Psychiatric and mental disorders Books

Book SynopsisFrom trauma educator and somatic guide Kimberly Ann Johnson comes a cutting-edge guide for tapping into the wisdom and resilience of the body to rewire the nervous system, heal from trauma, and live fully. In an increasingly polarized world where trauma is often publicly renegotiated, our nervous systems are on high alert. From skyrocketing rates of depression and anxiety to physical illnesses such as autoimmune diseases and digestive disorders, many women today find themselves living out of alignment with their bodies.Kimberly Johnson is a somatic practitioner, birth doula, and postpartum educator who specializes in helping women recover from all forms of trauma. In her work, she’s seen the same themes play out time and again. In a culture that prioritizes executive function and “mind over matter,” many women are suffering from deeply unresolved pain that causes mental and physical stagnation and illness.In Call of theTrade Review“Kimberly is a conduit for deep repair. She changed the course of my healing trajectory through her guidance. Her humanizing approach to trauma makes space for you to gently unpack your wounds and then apply life-changing tools at the dosage that feels right for you. She's brilliant and so is this book.” — Erica Chidi, Co-founder & CEO of LOOM “Kimberly Johnson is a fresh voice, tracking a deep sense of trust in the physicality of being human. Her directives emerge from an inner knowing that meets eye to eye with our current neuroscience. Call of The Wild is a practical guide for women searching to not only embody their inner jaguar as a source of resiliency but also empower their sense of agency in an emerging new world.” — Liz Koch, author of Stalking Wild Psoas: Embodying Your Core Intelligence "Kimberly Ann Johnson creates real clarity around the difficult concepts of attachment, boundaries, trauma, and sex. An attuned guide, she makes sense of entanglements, reassuring our nervous systems that we have the tools we need to cut through confusion. Call of the Wild helps us repair and head home with a better understanding of how to be human." — Dr. Stan Tatkin, Wired for Love and We Do “Kimberly Johnson's book Call of the Wild is the manifesto of liberation women need at this very moment. She delivers her case for healing from trauma with such sincere passion you can feel her in the pages, and with inarguable, air-tight science. I've shared this book with every single woman I know. The world needs this important book.” — Bethany Saltman, author of Strange Situation: A Mother’s Journey Into the Science of Attachment "Call of the Wild is a generous, comprehensive, and inclusive guide for resolving and healing trauma. This book is an experiential journey, on which Johnson prioritizes safety and personal sovereignty from the beginning, while inviting us to bravely explore new and powerful ways of relating to our bodies, relationships, sexuality, and spirituality. It is a Masterclass on thriving in a human body." — Jessica Graham, Author of Good Sex: Getting Off without Checking Out "An enthralling trip through the human nervous system: how it came to be, how it goes astray, and how to get it back on track." — James Nestor, New York Times bestselling author of Breath: The New Science of A Lost Art “Kimberly Ann Johnson’s clear and inviting guide boldly points us toward the evolution of the field of somatics. Not only does she help each one of us recover from trauma but also to engage our vitality and awaken our sensual aliveness. This wise and accessible extension of Somatic Experiencing (SE) will no doubt shift popular understandings of psychology and trauma to include our bodies, nervous systems, and fundamental life force.” — Dr. Peter A. Levine, PhD, Founder of Somatic Experiencing and author of Waking the Tiger, In an Unspoken Voice, and Trauma and Memory "Call of the Wild is a massively needed, impeccably articulated, and stunningly approachable teaching on the intricate workings of our nervous systems and how to heal our trauma through our bodies—for good. Big concepts are made digestible. Delicate nuances are made approachable and meaningful. This book is a call to our health, wholeness, and embodiment through reincarnating our most innate and instinctual parts. A critical must-read guidebook for women, by a woman on trauma, sexuality, the nervous system and real sustainable healing." — Livia Shapiro MA. Author of The Somatic Therapy Workbook

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn exploration of the signs and symptoms of mental illness commonly seen by psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and GPs. Presented in a clear and concise manner suitable for clinical practice, this edition has been updated throughout and covers new diagnostic classifications systems such as the ICD-11.Table of Contents1. Classification of psychiatric disorders; 2. What is psychopathology? Controversies in classifying psychiatric disorder; 3. Disorders of Perception; 4. Disorders of Thought and Speech; 5. Disorders of Memory; 6. Disorders of emotion; 7. Disorders of the Experience of Self; 8. Motor Disorders; 9. Disorders of Consciousness; 10. Personality disorders; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPractitioners encounter patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) with surprising frequency; indeed, 1 in 10 emergency room visits and 1 in 20 primary care appointments are estimated to involve people with BPD. Applications of Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Practical Guide was written not for the psychiatrist engaged in lengthy and complex psychotherapy with these patients but for the generalist who needs the basic skills to deliver good care to this sizeable patient population in need of help. This guide condenses the vast expanse of the latest scientific research and describes the use of good psychiatric management (GPM) with different patient populations, in conjunction with different modalities, for different professions, and in different treatment settings. Constructed carefully by two leading psychiatrists in the field of BPD, the book is designed for maximum utility with stand-alone chapters offering clear guidelines for managing BPD. Topics and features include the following: • Case vignettes, which are designed to make the book practical and eminently useful, provide "decision points" where alternative interventions are proposed and discussed, demonstrating how to apply the concepts outlined in the chapter. Although the authors review the relative merits of these interventions, the presentation promotes active learning and the ability to adapt to unpredictable clinical realities. • Challenges to implementing GPM that are specific to a particular treatment setting—consultations, inpatient and outpatient settings, emergency departments, and colleges—are directly addressed so the guidelines are immediately relevant to the target audience of each chapter.• Clinicians from a variety of fields, including social workers, primary care providers, psychopharmacologists, and training supervisors, care for patients with BPD, and the book makes concrete suggestions about how to apply GPM in a range of practice types.• Implementation of GPM in a brief format and how it can be applied to other personality disorders is also addressed. It explains how GPM can be integrated with other evidence-based treatments for BPD, such as dialectical behavior therapy, mentalization-based treatment, and transference-focused psychotherapy. Written in a down-to-earth style, this case management text will appeal to the resident on call, the specialist, and the generalist. Above all, Applications of Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Practical Guide addresses the challenges specific to different treatment contexts to help busy clinicians provide informed, effective care for their patients with BPD. Trade ReviewAlthough the book is lengthy, the division of sections pertaining to treatment settings and provider types makes it widely relevant to providers working with patients with BPD. The authors are successful in their goal of reaching the generalist audience with this approach. This is a first edition, but it does expand upon a comparable book intended specifically for mental health professionals, Handbook of Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder, Gunderson. Overall, this book makes a strong contribution to resources for generalists working with the BPD population -- Hannah EH Williams, M.D. * Doody Reviews *Table of ContentsPrefaceChapter 1. An Overview of Good Psychiatric Management: Origins and DirectionsPart I: Clinical ServicesChapter 2. Inpatient Psychiatric UnitsChapter 3. Emergency Departments Chapter 4. Consultation-Liaison ServiceChapter 5. Generalist Adult Outpatient Psychiatry PracticeChapter 6. College Mental Health ServicesPart II: ProvidersChapter 7. Social WorkersChapter 8. Primary Care ProvidersChapter 9. PsychopharmacologistsChapter 10. Psychotherapy SupervisorsPart III: Implementation and IntegrationChapter 11. Implementation of Good Psychiatric Management in Ten SessionsChapter 12. Implementation of Good Psychiatric Management for Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Good Enough or Not Good Enough?Chapter 13. Integration With Dialectical Behavior TherapyChapter 14. Integration With Mentalization-Based TreatmentChapter 15. Integration With Transference-Focused PsychotherapyPart IV: ConclusionChapter 16. Conclusion: The Future of Good Psychiatric ManagementAppendix A: Additional ResourcesAppendix B: Stepped Care ModelAppendix C: Interpersonal Coherence Model

