Mental Health Books

This writer's medical background is clearly demonstrated in this thorough, thoughtful, useful book on the thyroid and what can go wrong with it. If you have a thyroid condition (or fear that you might) you need to read this book.

I love Dr. Arem! He gave me my life back. I read his previous edition of this same book a long time ago. I found out things about Hashimoto's that none of my previous Endocrinologists seemed to know. I was stunned at how much an imbalanced thyroid can effect your body. I was also intrigued by his different approach to T 4 and T 3. I had very poor health back then, so I managed to get an appointment with Dr. Arem. It turned out that my thyroid levels were not being controlled right and he fixed it for me. Then he went on fixing my health by diagnosing me with many other conditions outside of his field like Celiac Disease that so many other Doctors missed. Thanks to the genius of Dr. Arem I have my health back and it all started with me buying this book. He is the only Doctor I trust implicitly. I frequently recommend to everyone I know with Celiac Disease and Thyroid problems or anyone who just simply suspects they have a hormonal imbalance to go see this man. For those of you who do not live in this area of the country do the next best thing and buy this updated and new edition!

For more than 10 years since 1990 I had a debilitating mismanaged thyroid illness as a result of Graves' disease. One of the many sources I sought was Dr. Arem's book, The Thyroid Solution. This book has very good information. Dr. Arem clearly knows what he is talking about and most importantly he communicates this information in words and concepts that are easily understood. For excerpts from many thyroid articles go to [...]. You don't have to live with a bad thyroid anymore. Take action today.

A Time for Alzheimer's is a must for those caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's. It is Florence Baury's personal account of her mother's dehumanizing illness, and how she and her family dealt with the crisis. Unlike so many of the books written on the subject for the last decade, Baurys approaches the subject from a Christian perspective.

Baurys chronicles her mother's escalating seven-year decline into dementia, beginning with a telephone conversation with her confused parent in 1983. Within a few years her mother was unable to drive a few blocks without being lost. She was neglecting her personal grooming. One day Baurys watched her parent wash grapes and then plop them into the dog's food-splattered bowl to eat them.

This is an emotional story. However, this book is a must for those who have family members with Alzheimer's, or suspect its symptoms in those they love. It will help them to understand the financial and personal problems ahead for the entire family, and to be prepared for what is to come.

One helpful chapter is devoted to the five stages of Alzheimer's, and explains the medical difficulties that plague doctors in their diagnosis. Baury's, who is also a Registered Nurse, also shares helpful strategies in finding proper facilities for ill parents.

As a Christian, Baurys has written this book "in order to help others to maintain their hope in a dark time." She encourages dealing with anger and grief, and remembering joyful memories even though the AD victim does not. In spite of the circumstances caused by this ugly disease, Baurys account leaves the caregiver with the hope that they, too, will survive the ordeal because God's presence is with them. By writing this book, Baurys has done a Christian service for those who must deal with this tragic disease.

A topic few people wish to discuss let alone read about. This author made this an easy read, full of information and even inspiration, plus needed resources.

When a loved one is diagnosed, or shows symptoms of this disease be sure to read this book. It will help you to understand that there are many things that you will need to act on and understand as the disease progresses. Don't be caught not knowing. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

A well written book, sensitive and thoughtful. Congratulations to the author and publisher for sharing this book with the public and those who are in a time of transition. This is a valuable book and important tool in the recovery process. As the author of another book on coping, "Shovel It: nature's health plan" and speaker on this topic, I admire Metzgar's compassion for a topic many avoid discussing. Thumbs up.

One of the things I appreciate the most about this book is that it talks about so many kinds of losses, not just death. It made it feel like an OK part of life. It was an easy read and the photography added to the very peaceful feel. I would recomend this book to anyone experiencing any kind of change or loss in their life. The section on children was also exceptional.

In her book, A TIME TO MOURN, A TIME TO DANCE, Margaret Metzgar gently and with such beauty in her words and photography, shares how to emotionally heal from a loss. This isn't just a step by step book on how to deal with grief--this is a book about losses, and what to expect as we work through the pain until we're on the other side. Until I read this book, it never dawned on me that we experience losses all the time! In a sense, we experience grief every day; the loss of a job or a pet, of being a homeowner, or being a full-time wife and mother, or having a friend move away. Loss isn't just about when a loved one passes away. Read A TIME TO MOURN, A TIME TO DANCE, and enjoy the words to help you or a friend heal from a life's many losses.

this book is amazing and so are her classes. i've been lucky enough to take two of her classes. we really are lucky that people like her are writing.

