WHO IS THE DEVIL YOU KNOW? Is it your lying, cheating ex-husband? Your sadistic high school gym teacher? Your boss who loves to humiliate people in meetings? The colleague who stole your idea and passed it off as her own? In the pages of The Sociopath Next Door, you will realize that your ex was not just misunderstood. He's a sociopath. And your boss, teacher, and colleague? They may be sociopaths too. We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but in The Sociopath Next Door, Harvard psychologist Martha Stout reveals that a shocking 4 percent of ordinary people- 1 in 25 - has an often undetected mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that that person possesses no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse. One in 25 everyday people, therefore, is secretly a sociopath. They could be your colleague, your neighbour, even family. And they can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt. How do we recognize the remorseless? One of their chief characteristics is a kind of glow or charisma that makes sociopaths more charming or interesting than the other people around them. They're more spontaneous, more intense, more complex, or even sexier than everyone else, making them tricky to identify and leaving us easily seduced. Fundamentally, sociopaths are different because they cannot love. Sociopaths learn early on to show sham emotion, but underneath they are indifferent to others' suffering. They live to dominate and thrill to win. The fact is, we all almost certainly know at least one or more sociopaths already. Part of the urgency in reading The Sociopath Next Door is the moment when we suddenly recognize that someone we know - someone we worked for, or were involved with, or voted for - is a sociopath. But what do we do with that knowledge? To arm us against the sociopath, Dr Stout teaches us to question authority, suspect flattery, and beware the pity play. Above all, she writes, when a sociopath is beckoning, do not join the game. It is the ruthless versus the rest of us, and The Sociopath Next Door will show you how to recognize and defeat the devil you know.

Autism is a rising epidemic that affects 1 in 68 children. When Jennifer Noonan's son was diagnosed in 2009, she refused to accept the conventional wisdom that autism was largely permanent, instead launching a relentless investigation into the very latest dietary, immunological, and metabolic research available. "I certainly had no reason to believe at that time that autism was treatable," she writes, "but somehow I decided, in my classically pigheaded way, that it would be." This spirited audacity gave her not only courage,and ultimately success,in the face of such a devastating diagnosis, but also a self-aware and darkly funny perspective on her own faults and struggles over the next six years.With equal parts defiance, tenacity, and wry humour, No Map to This Country details one family's journey through the modern autism epidemic, and the lengths to which a mother will go to heal her family. Neither a medical manual nor a heartwarming tale of growth, Noonan's ground-breaking yet profoundly relatable memoir seamlessly combines cutting-edge research with a gripping and unapologetic account of her family's fight for recovery.

Helps readers to identify how narcissism shows up in their own lives and when everyday narcissism becomes destructive. The Narcissist in You and Everyone Elseintroduces readers to the notion of narcissism as a spectrum-based model of increasing loss of empathy (due to a variety of factors including genetics, trauma, abuse, conditioning and environment) that can give way to a propensity toward narcissism. Through studies and examples, Sterlin Mosley defines the 27 subtypes of narcissism and how these variations differ from the limited description of the narcissistic as popularized in psychological literature, movies, and other forms of popular culture. He offers readers an opportunity to explore how their own narcissistic tendencies may show up and how to challenge those tendencies to continue to push for greater compassion and empathy for ourselves and others. Using the Enneagram model of personality, Mosley explores and explains the variety of narcissistic tendencies and types and reveals useful tips on how to best to manage those tendencies in ourselves and the narcissists around us.

I'm So Glad You're Here is the story of a family disrupted by ramifications of a father's mental illness. The memoir opens with a riveting account of Gay, age eighteen, witnessing her father being bound in a straitjacket and carried out of the house on a stretcher. The trauma she experiences escalates when, after her father has had electroshock treatments at a state mental hospital, her parents leave her in a college dorm room and move from Massachusetts to Florida without her. She feels abandoned. Both her parents have gone missing. Decades later, when Gay and her three much-older siblings show up for their father's funeral, she witnesses her sundered family's inability to gather together. Eventually, she is diagnosed with PTSD of abandonment and treated with EMDR therapy-and finally begins to heal. Poignant and powerful, I'm So Glad You're Here is Gay's exploration of the idea that while the wounds we carry from growing up in fractured families stay with us, they do not have to control us-a reflective journey that will inspire readers to think about their own relational lives.

