Mental Health Books

Without doubt this is a must-keep reference work for any lay person or professional wishing to have readily available a host of extensively researched topics in the general field of suicidology.

Written with an academic standard refreshing and uncommon, this work - drawing upon extensive research and a team of authors - addresses nearly every topic imaginable including the following: historical changes in attitudes towards suicide; differences in motives and methods based upon one's sex, age, social class, racial-nationality-culture; communication styles of the suicide [the noun for the perpetrator]; the role of depression when coupled with hopelessness; actions that are risk-taking, life-enhancing, life-damaging but questionable as to whether they show suicidal intent; assisted suicide; to name some of the several topics so amply covered.

Psychological instruments for evaluating quality of life, suicidal ideation and other relevant topics are offered and interesting but should NOT be employed unless one has ample and competent training.

The only criticism of note is that suicide is dealt with exclusively as a malady, failing to consider (1) rational assessment and logical justification scenarios or (2)culturally supported suicide where such acts are placed in the pantheon of honorable deeds.

Aside from this minor detraction, the work merits serious study for anyone interested in this still taboo subject.

Much has been published in the suicidology field and with great value but the Comprehensive Textbook of Suicidology comes to fill a gap in comprehensivness.

Encyclopedic, this book is surely an excellent resource for those who are engaged in suicide prevention and also for all health professionals who may encounter in this book the answers to some of the questions raised when confronted with a suicidal patient.

The merits goes to the three main authors, Dr. Marris, Berman and Silverman but also to their contributing authors for this excellent work.

As Director and Project manager of the Suicide & Parasuicide Web Site - The Suicidology web, we have awarded this book the title of "Book of the year 2000".

The reviewer below, C Fink, wrote a great review of this book, but I have one comment to add: although the author is a runner and some of the studies he cites are based on runners, the author states clearly that any aerobic exercise is fine. I'm not a runner and as I was reading, I didn't think of it as a running book (I prefer bicycling and hiking/walking).

I've read quite a few books on depression and anxiety. Although many of them helped me to learn and understand, this book was the most practical/pragmatic. Move your body, breathe hard, you'll feel better. (As the author states, one may also need therapy and medication.)

I feel like giving this book to people living with depression and/or anxiety. It could make a huge difference.

I came to Johnsgard's book as a recreational runner with none of the psychological disorders he addresses in his book (none diagnosed, anyway). Actually, the title of this delightful book is something of a misnomer; only one of the four sections deals specifically with mental health. In the other three sections, Johnsgard-a psychology professor and a long-time distance runner-takes what I would call an anthropological view of the sport, addressing, as he does, the history of Homo Sapiens and our natural inclination to run. Johnsgard's book is a training manual, a DSM4, and a natural history all in one.

What I appreciated most about the book-and there's plenty here for expert runners as well as beginners-was the author's unique perspective. Using both clinical data and anthropological evidence, Johnsgard shows us how far we've come from Shangri-La, and how running can help us return. The author is a fellow homo-naturalis, so if you're homo-progressus, you're not going to find your techno-manna here. Johnsgard debunks the protein diet fads and gives evidence that elements of the hunter-gatherer existence are necessary for physical and mental well-being.

Johnsgard is foremost a good storyteller, and beginning with book's prologue, he incorporates elements of case study to illuminate his topics. The result is a thoroughly interesting read about the science and history of running. And while the author is always knowledgeable about his subjects-from existential drift to cardiorespiratory fitness-he's humble too; one gets the sense that he's learned all this news the hard way, and at some personal expense. Johnsgard comes across as the kind of runner you'd like to meet on the trail.

Chances are you'll see yourself often in these pages, and that you'll come away with at least a few ideas for self-improvement through exercise.

Therapy experts Jeffrey K. Edwards, Ed.D. and Anthony W. Heath, Ph.D. combine their wisdom in A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services: Unveiling the Mysteries and Secrets of Psychotherapy, a book that solidly lives up to its title. Written in plain terms for readers of all backgrounds, A Consumer's Guide to Mental Health Services discusses the different models for the causes of mental health problems, the types of services available, absolute "need to know" issues about ethics, credentials, and payments, and much more. "The research for and against medication is varied, and generally written from points of view - really opinions - rather than from any straightforward, easy-to-make-sense-of facts. Two camps, those on the biological side and those on the talk-therapy side, have research showing effectiveness of their "product" as well as reasons why their point of view is most trustworthy. They also demonstrate why the other side's point of view is not... You should always discuss your medicine with your prescribing clinician, ask for potential side effects, what the medication does and how it works, how long you will be taking it, what foods you should avoid, and how alcohol or other drugs affect the medication. Medications are powerful treatments, and they can be potentially dangerous or addictive in some cases. Be informed and treat them with respect." Highly recommended, and an absolute "must-have" for any individual who may be in need of mental health services.