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A strong, resilient mind is the cornerstone of a healthy and happy life. In Head Strong, Dave Asprey explains how to ditch the 'brain kryptonite' that impedes our cognitive health so that we can all perform optimally-now and in the future." -- Michele Promaulayko, Editor-in-Chief, Cosmopolitan, author of 20 Pounds Younger and Look Better Naked "Head Strong is a powerfully important book. Dave Asprey knows what it is like to suffer, but also how to take thoughtful action to heal and protect the most important part of humans: our brains. I highly recommend it." -- Daniel Amen, MD Founder, Amen Clinics and author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and co-author of The Brain Warrior's Way Daniel Amen, MD Founder, Amen Clinics and author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and co-author of The Brain Warrior' "Dave Asprey has masterfully utilized leading edge neuroscience as well as his extensive personal experience to create a user-friendly guide that will clearly fulfill its promise to protect, restore, and enhance brain function. Head Strong is a tour de force." -- David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, ABIHM, author of #1 New York Times bestseller, Grain Brain, and The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan "The small choices we make every day have a major impact on our mental performance. Head Strong offers a program that shows readers how to enjoy enhanced focus, better moods, and more energy. Highly recommended!" -- Steven Masley, MD, FAHA, FACN, FAAFP, CNS, best-selling author of The 30-Day Heart Tune-Up and Smart Fat "Your brain is the most valuable resource you have. Dave Asprey's Head Strong program is full of simple tools to help you unlock the mental speed and energy of a modern day superhero. If you want to upgrade your performance, this book is a must read." -- Jim Kwik, Celebrity Memory Coach, CEO of Kwik Learning & SuperheroYou "Over the next decade, we will learn to extend the human lifespan 30-plus years. Mitochondrial health is fundamental to that goal. Head Strong is a comprehensive roadmap for maximizing brainpower and maintaining a strong, sharp, and resilient mind." -- Peter H. Diamandis, MD, New York Times Bestselling Author of Abundance and Bold; Co-Founder, Human Longevity, Inc., XPRIZE & Singularity University

Read more less

Book SynopsisControl leptin, and you control your weight.Most people's leptin levels are out of control, causing them to overeat and to store fat rather than burn it.Trade Review"I believe that [Dr. Rosedale's] method will positively shape our ultimate understanding of what constitutes healthy nutrition." -- Eric C. Westman, M.D., M.H. Sc., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Duke University "The Rosedale Diet is a must-read for anyone interested in health." -- Dr. Joseph Mercola "Those frustrated with South Beach, Atkins, and the Zone may find a friend in the Rosedale Diet." -- Publishers Weekly

Read more less

Book SynopsisA groundbreaking novel exploring the intersection between race, class and mental health in the UK''A strong and humane work of fiction'' Jackie Kay''That is the glory of being a mental patient. Nothing is impossible.''It is the 1990s, and Gloria is living in a London psychiatric ward. She is unapologetically loud, audacious and eternally on the brink of bursting into song. After several months of uninterrupted routine, she is joined by another young black woman - Merle - who is full of silences and fear.Unable to confide in their doctors, they agree to journal their pasts. Whispered into tape recorders and scrawled ferociously at night, the remarkable stories of their lives are revealed.In this tender, deeply-moving depiction of mental health, Roy creates a striking portrait of two women finding strength in their shared vulnerability, as they navigate a system that fails to protect them. Life-affirming and fearlessly hopeful, thiTrade ReviewWe need to hear stories like this today more than ever . . . Still as relevant today as it was in the 2000s * Bad Form *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA SUNDAY TIMES, NEW STATESMAN & IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE CRIME WRITERS ASSOCIATION GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTIONA perspective-shattering work into the minds of violent criminals that reveals profound consequences for human nature and society at large. *INCLUDES A NEW CHAPTER*'Brilliant . . . The book is a powerful myth buster. Name a sterotype about violent offenders and Adshead upends it.'SUNDAY TIMES'Deeply moving . . . the most overwhelming feeling I had on finishing this book was of hope . . . Compassionate and fascinating.'GUARDIANDr Gwen Adshead is one of Britain's leading forensic psychiatrists. She treats serial killers, arsonists, stalkers, gang members and other individuals who are usually labelled 'monsters'. Whatever their crime, she listens to their stories and hel