How much correcting do we do? I believe that we should be correcting behavior, not warehousing people. Because if these guys leave here and move into my neighborhood I want something productive out of them. Let's have them get a job and pay some taxes, you know.
Officer (in Rhodes 199)

Thus in reform "the criminal becomes simultaneously the `other' (a byproduct of damage, disorder or difference) and yet potentially `like us' (wanting the same thing, thus reformable, but needing useful strategies for conformity, skills for survival...)
Lorna A. Rhodes (Total Confinement 198)

If repression has indeed been the fundamental link between power, knowledge, and sexuality since the classical age, it stands to reason that we will not be able to free ourselves from it except at a considerable cost.
Michel Foucault

In Total Confinement: Madness and Reason in the Maximum Security Prison, Lorna Rhodes, plays Marlow to several versions of Kurtz in this prison Heart of Darkness. I chose the Conrad metaphor because essentially Rhodes is speaking to the `Other' of the `Other.' Confined to a maximum security prison, the prisoner is our `Other.' To be mentally ill in a prison is to be removed from general population and further confined. Essentially, these `extreme' `Others are the end of the line. Ironically, towards the end of her project, the questions run a grade more fundamental. What are we doing here? Are we here to reform or warehouse? If the answer is to reform, then arguably a more fundamental re-questioning is due. How can we turn these guys back into, not just general population, but society at large; when all we are doing is making things worse. In the end, Foucault reminds us that we have invested so much into this discourse that we cannot extricate ourselves from it without considerable cost. Do we try something different?

Reminded of Abramsky's musings where I wrote: "Abramsky writes, "Violence, it seems, is nascent within most human beings. Put all except the most resolutely pacifist individuals into conditions in which they have absolute control over others they believe to be "bad" or criminally minded, and chances are the confrontations will escalate into violence; that cruel impulses normally hidden deep below the surface will bubble up and find an outlet; that the infliction of pain, and the giving of orders for others to inflict pain, will become commonplace" (Abramsky 34). Abramsky conjures up the spirit of Hannah Arendt and speaks of the 1961 trial in Jerusalem of Nazi Adolf Eichmann. Indeed, the irony of Eichmann was not that he was spectacular. On the contrary, it was Eichmann's "ordinariness" (Abramsky 34) that makes him and as a result this book so compelling." Rhodes argues, just as Abramsky that there seems to be an institutional quality about prisons that take away from the specificity of the individual and lumps all `criminals' - even the `crazy' ones - and treats them along policy lines that no longer (or arguably ever did) have any efficacy. While Abramsky seeks to, at least on one level, to reveal the banality and institutional quality of the prisons, Rhodes takes us deeper into the heart of darkness. We speak, just like Marlow, to Kurtz.

Rhodes takes into account the inmates' perspective and actions within the confines of the `control unit' of the supermaxes. In this regard, Marlow is listening to Kurtz and telling us there is more there than meets the eye - if we even get that far. Waxing optimistic, she asks the questions through both the inmates and the correction workers to see if there is any hope in the prison "system." In conclusion, Rhodes ultimately shows us that the modern-day prisons tell us more about ourselves than the prisoners we confine.

As much as American Furies is an important piece of literature on the issue of prisons, Total Confinement adds and Rhodes takes a fundamentally different tack - theoretically, politically, and philosophically. Total Confinement gives us a subaltern perspective on the supermax system. In this ethnographic survey, Rhodes takes on a more humanistic approach. What happens when people are forced into a box (no pun intended) to confirm to becoming "Christian gentlemen" (Rhodes 198). She asks is there real relief from "the inertia of prison bureaucracy"? Rhodes, I would contend, argues that the answer lies in prisoner "humanity." Since contemporary prisons really say less about the prisoners but more about the society that creates, runs, and maintains them, then it is we, not prisoners that are compelled to ask the hard questions. While Abramsky, I argue waxes cynical and is pessimistic, Rhodes posits that everyone is "struggling it out" in our prisons, and "hope" is alive.