As a parent of an adolescent who has been in therapy for 6 years, I can honestly say that this book has proven to be an excellent resource for us. We have seen many Clinical Professional Counselors, Social Workers, Psychiatrists, and Psychologists. All have their views, theories, and suggestions for helping our child to be as productive and he can be. However, most appointments are rushed, sometimes informative and helpful and many times not. We find ourselves with lots of questions in between all of our visits, which can be weeks apart. This quick, very easy to use guide has simplified the terminology and provided me with an overall understanding of the differences between many of the professionals we see, explained theories, offered clarity on the medications, helped with insurance questions and the list goes on. I highly recommend this book and wish I had it years ago.

I have tried to secure more copies of this book for a course I teach to loved ones of those struggling with brain disorders but have been unsuccessful. I have even written to the publisher but received no reply. This book shows how essential it is for well family members to appropriately respond to their ill relative's chemical imbalance not only for the benefit of the one with the disorder but the family member as well. I refer to this book often in dealing with chemical imbalance in family members.

Our lives were ruined by my wife's depression and I unknowingly was becoming "fused" into her illness. We argued constantly. She threatened suicide. I threatened divorce. We were fighting a war that had no end and blamed each other. We now understand how the contagious force of depression was infecting our lives. We both take medication and have learned how to manage our communication effectively

Everything was great. Shipment was very fast and in perfect condition! Thanks for a great product!

This book is a must for any serious student of intelligence, intelligence tests, and intelligence research.

I used this book several years ago, maybe three, and it was so helpful. It is much more than a pep-talk, it is a specific how-to manual that gives you concrete ideas about the steps you must take to lift yourself out of your slump/minor depression.

First, you have to get a handle on whether you are depressed (it could be something else making you blue), and how severely you are depressed. The book is designed for people whose depression scores are between 5-15 on the Beck scale (provided). If you are higher than 15, the author recommends that you give the book a try, but keep in mind that you MAY need professional assistance. I was a 23, but this book worked wonders for me, without any assistance.

The book has a behavioral approach to depression. This means that the authors believe your depressive behavior and feelings can be changed by first identifying/focusing on antecedents (what precedes your behavior or feelings) and consequences (what follows a behavior). The next step is to consciously change the antecedents and consequences of your behavior, rewarding yourself as you do so, and thereby slowly and steadily lift yourself out of depression.

A behavioral focus also means that this book will not help you analyze how you got started in your depressive behavior patterns. The authors believe it is not necessary to dig through all that stuff that in order to change yourself.

So in a way, this book is the antithesis of "talk therapy" -- I'd call this "do therapy".

The authors acknowledge that there are multiple roads to depression, that every depressed person has a unique set of problems. However, many of these problems can be lumped into broad categories, each of which is given a chapter clearly explaining strategies for improving your skills in that area. The strategy chapters include: "Learning to Relax", "Pleasant Activities", "Learning How to Be Socially Skillful", "Using Your Social Skills", "Controlling Thoughts", and "Constructive Thinking".

For my bout of depression, the two chapters I needed to focus on were "Pleasant Activities" and "Constructive Thinking".

The idea behind "Pleasant Activities" is that you are depressed because most of your interactions with your environment do not have rewarding outcomes and/or have dissatisfying, unpleasant, or distressing outcomes. So, to change your depression, you need to change the balance so that you get more positive than negative payoffs from interacting your environment, every single day.

I actually had to rate a list of 320 activities (provided) with how pleasant I found them and how frequently I was able to do them, and then use that to create an activity list with 100 things I like and am able to do. I added a few of my own that were not included in the list. Then I had to make a daily plan that made time for several of those activities every day, and I had to chart my daily mood so I could see if I felt better when I did more of those activities.

This was incredibly valuable to me, and highly effective. When I start feeling depressed I want to hole up and sleep, doing only the most "necessary" activities (which often tend to be quite unrewarding - dishes, laundry, etc...). The authors insist that you do activities you LIKE to do, regardless of their actual utility.

For me, my list includes things like carve stamps, write reviews on Amazon, watch Voyager episodes, make stuff with beads and/or fabric, talk on the phone with a friend, etc... When I feel that slump coming on, it is too easy to view these activities as TIME WASTED, something to beat myself up about. The thing I now keep in mind is that the small things that energize me and make me happy are actually IMPORTANT in and of themselves, just because I like to do them.