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow do health insurance regulations affect the care of persons with mental illness, and how do such persons, in turn, affect the economy through lost productivity, reduced labour supply and deviant behaviour at the workplace? This book addresses these and other questions.Trade ReviewThe in-depth analysis of a comprehensive range of topics earns this text an important place in the academic literature for mental health economics. It also has practical applicability to current events. Journal of Nervous and Mental DiseaseTable of ContentsPreface Contributors Chapter 1. Research on Economics and Mental Health: The Past and Future ProspectsPart I. The Supply of Mental Health Care Chapter 2. Mental Health Providers' Response to the Reimbursement System Chapter 3. A Modified TEFRA System for Psychiatric Facilities Chapter 4. Do Public Mental Health Hospitals Crowd Out Care for Indigent Psychiatric Patients in Nonprofit General Hospitals? Part II: The Economic Cost of Mental Illness Chapter 5. Estimates of the Loss of Individual Productivity from Alcohol and Drug Abuse and from Mental Illness Chapter 6. Measurement Error in Self-Evaluations of Mental Health: Implications for Labor Market Analysis Chapter 7. The Effects of Physical and Mental Health of Female Labor Supply Chapter 8. Linkages among Deviance in Adolescence, Antisocial Personality Part III. Insurance and the Demand for Mental Health Care Chapter 9. Econometric Issues in the Demand for Mental Health Care under Insurance Chapter 10. Private Health Insurance and the Use of Medical Care by Disabled Mentally Ill Medical Enrollees Chapter 11. Estimating the costs of a mental health benefit: A small-employer Mandate Part IV. Experimentation Chapter 12. Cost-Utility Analysis of Maintenance Treatment for Recurrent Depression: A Theoretical Framework and Numerical Illustration Chapter 13. The Treatment of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Among Mentally Ill Medicaid Enrolles: The Utilization of Services in Prepaid Plans Versus Fee-for Service Care Chapter 14. A Mental Health Capitation Experiment: Evaluating the Monroe-Livingston Experience Chapter 15. The short-run effects of a contracted provider arrangement for mental health careIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis, University of Louisville.Trade ReviewDescriptions and Prescriptions is one of the best accounts of the intense debates on the values underlying the DSM, the need for accountability in psychiatric diagnosis, and some of the chief philosophical and political issues in psychiatry. -- Steven S. Sharfstein, M.D. New England Journal of Medicine Anyone who believes that developing the best diagnostic manual possible is an important and complicated task, and also wants to contribute to the process in a scholarly and reflective way, is well-advised to study these chapters. -- Peter Zachar Metapsychology This is a stimulating book for healthcare professionals interested in the clarity and development of psychiatric diagnoses, and while most appropriate for the seasoned professional, it can be a useful stimulant to the advanced student in psychiatric healthcare professions. Doody's Health Sciences Review In particular, I believe this volume has explicit value for all who serve on a DSM-V committee, as well as those with an interest in nosology or medical sociology, those with a critical role in psychiatric education, or those who simply have a philosophical bent (a non-DSM character trait). -- Robert J. Van Den Bosch, M.D., Ph.D. American Journal of Psychiatry 2003Table of ContentsContents: List of Contributors Acknowledgments PART ONE: Introduction and Background 1 Introduction 2 The Limits of an Evidence-Based Classification of Mental Disorders 3 Values, Politics, and Science in the Construction of the DSMs PART TWO: Conceptual and Methodological Considerations 4 Values and Objectivity in Psychiatric Nosology 5 Survival of the Fittest? Conceptual Selection in Psychiatric Nosology 6 Technical Reason in the DSM-IV: An Unacknowledged Value 7 Implications of a Pragmatic Theory of Disease for the DSMs 8 Rethinking Normativism in Psychiatric Classification PART THREE: Diagnostic Categories and Values 9 Evaluation and Devaluation in Personality Assessment 10 Values and Validity of Diagnostic Criteria: Disvalued versus Disordered Conditions of Childhood and Adolescence 11 Implications of an Embrace: The DSMs, Happiness, and Capability 12 Why Criteria of Involuntary Action Are Value Laden PART FOUR: Personal and Collective Interests 13 The Hegemony of the DSMs 14 What Patient and Families Look for in Psychiatric Diagnosis 15 Softened Science in the Courtroom: Forensic Implications of a Value-Laden Classification 16 Speaking Across the Border: A Patient Assessment of Located Languages, Values, and Credentials in Psychiatric Classification 17 Psychotherapists as Authors: Microlevel Analysis of Therapists' Written Reports PART FIVE: Visions for the Future 18 Clinical and Etiological Psychiatric Diagnoses: Do Causes Count? 19 Defining Genetically Informed Phenotypes for the DSM-V 20 Values in Developing Psychiatric Classifications: A Proposal for the DSM-V 21 Report to the Chair of the DSM-VI Task Force from the Editors of Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Psychology, "Contentious and Noncontentious Evaluative Language in Psychiatric Diagnosis" (Dateline 2010) References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides practical information about depression and anxiety in primary care, with a focus on the approach in different countries and incorporating global ranges/prevalence, risk factors and health burden including that associated with COVID-19 and its pandemic. To ensure the challenges of a wide international primary care community are reflected fully, authors from different world regions Africa, Asia Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe, IberoAmericana-CIMF, North America and South Asia have co-contributed to individual chapters on the detection and management of depression and anxiety in primary care in their own countries, including the screening tools used, how widely these tools are adopted and by whom, and current policies. As well as the medical model, it also presents the alternative viewpoint that feeling low or anxious is part of the human condition and the attention should be on supporting people in their journey through life, struggling to deal with theTable of ContentsForeword by Karen Flegg. Preface. Editors. Contributors. Global perspective on depression and anxiety. Alternative approaches to the 'diagnose and treat' model of care. Assessment for depression and anxiety in primary care. The case for and against screening. Tools used for assessing and screening for depression and anxiety in primary care. Depression and anxiety in primary care in Africa. Depression and anxiety in Ethiopia. Depression and anxiety in Ghana. Depression and anxiety in Nigeria. Depression and anxiety in South