esteem" the harder it is to put down. Judith writes in the first person from her heart and soul. You get the feeling she is speaking directly to you as a friend. With each paragraph, page and chapter you are given the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of your exsistence. To observe where you came from, to see where you are now and what you can do to modify what is yet to come is truely an enlightening experience.

"Conquer Crisis with Health Esteem" is about the truth---how searching for the truth will help increase your self-esteem. Facing your worst enemy, is another way of putting it. In 1985, author Judith Parker Harris did just that in order to get well from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Not accepting this fate and after months of hopeless searching for a cure within the traditional medical system, Judith turned inwards. She sought deep into her soul where haunting memories stepped forward demanding her immediate attention. Slowly Judith became an expert in healing herself. It took five years. This workbook combines the soul with the physical. It lists the many questions Judith had to face in order to get well as well as some of her encouragingly brave and open answers. "Conquer Crisis with Health Esteem" is for anyone who wishes to master any crisis.

A REVIEW

of

Conquer Crisis with Health Esteem

by Judith Parker Harris

I wanted to write a review of this book for all of those healthy readers who might not consider it to be of value to them. I was one of those people. I am rarely ill, consider myself a pretty well adjusted person, have friends, a career, and deal with all of lifes little surprises fairly well. Also I have rarely been interested in or read what I considered a self-help book. And then I turned 49. All of a sudden I wasn¹t dealing with anything very well. And I was going through a complete reevaluation of my entire life....and coming up short. It was a very uncomfortable year. It left me in something of a crisis.

I picked up Judith Parker Harris¹ book because I have been privileged to work with her for the last few years producing public service announcements. For the first few years of our friendship, I didn¹t know that she had Multiple Sclerosis. And when I found out I was more than impressed by her ability to have cured her symptoms and controlled her disease. I have had friends completely debilitated by this disease and I had never known anyone who had managed to control it before. And when I talked to her about some of the things I was going through, she always had something very insightful to say. So I bought a copy of the book and skimmed it, pretty sure it wouldn¹t be relevant to my situation. I was wrong.

I have now read Judith¹s book cover to cover. I did the exercises. I took a long time to finish the book. And as I did each of the exercises, and read each section, I found a clarity that I hadn¹t expected. More than once I found myself saying: Well this finally makes sense. She gave me the tools I needed to make some changes. And now I find that I¹m going back to reread certain parts of the book sort of as a measurement and check on myself. When I am faced with difficult decisions or situations that leave me feeling powerless I can refer back to this book to regain a sense of control, a feeling of being able to solve my problem in a healthy way.

So, if you¹re looking for some answers, whether to a particular crisis or, as in my case, to several long standing issues you¹ve managed to not deal with and which are holding you back, you might try this book. It¹s one of the most worthwhile uses of time and energy I have encountered in a long time. To quote Heather Locklear and all those LOreal spokeswomen, in the end I did it because I¹m worth it.

Moving from chaos to clarity is what we would all like to accomplish. In the family therapy setting these authors, Judye Hess and Ross Cohen, certainly help one understand how to get there. This informative book is most useful to the professional therapist working with family groups, however, it also contains some excellent information for the person entering into family therapy. The book will let you know what to expect and to some extent may eliminate potential awkward surprises. If someone in your family is hesitant about his or her commitment to enter into family therapy, you may want to share this book with that person. The authors will gently ease the reluctant family member into understanding the process and show them how good healthy interaction can help all the members of the family grow. Sharing emotions in a safe, structured environment can benefit everyone in the group and the authors make the reasons behind this dynamic infinitely digestible. Overall, this is an easy book to read and the lessons learned from it will enhance the therapist's knowledge about treating patients in a group situation and could prove invaluable to those individuals on the path to self discovery.

As a therapist, I found this book to be of tremendous import. It is organized clearly and provides a fine methodology for conducting family therapy. Dr. Hess has a keen sense of humanity and homes right in on the essence of good therapeutic inter actions. This would be a very useful manual to have in many clinical settings and universities. Well done.

This amazing book seems to me to be appropriate for two audiences: those learning about family therapy for the first time, since this book lays out much of what any beginning family therapist needs to know; and those interested in Judye Hess's particular form of family therapy. Regarding the latter, this book seems to me an important contribution to family therapy, describing what I believe is a new approach. Reading this book, I found myself thinking: this is the way that family therapy ought to be done; why has no one ever written such a book before? Or have they done so and I just never heard about it? If I am right that this book is unique - no one has ever written one like it - and, at the same time, seems so right, then perhaps more of a point could be made about this fact. I can't think of any other way to improve it.

The book begins with a grabbing-your-interest-right-away-and-making-you-want-to-read-further point that you don't choose your family and then covers classical family therapy - providing a good introduction to the subject for the beginning student.