What does the prison Kurtz have to say? Does the subaltern really speak? What is heard is that deep within the caverns of these prisons is a psychological give and take that build more resentment and less understanding of the situation on either side - prisoner or correction worker. Trapped in an administrative framework, good intentioned correction workers are stifled and prevented from effecting creative solutions to problems. Mind you, there are good reasons for thinking safety first but the overkill in terms of equipment and facility - Is it really doing any good? After a careful examination of Abramsky and Rhodes, I am convinced more than ever that the problem is really more fundamental. In effect, the institutional momentum is driving more and more reactionary solutions to a more fundamental problem that is not being addressed.

Miguel Llora

This is a meticulously researched and theoretically sophisticated expose of a deeply hidden yet increasingly important facet of American culture. As the United States more and more becomes a prison nation, books like this will become essential reading not only for scholars but for average citizens.

Fin hears numbers. Ever since her parents divorce, numbers thump in her head in rhythm, keeping things in control. When a new doctor introduces her to the term, "OCD" and writes a prescription for medication, the chemical effects make Fin feel even worse. That is until she meet Thayer, a doodling skater who buzzes to his own beat and might just understand Fin's need to belong and her struggle for total constant order.

Crissa-Jean Chappell's paints a realistic portrayal of what it's like to be a teen with OCD. Also she shows the side effects of the medicine and how Fin struggles to gain control. I especially liked the mother/daughter relationship and how Fin realizes that maybe she isn't the only one who needs order. I also liked the portrayal of Thayer who has ADD. The reader gets a glimpse into what it must be like to see the world differently from others.

I highly recommend this book. It should be a must-read selection in middle schools and high schools.

Rhythm is the pulse of life. Everything has rhythm. The waves in the ocean, cars buzzing down the highway, the drip of the rain after a spring shower, the pencil scraping across our paper, even our own pulse in our ears, late at night when all should be quiet.

Fin doesn't know quiet. For her, the rhythm has become more than a beat. It's an obsession. It's good luck to turn a light on three times -- the wrong number could be deadly. The roar of numbers in her head blocks the outside chaos. They offer comfort. Stability. She taps her seat three times. Someone touches her shoulder. She touches the opposite one. It's about keeping life in balance. Control.

Control is something Fin lost when her parents uttered those devastating words, "...this doesn't mean we're abandoning you or that we don't love you anymore." The D-word. Moving from a place she loves, to a place she doesn't. Her mother copes by excessive cleaning. Fin copes by counting.

Soon, Fin's mother has her visiting Dr. Calaban. Fin meets Thayer, who is also being treated by Dr. Calaban, but for ADD. Fin discovers there's a name for what she's feeling: OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She wonders if it's hereditary as her mother rewashes the jeep Fin's just finished washing. With the help of Thayer and Dr. Calaban, Fin rediscovers her love of something she'd lost along the way, something that will help calm the need for total constant order.

TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER is a riveting first novel by debut author Crissa-Jean Chappell. I was sad to end the book because I wanted to spend more time with the characters. I kept trying to slow down as I read, to linger and enjoy, but it was impossible. Each chapter drove me forward to the next and the next until the final page. The characters were fresh and real. I know you'll enjoy them as much as I did!

Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger

According to the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, over 35 million Americans will suffer with an anxiety disorder or depressive illness each year. Also, "OCD strikes about 1 in 40 adults and about 1 in 100 school-aged children." Despite these statistics, only a few novels dare to approach the issue.

Crissa-Jean Chappell's debut novel, Total Consant Order, tackles this issue deftly, in the story of Fin, who develops depression and OCD after the demise of her parent's marriage. What enhances the novel is the author's personal connection to the issue. She herself experienced depression and was treated with Paxil. Chappell takes a slow and steady route with the novel, and builds the anxious inner world of Fin carefully. We're introduced to Thayer, an outsider, the only kindred spirit in Fin's world, and who might be the only one who can truly understand her.