Africa. Depression and anxiety in primary care in Asia Pacific. Depression and anxiety in Australia. Depression and anxiety in Hong Kong, SAR. Depression and anxiety in Malaysia. Depression and anxiety in primary care in the East Mediterranean. Anxiety and depression in Egypt. Depression and anxiety in Tunisia. Depression and anxiety in primary care in Europe. Depression and anxiety in Greece. Depression and anxiety in Luxembourg. Depression and anxiety in Türkiye. Depression and anxiety in the United Kingdom. Depression and anxiety in primary care in Ibero-Americana. Depression and anxiety in Argentina. Depression and anxiety in Brazil. Depression and anxiety in Ecuador. Depression and anxiety in primary care in North America. Depression and anxiety in Canada. Depression and anxiety in the United States of America. Depression and anxiety in primary care in South Asia. Depression and anxiety in Nepal. Depression and anxiety in Pakistan. Depression and anxiety in migrant, refugee and war-zone populations. S creening of migrants in Canada. Mental health screening of Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan and other refugees awaiting migration from Türkiye to the United States. Mental health disorders, anxiety and depression in Ukrainians associated with war and migration. Interventions for treating depression and anxiety in primary care. ‘Watchful waiting’ – a powerful approach. Psychotherapeutic interventions for depression and anxiety in primary care. Use of pharmaceutical interventions for primary care management of depression and anxiety. Improving practice. Nice guidelines on depression and anxiety. A team approach to health and well-being in primary care - the Aotearoa (New Zealand) example. Integrating physical and mental health services in primary care. Conclusion. Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: The Ins and Outs of Ocd 5 Chapter 1: Facing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 7 What Is OCD? 8 Suffering shame 9 Wrestling with risk 9 Dealing with doubt 10 Counting the Costs of OCD 10 OCD and the Media 11 Pandemic panic 11 Disgusting filth 12 Exploring Treatment Options for OCD 13 Changing the way you think with CBT 14 Thinking about thinking: Metacognitive therapy 14 Approaching OCD mindfully 15 Modifying behavior through ERP 15 Controlling OCD with medications 16 Sending signals deep into the brain 17 Helping People with OCD 17 Chapter 2: Understanding What OCD Is All About 19 Seeing the Two Sides of OCD 20 Obsessing about obsessions 20 Considering compulsions 22 Coming to Terms with OCD 24 The OCD worry cycle 24 Thinking and believing 26 Inspecting impulses 27 Categorizing the Types of OCD 28 Doubts, fears, and uncertainties 29 Contamination, germs, and dirt 30 Shame, embarrassment, and inappropriate thoughts and behaviors 31 Superstitions and rituals 34 Symmetry and perfectionism 34 Parenting OCD 35 Obsessive feelings and sensations 36 Separating OCD from Normal Worries 38 OCD and Diversity 39 Getting to a Diagnosis of OCD 40 Avoiding self-diagnosis 41 Avoiding misdiagnosis 41 Chapter 3: Meeting The Associates and Relatives of OCD 43 Recognizing the Guests or Associates of OCD 44 When anxiety and OCD hang out together 44 Moods and OCD 45 Meeting the Close Relatives of OCD 45 Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD): A seriously distorted self-image 46 Hoarding disorder 47 Trichotillomania: Pulling your hair out 49 Skin-picking: Excoriation disorder 50 Distant Cousins of OCD 51 Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder 51 Smelling bad: Olfactory reference disorder 52 Tics and Tourette’s syndrome: Involuntary sounds and movements 53 Somatic symptom disorder: I think I’m really sick 55 Eating disorders: Intense fear of fat 56 Impulse control disorders: unstoppable bad habits 57 Chapter 4: Blaming the Brain for OCD 59 Looking at the Brain’s Role in OCD 59 Connecting genetics with OCD 60 Getting inside your head 60 Choosing a Path to OCD 61 Taking information in 62 Selecting the shortcut 62 Picking the high road 63 Communication within the Brain 65 Electricity and chemicals 66 Serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate 67 Chapter 5: Developing and Living with OCD 69 Developing OCD Early 70 Good intentions; bad results 71 When bad things happen 73 Learning by seeing 75 Developing OCD as an Adult 76 Reinforcing OCD with Positives and Negatives 77 Supporting OCD with positive reinforcement 77 Supporting OCD with negative reinforcement 77 Combining positive and negative reinforcement: A double whammy 79 Worsening OCD with Bad Thinking 80 Exaggerating risk 81 Not accepting uncertainty 82 Needing everything perfect 82 Controlling thoughts 82 Being too responsible 83 Viewing thoughts as real 83 Thinking magically and illogically 84 Part 2: Starting Down The Treatment Path 85 Chapter 6: Overcoming OCD Obstacles to Change 87 Realizing Resistance Is Futile 87 Fearing treatment 88 Handicapping against treatment success 92 Believing the worst about yourself 96 Overcoming Resistance and Changing for the Better 97 Embracing the process of change 98 Defeating self-handicapping 100 Dismantling change-blocking beliefs 102 Taking one step at a time 104 Chapter 7: Getting Help for OCD 105 Going After the Types of Help You Need 106 Educating yourself about OCD 106 Getting support from family, friends, and others 107 Choosing a professional to help you 108 What to Expect in Therapy 113 Keeping your therapy private 114 Digging deep into an OCD diagnosis 115 Speaking the truth to your therapist 115 Evaluating your therapist 116 Reviewing the game plan 117 Part 3: Overcoming Ocd 119 Chapter 8: Cleaning Up OCD Thinking 121 Realigning Interpretations with Reality 122 Seeing common types of OCD distortions 122 Using CBT to correct distorted thinking 122 Defeating unreasonable doubts 123 Ending exaggerating risk 126 Rethinking the idea that thoughts have real power 129 Decoupling facts and feelings 131 Overcoming the need for perfection 132 Sidestepping obsessive thoughts 132 Letting go of feeling excessively responsible 134 Pushing Out OCD Thinking with New Narratives 137 Creating made-up, OCD-like stories 139 Writing down your OCD narratives 140 Assessing and rewriting OCD narratives 141 Chapter 9: Meta-Mindfulness for OCD 145 Thinking Erroneously 146 Separating Your Thoughts from You 147 Acquiring the Attitudes of Mindfulness 150 Making time to be mindful 150 Pursuing patience 151 Letting go of striving for striving’s sake 151 Discovering acceptance 152 Suspending judgment about emotions 153 Living in the now 154 Minding Meditation 156 Breathing meditation 156 Walking meditation 158 Chapter 10: Tackling OCD Behavior with ERP 161 Exposing the Basics and Benefits of ERP 162 Understanding why and how ERP works 163 Seeing the upsides and downsides of ERP 164 Exploring an alternative when ERP isn’t appropriate 165 Working through ERP Therapy 166 Step 1: Determining your OCD theme 167 Step 2: Making a list and choosing your challenge 167 Step 3: Identifying and