Following that is a nuts and bolts description of what to do in family therapy, starting from the first phone call, and including major issues a family therapist deals with. Again, this is useful for family therapists in general.

Then comes Judye's unique approach, an ingenious application of the method she uses in leading gestalt therapy groups. There is first the check in in which each family member gets a chance to say something - a protected moment where the therapist makes sure that this person is not interrupted. Then comes direct interaction where issues between pairs of family members are dealt with. From this may emerged a plan for action, following which there is a check out, where people get a chance to say how they felt about the session. Reading it made me think that I ought to do that with all my individual and couple therapy clients.

All of this is described with right-to-the-point examples and comments on how to handle the problems that arise. The reader feels the glow of knowledge arising from Judye's decades of experience. There is an amazing the amount of information slipped into this little book. In its own understated way, this book is inspirational. Reading it, I felt ready to go out and do what it said.

From another point of view, this book takes what has classically been the crucial issue in family therapy - the family's attributing the problem to one member (the IP) - and has developed a sophisticated way for therapists to deal with this issue. The trick, as the authors point out, is to challenge the family's attributing all their problems to the IP without alienating the family by insisting that the IP is not the problem.

If there was justice in this world, this book would be read in every family therapy class and be part of every family therapist's continuing education requirement.

I think this is Dr. Mehl-Madrona's best book yet. As a registered nurse, Zen Shiatsu therapist and shaman-in-training, I to have witnessed the power of the story in healing...even when all else fails. I'm looking forward to the next book!

This book gives perspective to illness in ways that balance Western medicine with healing stories based in a variety of traditions but primarily Native American creation stories. I value that the author offers credentials from both backgrounds and appreciate the wisdom one gains from understanding that so much of what we bring to the mentality of illness is based upon the opinions and attitudes that we have been exposed to in medical text or taken on board through our own environmental coping mechanisms. The stories radiate hope when we realize that we alone can be empowered through fresh perspectives to create our own story for health and well being.

Lewis Mehl-Madrona is certified in family practice, geriatrics and psychiatry, and includes Native American traditions in his practice. Healing through storytelling is the principal approach he shares in this book - of the various Native American ceremonial treatments that he uses.

Mehl-Madrona's storytelling is rich with the wisdom of his Cherokee grandmother. He seems to have stories available for every possible circumstance and occasion. These tales provide insights into a person's hidden fears and hurts that often underlie and contribute to or even cause the development of many physical and psychological problems. The stories also suggest a variety of solutions and inspire hope that change is possible.

Through these stories, he helps people discover the inner healing resources that can transform their lives, including their illnesses. He reports dramatic successes - often with people who have struggled for many years with their health issues - including anorexia, lupus (a chronic form of arthritis), victimization through emotional and physical abuse, panic disorder, and more.

What I see as particularly helpful are the suggestions for change that Mehl-Madrona intersperses within the stories. These are very similar to the tales that Milton Erickson used to tell - in the process of hypnotic inductions, with imbedded suggestions that often slipped past the sentinel guardian defenses of his patients.

Mehl-Madrona is most remarkable for having gained a measure of acceptance for his methods within western medicine.

For a book that contains generous portions of wisdom, this book is an easy and enjoyable read.

See also Mehl-Madrona's earlier books: Coyote Healing and Coyote Medicine.

As a health care professional, I have shared Darcy Daisy with many patients as a way for them to explain bipolar disorder to their children. Darcy has earned a permanent place on our bookshelf!! Traci, RN, BSN, IBCLC

Darcy Daisy is a wonderful book for teaching children about an all too common disorder. It is brilliantly written and the illustrations are so colorful and exciting. A great educational book for children of all ages.

This book is a great tool for teaching kids. The illustrations are BEAUTIFUL! The illustrations along with the great story keep interest as well as teach a wonderful lesson on acceptance for others who are different!!! I can't say enough great things about this book!!!! Great for "kids" of all ages!

Unlike so many books on the market about this illness, Jackson's story sticks to his experience and personal journey. This book can provide great value to families, friends and individuals suffering from this disease. I have already bought this book for several friends and highly recommend it.

"Darkest Days, Brightest Nights" takes the reader through the real struggle and pain the comes with a bi-polar condition. This book is very useful for those who do not have any experience with this illness, yet know someone who has the condition. The approach is to relate personal experiences to personal experiences in order to get the all important dialogue flowing. Once dialogue begins with a bi-polar person, then treatment and recovery can begin. Denial and ignorance are the two greatest enemies for a bi-polar illness.

This is a detailed autobiography of one bright all-American young man. The author's style enables the reader to understand both the ups and the downs of bipolar disorder. The book makes clear the very real dangers at both extremes. I am particularly impressed with the author's positive approach to managing a successful life despite an unwanted diagnosis. This book is inspiring!