Chappell doesn't go to extremes, aiming for maximum drama, and treating her novel as if it were a Lifetime movie. The prose is crisp and clean, with each word working to envoke a feeling from a reader. The novel balances Fin's search for stability with her counting obsession with the search for relationship with her mother, and reconciling with the idea of her parents divorce. Fin's reaction to Paxil comes as a crushing blow to her emotional and physical health, and the author writes realistically, channelling her own experience, and giving voice to a disorder that affects so many.

Excellent book on a subject. If you are interested how trauma influence health, this is a must read.
You will find a trauma pyramide, explanations that trauma is, description of most common traumas, including perfectinostic parents, setting unrealistic expectations, physical, sexual abuse. This is a good read for someone who is interested in Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Trauma and abuse history is thoroughly explained and supported by research. Colin Ross describe his theory why SSRI are effective in treating various disorder and how trauma gradually develops in a human being by age 10, if this person grow up in abusive environment. He give some ideas about the way cognitive therapy is done to his patients and the way patients respond to it.
The book is full of memories how his psychiatry training was done, which is a fun read. I've found Dr. Ross remind me Eric Bern the way he describe things and his sense of humour is fascinating. It is very compassionate book.

Although it is obvious that this book was written more for other physicians and workers in the mental health profession (the vocabulary is quite advanced to say the least), I found each new chapter held something in it to help me learn more about the effects of trauma and the different outcomes of a traumatic childhood. I, having Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) was relieved to read that I was not different in the fact that I had been diagnosed with almost everything and have been in and out of hospitals. I've also worked with the author's staff as well as his assistant and, although I'm not quite sure of my thoughts on his view of memories, I totally agree that memories are not the point. The point is that we wouldn't have problems if life had been bliss. I highly recommend this THICK book to anyone who, if they don't have a complex vocabulary, is willing to look up words as they go. (smile)

In this landmark work, Dr. Ross challenges the field of psychiatry to make a giant leap forward in the treatment of mental illness. After 21 years of carefully listening to patients and weighing scientific evidence, he has hit on what should now be obvious: trauma causes and/or contributes to most psychiatric disorders. This is especially true for comorbid (many diagnosies) patients. Just as a single disease can produce multiple physical symptoms, unresolved trauma can generate multiple diagnosies. He describes why the single gene-single disease and biomedical reductionist models don't work for psychiatry. He also points out many flaws in logic in the DSM IV diagnosies, making specific revision suggestions. His hypothesies will pique the curiosity of many reseachers and lead to many dissertations. He concludes if trauma therapy is added to medication for many patients, outcomes will be much improved. This is a must read for the serious mental health professional.

I enjoyed this book and with its help have a better understanding of the biochemical bases for depression and anxiety

Orthomolecular treatment of physiological and psychological problems attempts to heal the patient by normalizing the body's natural balance of nutrients (and other essential molecules), especially the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

Nutritional specialist and chiropractic physician, Dr. Rodger H. Murphree advocates orthomolecular treatment for anxiety and depression after carefully weighing the odds of conventionally used anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications. In his book Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression with Orthomolecular Medicine, he informs about the less-known but paralyzing harms of antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. By comparing these with the innocuous orthomolecular medicine, Dr. Murphree advises all sufferers of anxiety and depression to heal better and completely with natural medication.

The book has detailed information about the way our body and mind work, and the causes of anxiety and depression. It is an easy-to-read book, not demanding a background in medicine or biology. Dr. Murphree offers invaluable information on the required amount of essential nutrients, the sources of each nutrient, and a few self-testing methods for determining one's level of health in terms of glandular function. A checklist of various signs of nutrient imbalance is given at the end of the book to help readers make a rough assessment of their health.

To make the book more helpful for a worldwide audience, Dr. Murphree lists useful resources in various countries of the world at the book's end. Treating and Beating Anxiety and Depression with Orthomolecular Medicine is a must-read for all who want to prevent or minimize stress and its damaging health effects.

Armchair Interviews says: If this issues concerns you, check out this book.

This is a great book! I found the information to be life changing. I'm following the advice in this book and feel the best I've felt in years. Easy to read, but backed with scientific studies, Dr. Murphree's book will I'm sure help thousands of patients with anxiety and depression.