preventing the response to compulsions 170 Step 4: Preparing to engage in ERP 172 Step 5: Moving through your triggers with ERP 173 Managing the ERP Process 175 Knowing what’s cheating and what’s not 176 Troubleshooting ERP 177 Rewarding yourself 180 Limiting ERP 180 Chapter 11: Considering Medications or Brain Stimulation for OCD 181 Deciding whether Medication Is Right for Your OCD 182 Getting a thorough check-up 182 Coming clean with your doctor about your health and medications 182 Looking at reasons for medicating your OCD 183 Understanding the side effects and risks of medications 185 Examining Your OCD Medication Options 187 SSRIs 188 Tricyclics 188 Other medications 189 Directly Altering the OCD Brain 189 Understanding how deep brain magnetic stimulation works 190 Looking at the evidence 191 Chapter 12: Responding to and Recovering from Relapse 193 Understanding the Steps of Recovery and the Risks of Relapse 194 Medication relapse rates 194 ERP relapse rates 195 CBT, metacognitive therapy, and mindfulness relapse rates 196 Responding Well to Relapse 196 Strategies for Reducing Relapse 197 Knowing the difference between a lapse and a relapse 197 Prolonging treatment 199 Phasing out your sessions gradually 199 Staging a fire drill 200 Remaining vigilant 201 Zeroing in on especially problematic beliefs 201 Recognizing events that trigger relapse 203 Part 4: Targeting Specific Symptoms Of Ocd 205 Chapter 13: Sanitizing Risk: Contamination OCD 207 Considering Contamination Obsessions 207 Germs 208 The disgustingly gross 209 Unusual contamination fears 210 Pandemic contamination 210 Staying Clean: Contamination Compulsions 211 Washing 212 Cleaning 212 Avoiding 212 Rituals 213 Discarding 213 Reassurance seeking 213 Confronting Contamination OCD 214 Making a list 214 Setting a goal 216 Exposure and response prevention (ERP) 216 COVID complications 217 Alternatives to ERP 218 Chapter 14: Dealing with Doubting and Checking OCD 219 Defining Categories of Doubting 220 Harming your home through negligence 220 Harming others through negligence 221 Harming others with your car through negligence 222 Harming your health through negligence 223 Getting stuck on unanswerable questions 224 Categorizing Approaches to Checking 225 Obvious or overt checking 225 Mental checking 226 Getting others to check 226 Taking Steps to Defeat Doubting and Control Checking 226 Step 1 Searching for signals, triggers, and avoidance 227 Step 2 Identifying obsessional doubts 227 Step 3 Compiling compulsions 228 Step 4 Disputing obsessional doubts 229 Step 5 Applying ERP to doubting and checking 231 Chapter 15: Subduing OCD-Driven Shame 235 Surveying Shaming OCD 236 Being afraid of losing control 237 Struggling with thoughts of aggression 237 Wrestling thoughts of acting out sexually 237 Worrying over losing control of bodily functions 238 Questioning established sexual identity 239 Taking religious or moral beliefs to the extreme 240 Treating Shaming OCD 241 Changing OCD thinking by challenging the evidence 241 Using ERP to change shaming OCD 243 Losing bladder or bowel control in public 244 Vomiting in public 245 Complementary Treatments for Shaming OCD 246 Revealing to others 246 Experimenting with being “off duty” 247 Experimenting with self-critical versus self-accepting views 247 Chapter 16: Messing with “Just So” OCD 249 Being Driven to Make Things Just So All the Time 250 Enforcing order and symmetry on life 251 Trying to get it right by repeating and redoing 253 Taking Steps to Change Just So OCD 254 Rearranging your thinking 254 Rethinking self-image 255 Rethinking emotional responses 256 Redoing your responses to repeating 258 Chapter 17: Shrinking Superstitious OCD 261 Seeing When Superstitions Constitute OCD 262 Revealing Common OCD Superstitions and Rituals 263 Changing Thinking About OCD Superstitions 265 Creating competing superstitions 266 Managing discomfort differently 268 Deflating the Power of OCD Superstitions with ERP 269 Facing off with scary superstitions 269 Defeating the power of superstitious charms 269 Chapter 18: Uncovering OCD Accomplices 273 Concerning Counting 274 Miscounting on purpose 275 Resisting the act of counting 276 Taking Charge of Touching 276 Messing with your touching 277 Discontinuing touching 277 Doing Away with Doodling 278 Doodling in different ways 278 Denying the urge to doodle 278 Speeding Up Slowness 279 Mixing things up 279 Speeding things up 281 Handling Hoarding 281 Chapter 19: Dealing with OCD-Related Impulsive Problems 283 Changing Behavior to Reduce Impulsive Problems 284 Increasing awareness of your impulsive problems 285 Relaxing away impulsive problems 285 Sidetracking impulsive problems with something different 288 Reinforcing positive gains in overcoming impulsive problems 289 Changing Thinking to Reduce Impulsive Problems 290 Finding reasons to change 290 Pushing hopelessness aside 291 Undoing unfairness worries 292 Designing supportive self-statements 292 Applying ERP to Impulsive Problems 293 Treating Impulsive Problems with Medication 293 Part 5: Assisting Others With Ocd 295 Chapter 20: Wondering about Children and OCD 297 Understanding Childhood OCD 298 Recognizing possible symptoms 298 Ruling out normal growth and health issues 299 Sorting through other childhood disorders 300 Observing the Effects of OCD 302 Having problems at home 302 Experiencing problems at school 303 Having difficulties with friends 304 Finding the Right Help for Your Child 304 Chapter 21: Helping Your Child Conquer OCD 307 Separating Your Child from OCD 308 Helping Your Child and Working with the Therapist 309 Parenting differently and not being the therapist 310 Managing your emotions 311 Working with the therapist 312 Explaining OCD to Family, Friends, and Schoolmates 316 Getting More Help at School 318 Chapter 22: Helping Family and Friends Cope with OCD 319 Discerning What It Takes to Be Supportive 320 Understanding how OCD challenges you 321 Assessing whether you’re the right person to coach 322 Knowing your limits 322 Applying Appropriate Coaching Techniques 323 Recognizing OCD’s dirty tricks 323 Coaching with kindness 324 Part 6: The Part of Tens 329 Chapter 23: Ten Quick OCD Tricks 331 Breathing Better 331 Considering a Delay 332 Distracting Yourself 332 Accepting Discomfort 332 Doing Jumping Jacks and More 333 Realizing It’s Not You, It’s Your OCD 333 Making Flashcards 333 Getting Support 334 Minding Meditation 334 Strolling through Nature 335 Chapter 24: Ten Steps for After You Get Better 337 Forgive Yourself 337 Search for Meaning 338 Strengthen Family Ties 339 Find Friends 339 Reach Out to Others with OCD 340 Help Others 340 Engage in Exercise as a Lifestyle 341 Learn New Skills 341 Pursue Hobbies 341 Find Healthy Pleasures 342 Chapter 25: Ten Dirty Little Secrets about Dirt 343 Defining Dirt 343 Living Dirt 344 Digging Dirt 344 Dirt Just Isn’t What It Used to Be 344 Chimps Who Eat Dirt 344 Speaking of Washing Off Dirt 345 Building with Dirt 345 People Who Eat Dirt 345 Kids Who Eat Dirt 346 Pica 346 Index 347