"Constructive thinking" was also very helpful to me, because I realize that I have these ongoing monologues in my head that are very critical and very hurtful -- I say things to myself I would NEVER say to my children, things that I know would be devastating to say to children -- and yet, I listen to myself say horrible thing after judgmental thing after critical thing to myself!!

Well anyway. It may sound like this book has a simplistic view of depression, but actually, I think it is quite well rounded. It provides the framework for an action plan to combat depression, but you fill in the details.

There are a few potential problems with this book. First, you have to know yourself pretty well in order to use the book. You have to know what actually rewards you, what your strengths and weaknesses are. You have to be able to assess yourself with the tools the book gives you. Some people may need help to do this.

The second issue is that it takes a fair amount of work to set up these monitoring and behavior programs for yourself. It takes a fair amount of self-discipline to keep following through (although you are supposed to be rewarding yourself for the steps you take). Some people may need help to do this.

Finally, I think that some people's brains may not be wired to think in quantitative terms. I tried to explain the "Pleasant Activities" list to another friend who felt depressed, and she was aghast. She said she could never rate activities, that her brain didn't work that way. So if she wanted to try this book, she would probably need help to work through it, to think about her problems in a behavioral, quantitative way.

For me, I think this was a little easier because we used ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) with my son years ago when he was 3, so I was very familiar with the concepts driving this book, and quite experienced with the work involved in keeping up behavioral programs.

Oh, one more thing, this book directly doesn't address existential dispair. But to my way of thinking, even people who are agonized over world events or "what it all means" -- these people still have to live in and interact with their environment. The more rewarding those interactions are, then, at least for me, the less crushing the "big picture" things become. And in fact, if you can get beyond despair and hopelessness, you might actually become an instrument for change, you might actually be able to do something meaningful about other people's suffering, to somehow put your compassion and angst into action.

Well anyway. That's my 2 cents about this book, for what its worth. I loved it, I credit it with preventing my downward spiral and bringing me back in touch with some of the things I need to do in order to enjoy and appreciate life.

This book provides much more detail about how to overcome your depression-reinforcing *behaviors* than David Burns' excellent books do. It's a nice complement to the Feeling Good titles for anybody trying to make cognitive-behavioral therapy work without a therapist. Expertly written by the leading researchers on behavior therapy for depression. Fills in the 'behavior' part of the cognitive-behavior approach!!

"Conversations At The Nursing Home: A Mother, A Daughter, And Alzheimer's" is a unique work in which author Deanna Shapiro divides the first have of her book to telling stories about her childhood, her mother, and her immigrant Jewish relatives - in a free verse format. In the second half, Shapiro relates the intimately personal story of her Alzheimer afflicted mother's residence in a nursing home, along with their mother/daughter conversations, as well as Deanna's observations of conditions ranging from birds at a feeder, to patients sometimes alarming behavior with each other. There's a grim kind of realism in the depiction of how life can end cruelly for a parent despite all that a loving daughter can do. "Conversations At The Nursing Home" is a welcome and recommended addition to the growing library of personal memoirs with respect to Alzheimer's and the growing concern regarding assisted living and nursing home care in this country.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (12/06)

"Conversations at the Nursing Home" is a journal filled with wisdom in the form of poetry and thoughts about the visits to her mother. Deanna Shapiro's mother was a victim of Alzheimer's. She spent the last fourteen months of her life in a nursing home. Ms. Shapiro shares with her readers the conversations she had with her mother during those visits. I found "How It Came About" especially touching.

From the moment I picked up this book I knew it was written for me. Only someone else who has experience Alzheimer's firsthand can truly understand the pain and that the whole family is the victim. Ms. Shapiro points out something that I also learned, we must find humor to be compassionate. My dad is one of seven children; four have the diagnosis of this dreaded disease. At this point, I see no signs in my father. I am the Health Care Surrogate of my Aunt Libby; on her next birthday she will be 89. She has been in a nursing home approximately 10 years, and her mind has outlived her body. This book speaks poignantly to the situation many of us find ourselves in.

Ms Shapiro is an excellent writer and speaks to the heart of the situation. I commend her for sharing her story. My heart aches for her loss and rejoices that she has the strength and spirit to serve her mother. "Conversations at the Nursing Home" is well written. This should be required reading for doctors, nurses and all who have aging parents or who will have someday. I highly recommend it to all.

since I know the author I can really relate to the subject. I would love to hear from her

Dr. Buckinghams book is certainly the best book written on the subject of loss and grief to date.

This book is focused on the young reader, it is a perfect book for an adolescent to read on such issues as loss of a parent, loss of a pet, divorce, or the grief form a romantic breadk-up.

A must read for all teenagers.

I suggest this book for anyone either teaching a course on coping (which is who I bought this book for!) or for anyone wishing to learn more about coping themselves. It is a very easy read, and highly informative!