In this book, the authors offer empircal proof -- derived from nearly 30 years of research in this area -- of treatments that work with children. Even better, the treatments, although psychologically valid, have their basis in common sense. For example, a child can't succeed at toilet training until he/she is able to dress himself. Therefore, one of the first steps in toilet training is to teach the child how to pull his/her pants up and down. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I hadn't thought of that before I read this book, and it makes a lot of sense. It's a book that's filled with refreshingly simple -- and proven -- methods for handling common childhood behavior and medical problems.

A "must have" for any clinician working with children and adolescents. Christophersen and Mortweet provide a valuable contribution to the literature with this book. They present practical treatment interventions effective in treating a variety of disorders for children and adolescents. The information is presented in a thought provoking and stimulating manner, which generated ideas for me in my practice as I read it. I have used ideas and treatment approaches I gained from this book in my treatment/practice.

This book is clearly outlined and I was able to quickly jump to the parts that were most applicable to me as I approached a difficult treatment case. Christophersen and Mortweet provide a myriad of charts and handouts that I can use with my patients.

An excellent resource to have at your disposal in working with children and adolescents. Empirically supported treatment interventions are vital in today's managed care environment. This is an important tool to have in your "tool box" as you approach and work with patients, parents, and third party payers.

This is probably the best book I've read concerning children and childhood problems. Although I am a therapist and gained alot of practice tips while reading, it would be very informative for parents as well.

A must read for anyone who lives with or works with someone with depression. I have read dozens of books on the subject and this is by far the best for gaining insight into the problems. I wished that every teacher and employer (and supervisor) were required to know this information.

Have you ever suffered from depression? Or do you have a friend who is depressed? Surely you want to know how to help. Now you have the chance to read a book that is a solid resource for those who suffer from depression personally, and for those who want to understand and help them. People have always been thinking that depression is simply a transient feeling of moodiness. In her book Understanding Depression, Patricia Ainsworth examines depression from a different perspective. According to Ainsworth, depression is more than a mental illness. It is a total body illness, affecting both the cognitive ability of the human brain and the functioning of the body. Furthermore, when people are depressed, they suffer from alterations in behaviour, appetite, and sexuality (10). Many of those people cannot help themselves. The only relief is death. In order to prevent this cruel end, Ainsworth explains the nature and symptoms of depression in the different groups, children and elderly. By looking at the symptoms of depression, the question that arises is what are the causes for this illness. Exploring different theories for the causes of depression, Ainsworth begins from the ancient Greek philosophies and reaches to the ideas of the 20th century. Through this process, people get acquainted with different theories about depression, such as Freud's way of seeing mental illnesses as the cause of depression or the theory of the behaviorists who believe that depression is a result of a failure of the humans to deal with, adapt to, and react to the environment (51). By giving numerous examples and explanations like these, Ainsworth successfully proves that depression involves alterations in the brain and has to be treated aggressively. If not, the illness worsens, thus aggravating the person's mounting sense of being overwhelmed. The result could be suicide, mainly because of the inability of this human being to handle depression alone. One of the most important steps of treating depression, according to Ainsworth, is how the depressed people are perceived by the others. Often, people think of depression as something that comes and goes. On the contrary of the common misconception, Ainsworth claims that once it appears, depression brings not only alterations in behavior, but also changes in the chemical structures of the human cells which cannot disappear without external medication and professional psychological treatment. In this way Understanding Depression teaches us how to treat depression, either through the an approach as a physician and psychologist, or simply as a friend who wants to help the person beside him or her. Despite the misconception that depression is simply a transient feeling, there are other misconceptions which Ainsworth calls the "myths of depression"(105). The most popular myth is that depression is a sign of a weakness of character. Unfortunately, myths like this can only contribute the risk associated with the potentially lethal illness. Ainsworth argues against the common misconception that women, as the "weaker" part of humanity, are more likely to fall victims to depression than are men. On the contrary, she proves that everyone has an "equal opportunity" to suffer this disorder inspite of the sex, age, or religion. Ainsworth agrees that there is a difference in experiencing depression. When men are depressed, they tend to look outside themselves in order to master their environment. Depressed women, on the other hand, are prone to search within themselves for the source of their unhappiness(28). Despite the fact that depression can be suffered in a different way by men and women, an equal opportunity for both sexes exists. Depression do exempts no one and the potential outcome, suicide, is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Every 17.3 minutes someone commits suicide in the United States. According to National Institute of Mental Health Statistics, suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Americans and accounts for more than 30000 deaths every year (11). In order to prevent death, Ainsworth gives answers to questions such as how can I help myself, or how can I help someone who is depressed. While the cure could be different, the first step for treating depression is the same for all people. This step is understanding depression. It is the only way of treating the illness effectively, or as Ainsworth writes: "One of the keys of regaining control of your life and your emotions is to gain a factual understanding of what has happened to you and to your body. Once you understand the beast, you have a much better chance of outmanoeuvring it"(116). Ainsworth's book is a part of the successful struggle against the beast called depression. This is a book concerning a large audience, appealing to the humanity as a whole and to the problems that could happen to all of us despite the fact that we are men or women, children or adults, black or white. Understanding Depression is one of the best ways of exploring the tragedy of depression. It is a tragedy because it has taken away the lives of millions young people and will continue to annihilate the existence of many more if not stopped. Ainsworth's book is an unique source for depression to be destroyed and extricated from one's life because of the author's use of examples from reality and personal touch with depression. These examples are explained in understandable terms appealing to the whole humanity that does not want to give up its humanness to depression. All people are obliged to do something to stop this nightmare that ruins the lives of nearly 15 to 30 percent of the depressed people every day (115). Ainsworth's Understanding Depression is an excellent step to know the enemy, in order to sever its roots and help new lives be built, without the moodiness, hopelessness and emptiness that have darkened our human existence victimized by the beast called depression.