Read more less

Book SynopsisCan we reach the psychotic subject in their delusion? Psychopathological theorists often try to find a way to characterise this subject's inner predicament so that their opaque utterances and actions will now rationally hang together. In this pathbreaking work, philosopher and clinical psychologist Richard G. T. Gipps demonstrates how such efforts at rational retrieval actually result in us setting our face against the psychotic subject in their distress. Bringing together patient memoir, psychopathological observation and philosophical thought, Gipps offers a profound alternative. On the one hand he shows how, by appreciating just why we can't locate rational order within psychotic thought, we can better understand what it is to suffer delusion and psychosis. On the other, he recovers for us the value of such expressive, motivational and symbolic forms of understanding as only become available once we've been turned away at reason's door. In such ways Gipps not only solves the psychTrade Review'What is it for a mind to become ill?' In On Madness, Richard Gipps takes us on a richly textured philosophical and psychological journey showing, in a Wittgensteinian spirit, how delusion, as other psychopathological concepts, have their meaning only 'in the stream of life'. A work of philosophical psychopathology which, in resisting the temptation of definition remains firmly grounded in understanding. * Danièle Moyal-Sharrock, President of the British Wittgenstein Society, Professor of Philosophy, University of Hertfordshire, UK *Gipps’s is a deeply necessary work, because it is the first book of philosophy to take seriously that madness and delusion defy positive definition. For the ground required in order to predicate of the non-sane the kinds of things we can normally take for granted is missing. The desire to say of someone who is suffering the severest forms of strangeness that she thinks such-and-such is typically, Gipps wisely warns us, dangerously over-reaching, running the risk, if doggedly pursued, of being itself a madness of method. This brilliant book retrieves the disturbing, disturbed, difficult reality of psychoses from beneath the layers of motivated metaphysical scientism that have accreted over them. Moreover, Gipps shows how the very failures of the various forms of scientism themselves often take us as close as we can get to understanding the non-sane. * Rupert Read, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of East Anglia, UK *In this fascinating meditation, grounded in the thought of Wittgenstein, Richard Gipps argues that an adequate understanding of madness must first recognize the limits, perhaps even the impossibility, of any such understanding. Psychosis for Gipps is like the God of “negative theology”: indescribable and unknowable, approachable only through negation. His subtle critique of psychiatric and psychological concepts nevertheless illuminates many mysteries that are typically obscured by standard forms of explanation and description. * Louis Sass, Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology, Rutgers University, USA *Richard Gipps has produced a remarkable book that forces us to reconsider the rather easy definitions of madness that we are so easily drawn into, often quite unwittingly. Delusions are not just false beliefs in the house of reason, which might be corrected or easily translated, for reason itself is functioning here in a different way. Gipps has the advantage of being both a clinician and very talented philosopher with a deep understanding of Wittgenstein. This book will appeal both to psychiatrists and psychoanalysts who have an interest in philosophy and to philosophers who will see how examining madness brings fresh new ways of thinking into knowledge, reason and epistemology more generally. * David Bell, Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst, Former President British Psychoanalytic Society, UK *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Mental Illness 2. Delusion’s Rational Irretrievability 3. Reality Contact 4. A World of One’s Own 5. The Divided Self 6. Self and Other 7. Hallucination 8. Disordered Thought 9. Psychotic Symbolization 10. The Politics of Insanity Ascription Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew York Times Book Review Top 10 Books of the Year‘Captures with subtlety and empathy the honest reality of mental illness’ The TimesThere are stories that save us, and stories that trap us, and in the midst of an illness it can be very hard to know which is which…Strangers to Ourselves shares the experiences of five people who have come up against the limits of psychiatric explanations for who they are. It asks, do the stories we tell around mental illness affect its course, its outcomes, even our identities?Drawing on in-depth reporting, written testimonies and formative events in her own childhood, award-winning New Yorker writer Rachel Aviv offers a subtle, compassionate, revelatory account of how we understand ourselves in periods of crisis and distress.‘Aviv finds language for the most ineffable registers of human experience’ Wall Street Journal‘Profoundly intelligent… superbly written portraits’ GuardianA best book of the year in the Los Angeles Times, Time, Washington Post, New Yorker, and Vogue Trade ReviewA subtle and penetrating investigation into how mental illness is diagnosed ... Aviv is an instinctive storyteller... meticulous, empathic, tirelessly inquisitive. -- Hephzibah Anderson * Observer *So attuned to subtlety and complexity... a book-length demonstration of Aviv's extraordinary ability to hold space for the "uncertainty, mysteries and doubt" of others. * New York Times Book Review *Profoundly intelligent ... superbly written portraits ... [A] remarkable book. * Guardian *Captures with subtlety and empathy the honest reality of mental illness... a human chronicle that is intimate and unpredictable... Instead of demonizing disorders of the mind, Aviv seeks to understand their causes. * The Times *An incredibly researched, empathetic, and moving book. * Lit Hub *Combines the poise of Janet Malcolm and the confessional bravery of Joan Didion ... Through half a dozen vivid case studies - one being the story of her own hospitalization at age six - Aviv unravels medical diagnoses and demonstrates how societal narratives around illness take hold. The result is fascinating and empathetic. * Vogue *Aviv applies her signature conscientiousness and probing intellect to every section of this eye-opening book ... A moving, meticulously researched, elegantly constructed work of nonfiction. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *In writing against the limits of psychiatric narratives, into the space where language has failed, Aviv paradoxically finds language for the most ineffable registers of human experience. * Wall Street Journal *Writing with uncanny empathy and integrity ... Strangers to Ourselves is a work of landmark reporting that is truly heartbreaking and astonishing. -- Cathy Park Hong, author of MINOR FEELINGS: An Asian American ReckoningA groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting exploration of the relationship between diagnosis and identity. This is the kind of book that can make your life flash before your eyes, glittering with new insights and a sense of unguessed possibilities. -- Elif Batuman, author of EITHER/OR and THE IDIOTRelentlessly faithful to complexity, absolutely unsettling in all the best and most important ways ... Aviv explores her subjects not as diagnoses but as fully dimensional characters. -- Leslie Jamison, author of MAKE IT SCREAM, MAKE IT BURNIn this penetrating, landmark book, Rachel Aviv investigates what she calls the 'psychic hinterlands,' drawing on her customary vivid reporting and her own extraordinary personal story to pose unsettling questions about the ways in which we reckon with mental illness ... Aviv has created an arresting work of profound empathy and insight.Aviv writes with an unpredictable mixture of intimacy and distance, exploring how psychiatric language often alters what it names ... I admire her rigor and eloquence but also her restraint - she makes vivid experiences we can't explain. -- Ben Lerner, author of THE TOPEKA SCHOOLMaster prose stylist Rachel Aviv quietly explodes our neat narratives as she rescues the meanings of lives formed in extremity, including her own. Breaking away from labels that have the power to create the futures they foretell, her case histories are kaleidoscopic, filled with sudden radiance and uncomfortable discontinuities ... Brilliant. -- George Makari, MD, author of OF FEAR AND STRANGERS: A History of Xenophobia, director of the DeWitt Wallace Institute of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical CollegeI was blown away...a radically human book that lead me not to answers, but to better questions, about the infinite contingencies of mental "health" * Observer, *Christmas Gift Guide 2022* *Strangers to Ourselves was revelatory to me in its empathetic, sprawling unraveling of how mental illness forms our identities... It's the best kind of reported nonfiction, an entire book that feels like the best New Yorker piece you've ever read * White Review, *Books of the Year* *Aviv is a skilled writer... The people at the centre of the book come alive through her prose * Times Literary Supplement *This is a really affecting book, and one that anyone with even the faintest interest in mental health should read... meticulous, moving portraits of people, from all walks of life * Dazed Digital *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Ultimately, my experiences as a mental health nurse have taught me that we should judge less and open our hearts more.'Belinda Black was just seventeen years old when she began working as a nursing assistant at the large and foreboding 'madhouse', as it was then known in hometown in the north of England. Following in the footsteps of her mother, she spent a decade caring for patients with widely varying mental health problems, all locked up together and out of view of society. Some had suffered unimaginable trauma, several had violent and volatile tendencies, but amongst this Belinda found moments of joy and even friendship with her patients.Together, against a backdrop of rattling keys, clanging iron doors, and wards that smelled of disinfectant and stale smoke, these people came together to get through another day. Until the hospital, along with many others, had its doors closed in 1991 - the biggest change to mental healthcare in NHS history.The result is a moving, shocking but ultimately life-affirming account of a unique and noble profession, told from the frontlines. Trade ReviewStories that range from heart-wrenching to shocking * Yorkshire Post *[A] moving memoir * Daily Express *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe system isn’t broken, Mr. Nibbles. It was designed this way.Theodore is a bear with wild mood swings. When he is up, he carves epic poetry into tree trunks. When he is down, he paints sad faces on rocks and turtle shells. In search of prescription medications that will bring stability to his life, Theodore finds a job with health insurance benefits. He gets the meds, but when he can’t pay the psychiatrist’s bill, he becomes lost in the Labyrinth of Health Insurance Claims.This witty and colorful tale follows the comical exploits of Theodore, a loveable and relatable bear, as he copes with bipolar disorder, navigates the inequities of capitalist society, founds a commune, and becomes an activist, all the while accompanied by a memorable cast of characters—fat-cat insurance CEOs, a wrongfully convicted snake, raccoons with tommy guns, and an unemployed old dog who cannot learn new tricks. Entertaining, whimsical, and bitingly satirical, Bipolar Bear is a fable for grownups that manages the delicate balance of addressing society’s ills while simultaneously presenting a hopeful vision for the world.Trade Review“Zany with a zinger of a political message.”—Publishers Weekly“A richly illustrated, darkly funny fable for adults about the country’s dysfunctional health system.”—Rachel Scheier Kaiser Health News“Kathleen Founds is a luminous, bright, subversive, and very funny writer. What I especially love about her work is the sense that her strange and wonderful talent is always working in the service of a deeply humane and hopeful vision of the world.”—George Saunders,author of A Swim in a Pond in the Rain“This delightful, effortless read keeps us happily afloat over some serious and deeply consequential terrain. Plus wonderful pictures!”—Karen Joy Fowler,Man Booker Finalist and author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves“A satire with heart.”—Vanessa Diffenbauh,author of The Language of Flowers“Theodore is an adorable everyman who falls into the dreaded vortex of insurance claims—no creature this cute should have to suffer what millions of Americans go through right when they need help the most. In one crafty panel after another, Founds wittily eviscerates this mess with tenderness for its hapless victims and merciless venom for the profiteers. Bipolar Bear is biting satire and call for action presented in some of the most captivating illustrations I’ve ever seen.”—Elizabeth McKenzie,author of The Portable Veblen and Stop That Girl!“A clever and compelling allegory, Bipolar Bear makes us think deeply about social justice and healthcare reform through the misadventures of a lovable bear named Theodore who gets caught in the dark underbelly of our problematic insurance industry. With beautiful art that is at once playful and evocative, this graphic novel is as humorous as it is enraging. Theodore and the supporting cast of lovable animals manage to make the issues only all the more human. Founds has written a perfect fable for our times.”—Liza Monroy,author“ of The Marriage Act“Bipolar Bear and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Health Insurance is, I promise, unlike any book you've ever read — like all of Kathleen Founds's work, it is full of delight and sorrow, of lightness and profundity, of silliness and deep intelligence, often all on the same page. I so admired the brilliant and capacious imagination on display in these pages.”—Vauhini Vara,author of The Immortal King Rao“Kathleen Founds is one of my favorite young writer-artists in America, and Bipolar Bear—by turns hilarious and heart-breaking—is her finest work yet. I loved this book.”—Gideon Lewis-Kraus,author of A Sense of Direction

