A straight talking, myth busting book about psychiatric diagnosis and the flaws therein by a leading critical voice.

In an era when more people are taking psychiatric drugs than ever before, Joanna Moncrieff's explosive book challenges the claims for their mythical powers. Drawing on extensive research, she demonstrates that psychiatric drugs do not 'treat' or 'cure' mental illness by acting on hypothesised chemical imbalances or other abnormalities in the brain. There is no evidence for any of these ideas. Moreover, any relief the drugs may offer from the distress and disturbance of a mental disorder can come at great cost to people's physical health and their ability to function in day-to-day life. And, once on these drugs, coming off them can be very difficult indeed. This book is a wake-up call to the potential damage we are doing to ourselves by relying on chemical cures for human distress. Its clear, concise explanations will enable people to make a fully informed decision about the benefits and harms of these drugs and whether and how to come off them if they so choose.

Succinct, thought-provoking, introduction ideal for students in all mental health disciplines and everyone with an interest in mental health.

Parents reach for dog-eared copies of Dr. Spock when their child has a rash or the flu, but when "moodiness" lingers or worrisome behavior problems grow, they have nowhere to turn for answers or reassurance. Now, in this compassionate resource, prominent Harvard researcher Dr. Stephen V. Faraone gives parents the tools they need to look clearly at how a child is feeling, thinking, and behaving and make wise decisions about when to call for professional help. Cues and questions teach readers to become scientific observers of their child, and vital facts about common disorders help them distinguish between normal variations in speech development and Asperger syndrome, between moodiness that's just a phase and depression, between childhood fears and the symptoms of anxiety. Knowing what to ask--and tell--the professionals, from the pediatrician to a mental health specialist, will help parents ensure a complete and accurate diagnosis. Filled with handy sidebars, charts, and checklists, the book also teaches parents to weigh treatment options to determine what's best for their child. Winner--American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award

The Power Threat Meaning Framework is a new perspective on why people sometimes experience a whole range of forms of distress, confusion, fear, despair, and troubled or troubling behaviour. It is an alternative to the more traditional models based on psychiatric diagnosis. It was co-produced with service users and applies not just to people who have been in contact with the mental health or criminal justice systems, but to all of us. The Framework summarises and integrates a great deal of evidence about the role of various kinds of power in people's lives; the kinds of threat that misuses of power pose to us; and the ways we have learned as human beings to respond to threat. In traditional mental health practice, these threat responses are sometimes called 'symptoms'. The Framework also looks at how we make sense of these difficult experiences, and how messages from wider society can increase our feelings of shame, self-blame, isolation, fear and guilt. The main aspects of the Framework are summarised in these questions, which can apply to individuals, families or social groups: 'What has happened to you?' (How is Power operating in your life?) 'How did it affect you?' (What kind of Threats does this pose?) 'What sense did you make of it?' (What is the Meaning of these situations and experiences to you?) 'What did you have to do to survive?' (What kinds of Threat Response are you using?) In addition, the two questions below help us to think about what skills and resources people might have, and how we might pull all these ideas and responses together into a personal narrative or story: 'What are your strengths?' (What access to Power resources do you have?) 'What is your story?' (How does all this fit together?)

Updated with bonus material, including a new foreword and afterword with new research, this New York Times bestseller is essential reading for a time when mental health is constantly in the news. In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Interwoven with Whitaker’s groundbreaking analysis of the merits of psychiatric medications are the personal stories of children and adults swept up in this epidemic. As Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, other societies have begun to alter their use of psychiatric medications and are now reporting much improved outcomes . . . so why can’t such change happen here in the United States? Why have the results from these long-term studies—all of which point to the same startling conclusion—been kept from the public? Our nation has been hit by an epidemic of disabling mental illness, and yet, as Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, the medical blueprints for curbing that epidemic have already been drawn up. Praise for Anatomy of an Epidemic “The timing of Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic, a comprehensive and highly readable history of psychiatry in the United States, couldn’t be better.”—Salon “Anatomy of an Epidemic offers some answers, charting controversial ground with mystery-novel pacing.”—TIME “Lucid, pointed and important, Anatomy of an Epidemic should be required reading for anyone considering extended use of psychiatric medicine. Whitaker is at the height of his powers.” —Greg Critser, author of Generation Rx

"When a child is struggling with an emotional or behavioral problem, parents face many difficult decisions. Is medication the right choice? What about side effects? How long will medication be needed? In this authoritative guide, leading child psychiatrists Drs. Timothy Wilens and Paul Hammerness explain the nuts and bolts of psychiatric medications--from how they work and potential risks to their impact on a child's emotions, school performance, personality, and health. Extensively revised to include the latest information about medications and their uses, the fourth edition is even more accessible, and includes pullouts, bulleted lists, and "take home points" highlighting critical facts. In addition to parents, this is an ideal reference for teachers and other school professionals"--

A persuasive and passionate plea from two mental health professionals to ease use of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders under their belief that it is leading to an over-diagnosed society. For many health professionals, the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is an indispensable resource. As the standard reference book for psychiatrists and psychotherapist everywhere, the DSM has had an inestimable influence on the way medical professionals diagnosis mental disorders in their patients. But with a push to label clients with pathological disorders in order to get reimbursed by insurance companies, the purpose of the DSM is no longer serving as a reference book. Instead, it is acting as a list of things that can qualify a patient’s diagnosis. In Making Us Crazy, Stuart Kirk and Herb Kutchins evaluate how the DSM has become the influence behind diagnoses that assassinate character and slander the opposition, often for political or monetary gain. By examining how the reference book serves as a source to label every phobia and quirk that arises in a patient, Kirk and Kutchins question the overuse of the DSM by today’s mental health professionals.

An excellent introduction ideal for students of all mental health disciplines and parents of children with mental health difficulties.