I came across this book by coincidence in a sorting shelf at my University library. As a student of behavioral psychology, and in particular Behavioral Geronotology I had an interest in the book. It's an asset for all levels of those dealing with the issue, from the patients themselves, to care givers, long term care facilities, and emergency departments who often have to find eloped dementia patients. Very concise, and easy to read, yet still thorough in it's coverage of the topic by experts in the field. I highly recommend it.

Although much more research is needed in this area, this book did a fine job of reviewing what is known and presented information in a readable text. It was well worth the price of the book

Dementia and Wandering Behavior is a must read book! There is something useful here for everyone: (caregivers, family members, health care providers, professionals, elder care agencies, volunteers, law enforcement agencies and fire personnel). The authors, Silverstein, Flaherty and Tobin, have provided an invaluable resource not only for dealing with problems of wandering but also insight into the full life stages of the disease. In less than 200 pages, one comes across information that would take searching many volumes to find. I only wish that it was available when my beloved brother was suffering with AD. Education is key. I highly recommend this book - it can transform your life.
Mollie Feeney

This is a beautifully crafted and thoughtful work, a joy to read and full of insights about love, couples and intimacy. The author's observations on partners' expectations of love and their inevitable disappointments are clearly founded in years of studying couples' conflicts and unhappiness. This book is full of words of wisdom on the subject. I particularly appreciated Stephen B Levine's definitions of 'love' at the beginning of the book and his comments and chapters on sexual desire and infidelity. In clinical work, infidelity may be presented as a crisis in a relationship and therapists' ability to contain both partners' emotions about the crisis without judgment of either party can help clarify whether to stay together, possibly on new terms and with greater intimacy, or separate.

There is much in this book that would appeal to any reader. And as an academic textbook, it should be on the compulsory reading list of every training course related to mental health, psychosexual therapy and couples counselling.

This book is an excellent read and should not be seen as being only appropriate for Mental Health Professionals. The technical jargon is minimal but the content is spot on, explained in a way that is appropriate and suitable for anyone who has asked themselves about the meaning of love. It provides a simple and comprehensible explaination of the progression of 'being in love' to 'loving the other person'. It explores the drivers behind infidelity in a way that does not make the reader feel guilty, but rather gives insight into the factors that may have contributed to the behaviour at that point in time.

It also provides insight into a counselling technique and process that is a holistic methodology developed over years of self-reflective counselling practice and demonstrates a technique that is non-judgemental and sees the patient as being responsible and capable of exploring their own issues and the drivers behind these issues. It empowers the reader.

I am not a Mental Health Professional, but have participated in counselling for over 10 years and found that this book gave great clarity to the mystery of love and greater insight into relationships and consequetly myself.

Highly recommended for anyone wanting to better understand themselves and their relationships.

In this easy-to-read book author Stephen Levine articulately details the many faces of love in a bid to help us understand this complex phenomenon. He has a special gift for simplifying and clarifying a very complicated subject, permitting us to identify ourselves and our own love experiences with his elegant concepts. This is the kind of book you read while nodding your head in agreement with its insights. While Levine breaks love down into a number of components he also allows us to see the richness of the experience of loving and being loved. He also answers the oft posed question of what it takes to maintain love in the long term. When he talks about "the ordinary complexity of love" we begin to understand why this seemingly simple topic has fascinated lay men and philosophers alike. For the professional who delves into the personal lives of others an understanding of the nature of love is essential. Levine's book provides just what they need.

I have purchased a number of these guides and have found them to be a great support and teaching tool for individuals with depression and their families. They are ideal to use in conjunction with therapy.
Ann D., Licensed Mental Health Counselor

"The guide helped me tremendously in answering my therapist's question, 'How have you been?' That was always difficult to answer and it was easy to say that I was awful. But the guide showed that I really was improving."

I have had depression for many years. Using this guide has helped me to keep track of how I am doing. I am able to track my moods, medication, sleeping and eating patterns. I can see my progress over time and it's been really helpful to show to my therapist. I also use it with my husband and have found that it helps both of us to communicate about my depression.

This is a great book. I recommend it for anyone interested in Dianetics. Read it from cover to cover and then maybe reread it! But at least read it once!

Wanting to know the history and begining of scientology, I was directed to this audiobook. I found it very intreging and and easy to follow, The paperback book that accompanies it has all of the terminology and definitions. I would recommend it to all.

This is the first book written on this subject, (Dianetics) written almost 50 years ago. It's put forth in a manner that is easy to understand and will give you an understanding of why people continue to use this information to improve their lives and why this subject continues to grow in popularity