Read more less

Book SynopsisWere you raised by a narcissist? This essential guide will show you how to stop feeling invisible, quiet your critical inner voice, and start living life on your own terms.Did you grow up with a mother who was controlling or manipulative? Was she emotionally or psychologically abusive toward you? Did she make you feel ashamed, rejected, or “crazy?” Was it all about her, all of the time? When your mother is a narcissist, it can damage and invalidate your sense of self, and leave you with lasting anxiety, insecurity, self-doubt, and a relentlessly critical internal voice. But there are tools you can use to move forward in your adult life with confidence. The evidence-based skills in this book will help you heal the scars of growing up with a self-absorbed and narcissistic mother.Written by a psychologist and expert in narcissism, Adult Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers offers proven-effective strategies drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you reduce anxiety, build confidence, overcome self-criticism, and live the life you deserve. You’ll also find tons of practical tips to help you build healthy, trusting relationships; stop apologizing for the failures of others; and start trusting your own good judgment.If you were raised by a narcissistic mother and are struggling with the lingering effects of a toxic upbringing, this is the road map you need to heal the past and thrive in the present and future.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWritten by a team of mental health experts, Intrusive Thoughts Toolkit provides fast-acting techniques for overcoming persistent, painful, and intrusive thoughts. With this take-anywhere guide, readers will learn on-the-spot, proven-effective tips to get unstuck from negative thoughts and feelings, adopt healthier thinking habits, and increase overall well-being. Quiet your noisy mind-and find peace of mind-with fast-acting, on-the-spot relief for persistent, painful, and intrusive thoughts. Do you have unwanted, repetitive, negative, or intrusive thoughts that are getting in the way of your life, keeping you up at night, or making you downright miserable? If so, you need quick tools you can use right now-whenever and wherever you are-to soothe the disruption of intrusive thoughts. This emergency toolkit has you covered. Written by a team of mental health experts and grounded in evidence-based therapy, Intrusive Thoughts Toolkit provides fast-acting tools for soothing distressing thoughts in the moments when you need it most. With this take-anywhere guide, you'll learn proven techniques to get unstuck from negative thoughts and feelings, adopt healthier thinking habits, and increase overall well-being. You'll also find easy and doable ways to help you press pause on spiraling thinking, and in-the-moment interventions to help you quiet your mind before your thoughts get out of control. If you're looking for quick solutions to help you move beyond intrusive thoughts and improve your mental health, this powerfully effective pocket guide has everything you need to find lasting peace of mind.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPsychosis is possibly the most feared symptom of mental health disorders, other than suicide, as the sufferer loses touch with reality and can be an extreme danger to themselves and occasionally others. It is particularly associated with schizophrenia, but also manic episodes of bipolar disorder, extreme stress and emotional trauma and substance abuse. Erica Crampton, a former psychosis/schizophrenia patient and now mental health activist and writer, and Stephen Lawrie, Professor of Psychiatry in Edinburgh, UK, have come together to write this practical and positive guide to the tools for recovery to help people with psychosis, or at risk of developing psychosis, and their family and friends, lead a happier, more rewarding life. Written in the style of a travel guide, with lifestyle and wellbeing advice to improve outcomes as well as guidance on conventional treatments, each approach is given a `sanity check' regarding its reliability.Table of ContentsI: What, who, when, where and why? What is psychosis? Causes and controversies; The essentials of psychosis management; How to help those with psychosis; Psychosis around the world; Practical stuff; II: Fifty ways to stay sane: `Let's talk about it...'; `Let's get physical'; `Let's get spiritual'; Fun things to do; Practical things to do; Everyday stuff; Bottom drawer (other things to do); III: Next step: Medications; Recovery and relapse; Other things; Resources

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the first international handbook on Black community mental health, focussing on key issues including stereotypes in Mental health, misdiagnoses, and inequalities/discrimination around access, services and provisions. Making use of a cultural competence framework throughout, the book covers many of the classic mental health/developmental areas such as schizophrenia, mental health disorders, ASD and ADHD, but it also looks at more controversial areas in mental health, like inequalities, racism and discrimination both in practice and in graduate school training and the supervisory experiences of black students in universities. Unique among traditional academic texts addressing mental health, the book presents rich personal accounts from Black therapists and students. Many Black students who are training to become therapists or academics in mental health report negative experiences with white university staff in terms of a lack of support, encouragement, resulting in poor graduation outcomes.While institutional racism is a major issue both in society and universities, the editors of this Handbook take personal-level racism, microaggression and everyday racism as better models for understanding and analysing both these students; racialised interaction/communication experiences with white staff at university, as well as the racialised communications and inequalities in misdiagnoses, access to services and provisions in healthcare settings with white managers.Trade ReviewThis Handbook is a landmark in our understanding of the mental health issues which challenge African-heritage populations in Europe (particularly in the UK and the Netherlands) and in North America – countries which imposed slavery on African populations. The racism which survives today is a perpetuation of the values which supported slavery: issues of labelling and victim-blaming continue, and take their toll on minority populations. The 40 activists, clinicians and scholars who contribute chapters to this handbook are well qualified and experienced in their specialist fields and bring their unique insights and knowledge on Black Community Mental Health issues to a Handbook which will be of great value for students, trainees, academics and practitioners from multidisciplinary backgrounds. The authors have also been ably guided and organised by the Handbook’s three editors (two from the US, one from the UK). Overall, there is much quality in the writing, many insights, and bases for further action. -- Dr Alice Sawyerr, FHEA, CPsychol, CSci, AFBPsSAs far as I am aware this is the first publication of its kind on the experiences and provision of services to the BME community. This in itself is something of a sad statement to make in 2020 after many years of campaigning, analysis, research and policy intervention (I know I have been involved in many of them over the years )we have yet to produce a publication specifically on the issues pertaining to BME mental health. For producing this work the editors should be congratulated. The challenges within these pages are not only for members of the BME community to read, reflect and act. This book is essential reading for any Mental Health practitioner who wishes to understand and practice in system which is beneficial to all regardless of race. -- Lord Victor O. Adebowale, CBETable of ContentsBlack Mental Health and the New Millennium: Historical and Current Perspective on Cultural Trauma and ‘Everyday’ Racism in White Mental Health Spaces — The Impact on the Psychological Well-being of Black Mental Health Professionals; Richard Majors Chapter 1. Systemic Racism: Big, Black, Mad and Dangerous in the Criminal Justice System; Sharon Walker Chapter 2. In the name of our humanity: challenging academic racism and its effects on the emotional wellbeing of women of colour professors; Philomena Essed and Karen Carberry Chapter 3. Racial Battle Fatigue: The Long-Term Effects of Racial Microaggressions on African American Boys and Men; William Smith, R. David and G. Stanton Chapter 4. Racism in Academia: (How to) Stay Black, Sane and Proud as the doctoral supervisory relationship implodes; Sharon Walker Chapter 5. Implicit Provider Bias and its Implications for Black/African American Mental Health; Andra D Rivers Johnson Chapter 6. Thirty years of Black History Month and thirty years of overrepresentation in the mental health system; Patrick Vernon Chapter 7. Race and Risk – exploring UK social policy and the development of modern mental health; Patricia Clarke Chapter 8. Remaining Mindful about Young People; Mhemooda Malek and Simon Newitt Chapter 9. Cultural competencies in delivering counselling and psychotherapy services to a black multi-cultural population: time for change and action; Nicholas Banks Chapter 10. Social and Emotional Education and Emotional Wellness: A Cultural Competence Model for Black Boys and Teachers; Richard Majors, Llewellyn E Simmons and Corneilus Ani Chapter 11. ASD & Cultural Competence: An ASD Multi-Cultural Treatment Led Model; Mary Henderson and Richard Majors Chapter 12. Moving Young Black Men Beyond Survival Mode: Protective Factors for Their Mental Health; Ivan Juzang Chapter 13. African Americans and the Vocational Rehabilitation Service System in the United States: The Impact on Mental Health; Fabricio E Balcazar and Julie Vryhof Chapter 14: Targeted Intervention in Education and the Empowerment and Emotional Well-Being of Black Boys; Cheron Byfield and Tony Talburt Chapter 15. Towards a position of Spiritual Reflexivity as a resource: Emerging themes and issues for systemic practice, leadership and supervision within Black mental health; Maureen Greaves Chapter 16. “Marginal Leaders”: Making Visible the Leadership Experiences of Black Women in a Therapeutic Service for Disenfranchised Young People; Romana Farooq and Tania Rodrigues Chapter 17. 40 Years in The Wilderness: A Review of Systemic Barriers to Reducing The Over-representation of Black Men in the UK Psychiatric System; Gail Coleman-Oluwabusola Chapter 18. Oppositional and Defiant Behaviours Among Black Boys in Schools: Techniques to Facilitate Change; Steve Clarke Chapter 19. Black Therapists – White Families, therapists’ perceptions of cultural competence in clinical practice; Karen Carberry and Belinda Brooks-Gordon Chapter 20. Transracial Adoption and Mental Health; Nicholas Banks Chapter 21. Dementia and its impact on minority ethnic and migrant communities; David Trusswell Chapter 22. Mental Health/Illness Revisited in People of African Caribbean Heritage in Britain; Tony Leiba and Gwen Rose Chapter 23. Researching African-Caribbean Mental Health in the UK: An Assets-based Approach to developing psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia and related psychoses; Dawn Edge, Amy Degan and Sonya Rafiq Chapter 24. ‘Lone wolf’ case study considerations of terrorist radicalisation from the black experience – impact on mental health; Nicholas Banks Chapter 25. Spotlight on Sensory Processing Difficulties; Lisa Prior and Tiffany Howl Chapter 26. Forced Marriage as a Representation of a Belief System in the UK and its Psychological Impact on Well-being; Doreen Robinson and Reenee Singh Chapter 27. Systemic Family therapy with transgenerational communities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic; Karen Carberry, Gerald Jean Lafleur and Genel Jean-Claude Chapter 28. Engaging with racialized process in clinical supervision. Political or personal; Isha McKenzie-Mavinga