This book is primarily written as a textbook for student use; however, it is an excellent book for self appraisal. My wife and I find it very useful and true, it runs in the same vein as Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning": you have the power to choose how you will respond and in so doing, what kind of life you have.

If you are struggling with any type of life-pain, there is a section of this book that will make you say, "hey, that's exactly how I feel." And better yet, since this is written as a text book (but much easier to read than some useless psycho-babble), the author provides an intellectual and emotional framework that makes the problems and trials of life -well- bearable.

We think this book helped our marriage a lot too. The chapter on anger really makes parenting easier, and we better understand what things set us off.

Overall, there's something here for everyone, and the book is well written, concise, and easy to read. Those three things rarely come together in psycology literature.

CopShock is not just for Law Enforcement Officers, but for all members of the Emergency Services including Fire Fighters and Emergency Medical personal. It goes beyond what you see on the news into the trauma that takes place every day on America's front lines. If you want to know what happens to our emergency services people, then have a read. It will keep you, from front to back, on the edge of your chair.

Author Allen R. Kates has done an exceptional job educating all of those who serve by shaping and defining the stories of those officers and firefighters wounded psychologically in the line of duty.

The story telling is in the words of the wounded warriors and includes an extensive network of references. The 6 self tests on conditions like depression, PTSD and panic are a "must" for those in service who are daily assaulted by traumatic stress exposure and traumatic stress wounding.

If you want to find a gift for someone you know who serves, then this book gets you pumped up about unlocking the mystery of PTSD and the effect it has on your inner workings.

For firefighters, the story of "Jimmy Brown" and his journey into and out of depression after 9/11 as a serving F.D.N.Y. Fire Fighter shows that you can find help.

The "backdraft" of feelings that goes with being a front line firefighter in the H.O.T. (Hazardous Overload of Thoughts) zone of the work you face daily can be overwhelming and confusing. When you open up the inch and a half between your head and your heart and do up your "Bunker Coat" you will find yourself reading "CopShock, Second Edition" more than one time and not be disappointed.

"CopShock, Second Edition" is written in common sense language. Kates has changed the direction of the American Fire Service by his clear writing and delivery on a subject he has researched for years for all "First Responders".

Get Connected, Stay Connected, Get the book. We at North American Fire Fighter Veterans Network (www.firefighterveteran.com) strongly recommend this book for all wounded warriors and those who want to know how to prevent PTSD before it begins.

Senior Chief Shannon H. Pennington

Allen Kates' second edition of CopShock brings it all together and is, without a doubt, one of the most valuable books available for police officers, families, suicide prevention personnel and veterans on the topic of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I encourage you to read it in its entirety, not just the new chapters--it's a treasure trove of information well worth re-reading.

For those who did not read the first edition, Kates is concise and to the point as he discusses what PTSD is and how it occurs from internalized reactions of horror to a critical incident or from an accumulation of events. The confusion into which officers are thrown in many situations is well laid out (the officer who "doesn't shoot" experiencing trauma like the officer who does, for example).

"What to Do About CopShock" remains a tremendously valuable chapter. Kates encourages officers to set up a support system before a critical incident occurs, which includes friends and family, peer counselors and therapists and support groups. "Preparing for the inevitable," says Kates, "puts officers in control during a period when control is sometimes taken away." This is life-saving advice. Along with sound observations and advice, he offers several excellent self-tests and evaluations and an extensive list of resources available to officers. Additionally, he points out that the exploring of early life events, prior to employment, can further aid them in coping with future incidents.

One important addition is a chapter on officers dealing with their 9/11 experiences, particularly cases in which the symptoms did not display for years after. This is an important chapter not only because it describes the struggles faced by officers, anywhere, who may be faced with a delayed onset, but it describes the role played by POPPA, an organization for NYPD officers that continues to offer not only peer support but a broad range of services, volunteers and referrals. This nonprofit organization is a classic example for everyone of how much can still be done across the country in broadening mental health care and support for emergency workers. Their new approaches illustrate that it is NOT time to "close the patent office" on suicide prevention programs and that new ideas are vital. The chapter on "Resiliency" is also a new, thoughtful chapter that offers some well considered suggestions on developing what the author calls a "resilience" to future traumatic events. It's not, he notes, something you merely assume you have--he provides an excellent inventory for self evaluation and planning. The suggestions are excellent, such as broadening one's viewpoint, acceptance, considering support groups, and taking advantage of a mental health professional to develop a healthy strategy for moving ahead.

It was hard to improve on the original edition of CopShock, but Allen Kates has done it superbly.

by Andy O'Hara, Badge of Life