Works Cited Ainsworth, Patricia. Understanding Depression. Jackson, University Press of Mississippi. 2000. ISBN 1-57806-169-5.

The book starts out with a quote: "I treated depression throughout my career and never really understood what it was I was treating until I suffered from depression myself."... by a psychiatrist.

I've battled severe depression for years and from experience, I've learned that talking about it to others can backfire because many see it as a mere weakness. Words like, "snap out of it" can be extremely painful. Isolation becomes inevitable which just makes the sufferer worse. Well, Patricia Ainsworth does understand this disease and reading her book was comforting...something we desperately need.

Additionally, she informs the reader on updated information from the causes of depression, to what's happening in the brain. Treatment is also discussed and all of the writing is reader-friendly. Included is a Glossary, Index, and two Appendices which lists further resources (web sites/books) and a section on medication which are extremely helpful. I recommend this book to anyone who is depressed with unanswered questions and ESPECIALLY for those who have a loved one with this painful disease. I thank you, Patricia.

this book is so so so helpful-- we thought an eating disorder could only happen in someone who looks emaciated and sick, and never eats anything, but when we were confronted with something more than 'picky eating' but less than what we imagined actual eds to be, we checked this book out and it helped immensely. eds happen in the best kids and even in kids who still look pretty healthy--especially when they're growing, according to this book, it can be hard to tell just by looking at someone if they have a problem. also if someone just eats less, but still eats, they can still have anorexia. i highly recommend this book for clearing up what eds actually are, and who can help you-- they talk about what you can do but the bottom line is you have to seek help outside of the family sometimes, as much as you want to be able to "fix it" parents just can't do everything and sometimes someone else knows better than you how to help your kids. nutritionists, therapists, doctors-- they can all be a really good help getting your kids back on track. but this book is such a blessing for parents who don't know whether they've got a problem on their hands or not, and if they do, what to do. thank you to the authors for your wonderful advice!

This book is full of extremely useful advice for any parent, but particularly for parents of adolescents and pre-adolescents with any kind of eating disturbance. If you've noticed your daughter or son eating less, noticed any unusual habits around eating, this book can help you figure out if there's something wrong and what you should do. These authors obviously know what they're talking about and know how to speak to parents on their level, not above or below. They use lots of examples of kids in all sorts of situations, which made their descriptions really easy to follow. This is an easy read, sometimes entertaining but always really informative, and really, really helpful for a worried parent who's at a loss for what to do with their child.

By writing about situtations parents and kids working through issues around reading disorders experience, and then explaining ways the family could problem-solve, this book gently informs about the hard to define struggle of eating disorders. It's well written, with an easy-to-read flow.