Read more less

Book SynopsisPatients with mental health issues present frequently in primary care and their consultations are often more challenging and time-consuming than those involving physical illness. For many patients there remains a significant stigma associated with mental ill-health and overcoming this adds further complexity to the consultation. Improving the Mental Health Consultation provides a simple ‘short circuit’ tool to help GPs and other healthcare professionals to explain mental health problems simply and effectively to their patients. The tool is straightforward, easy to convey within the confines of a 10-minute consultation and extremely effective in helping to break down the stigma that patients often feel. The tool has been developed and refined during over ten years of consultations in primary care. The detailed explanations of how to use the tool during the consultation, along with the extensive case studies, will help you to improve your mental health consultations and so help your patients deal better with their diagnosis. From anxiety to OCD and chronic fatigue to fibromyalgia, the book also provides detailed coverage of diagnosis and classification using ICD-11 and DSM-IV, and management using the latest NICE guidelines.Trade ReviewPre-publication review This book introduces a new consultation tool 'The Short Circuit' and makes a bold claim for it. But I think the author might be right: ‘Helping a patient understand a complex concept in a short time is difficult...[using this tool] your consultations will become quicker and more rewarding and the patient will be able to overcome any stigma leading them to a healthier understanding of mental health and able to engage better with any treatments.’ The style of the book is accessible and engaging and draws on the author's experience as a GP … As such it is forged in the fire of rapid-paced frontline care for patients, but brings a thoughtful, reflective response. Please read it. Your patients will benefit and, quite possibly, you will too. -- Professor Kay Mohanna FRCGP MA EdD, Professor of Healthcare Education, University of WorcesterAn important book ‘This is an important book from a doctor's point of view and helpful from a patient's perspective. Developing patter, Short circuit theory - all these things can help a trainee or even already qualified doctors to create their own way of approaching mental health - helped me see mental health as a pathology like any other disease. I sure would recommend it.' Amazon reviewer Table of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Mental health – the issue and a solution 1.2 The global Covid-19 pandemic Chapter 2 The short circuit theory 2.1 The 'short circuit' as a description of mental health disorders 2.2 The symptoms of the short circuit 2.3 The problem of insight 2.4 The three Ps: personality, pressure and pathology 2.5 The three Ps: patient assumptions vs. actual cases Chapter 3 The short circuit as a tool: a practical approach 3.1 Mental health problems 3.2 When to use the short circuit tool 3.3 Using the short circuit tool in a consultation 3.4 Summary 3.5 Worked examples Chapter 4 Mental illnesses in detail 4.1 Focus on anxiety 4.2 Focus on depression 4.3 Focus on OCD Chapter 5 Physical illness with mental health connections 5.1 Focus on physical symptoms 5.2 Fibromyalgia 5.3 Irritable bowel syndrome 5.4 Chronic pain syndrome 5.5 Chronic fatigue syndrome Chapter 6 Treating the patient 6.1 Treating the patient 6.2 Treatment modalities 6.3 Dealing with pressure 6.4 Cognitive behavioural therapy 6.5 Pharmacological treatments Chapter 7 Summary

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrauma Healing in the Yoga Zone describes an original model of "Nervous System Informed, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga," (NITYA), a synthesis of classical yoga, somatic psychotherapy, and neuroscience research. It is organized around the eight branches of Raja Yoga, and includes scripts for administering NITYA chair yoga postures, breathing practices, and yoga nidra (the yogic sleep). These can be used by helping professionals with all levels of familiarity with yoga.The book is needed for several reasons: for mental health professionals, it offers a comprehensive overview of yoga philosophy and practices, as well as yoga-based options for working with the client''s embodied experience, a major element in trauma healing. For yoga professionals and practitioners, it provides insight into the natural integration of yoga with polyvagal theory and other current approaches in the field of somatic psychology. Both professions are currently being enriched by data from the field of neuropsychology that describes brain function, in real time, in various mental and emotional states. This data supports yoga''s effectiveness in regulating the autonomic nervous system, a key to trauma recovery.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPulling no punches in its 150 pages, Pharmakon is the story of an explosion, of the moment depression blew up the life the author thought she knew and settled in her body. But Pharmakon isn’t a sad book; it is testimony, written with humour and intimacy by one of Spain’s most singular voices, one that deftly combines wit, eccentricity, and warmth. Far from shrinking from taboos, Sánchez grabs hold of her depression and dredges it for the whys and hows, excavating her memory, behaviour, and craters of the mind: here there is infancy and the family home, youth at school in Mallorca and in the fields of Castile; psychiatrists who save and pills that bring her back to life; there are dreams, nightmares, and desires. And books, lots of books—some that serve to escape and others to understand what was happening in her head—because for Sánchez, literature is comfort, quest, and salvation. Pharmakon is an insight, from one of Spain’s most singular voices, into the experience of depression and recovery.

Read more less