Nearly one million people take their own lives each year world-wide - however, contrary to popular belief, suicide can be prevented. While suicide is commonly thought to be an understandable reaction to severe stress, it is actually an abnormal reaction to regular situations. Something more than unbearable stress is needed to explain suicide, and neuroscience shows what this is, how it is caused and how it can be treated. Professor Kees van Heeringen describes findings from neuroscientific research on suicide, using various approaches from population genetics to brain imaging. Compelling evidence is reviewed that shows how and why genetic characteristics or early traumatic experiences may lead to a specific predisposition that makes people vulnerable to triggering life events. Neuroscientific studies are yielding results that provide insight into how the risk of suicide may develop; ultimately demonstrating how suicide can be prevented.

Nearly one million people take their own lives each year world-wide - however, contrary to popular belief, suicide can be prevented. While suicide is commonly thought to be an understandable reaction to severe stress, it is actually an abnormal reaction to regular situations. Something more than unbearable stress is needed to explain suicide, and neuroscience shows what this is, how it is caused and how it can be treated. Professor Kees van Heeringen describes findings from neuroscientific research on suicide, using various approaches from population genetics to brain imaging. Compelling evidence is reviewed that shows how and why genetic characteristics or early traumatic experiences may lead to a specific predisposition that makes people vulnerable to triggering life events. Neuroscientific studies are yielding results that provide insight into how the risk of suicide may develop; ultimately demonstrating how suicide can be prevented.

I Am Me is a courageous story offered as a gift of hope, inspiration, and love to anyone whose life is affected by an autism spectrum diagnosis-a candid and moving personal narrative about raising a child with the devastating diagnosis. One out of 68 children today are diagnosed with autism. One of those happens to be Marlene Ringler's son. Yesterday's autistic child is today's autistic adult. As mothers, women worry about just what will happen to their child when they are no longer around to provide guidance and support. Who will look after him? Who will care? Who will love my son? Marlene Ringler directly addresses those very human questions as she pays special attention to research findings and current investigations into the spectrum disorder. Her journey provides a firsthand look at the highs and lows of raising a son with this diagnosis, leading towards a greater understanding of how recognition of an autistic diagnosis can be viewed as part of our human condition. I Am Me is a straightforward, honest, and touching story of how a family copes when one member is on the spectrum. It is a journey told through the prism of a mother who offers hope, belief, and conviction that the life of a child with autism can and should be fulfilling and rewarding.

When readers first meet Ben, he is a sweet, intelligent, seemingly well-adjusted youngster. Fast forward to his teenage years, though, and Ben's life has spun out of control. Ben is swept along by an illness over which he has no control one that results in runaway episodes, periods of homelessness, seven psychotic breaks, seven hospitalizations, and finally a diagnosis and treatment plan that begins to work. Schizophrenia strikes an estimated one in a hundred people worldwide by some estimates, and yet understanding of the illness is lacking. Through Ben's experiences, and those of his mother and sister, who supported Ben through every stage of his illness and treatment, readers gain a better understanding of schizophrenia, as well as mental illness in general, and the way it affects individuals and families. Here, Kaye encourages families to stay together and find strength while accepting the reality of a loved one's illness; she illustrates, through her experiences as Ben's mother, the delicate balance between letting go and staying involved. She honors the courage of anyone who suffers with mental illness and is trying to improve his life and participate in his own recovery. Ben Behind His Voices also reminds professionals in the psychiatric field that every patient who comes through their doors has a life, one that he has lost through no fault of his own. It shows what goes right when professionals treat the family as part of the recovery process and help them find support, education, and acceptance. And it reminds readers that those who suffer from mental illness, and their families, deserve respect, concern, and dignity."

"The Lives They Left Behind is a deeply moving testament to the human side of mental illness, and of the narrow margin which so often separates the sane from the mad. It is a remarkable portrait, too, of the life of a psychiatric asylum--the sort of community in which, for better and for worse, hundreds of thousands of people lived out their lives. Darby Penney and Peter Stastny's careful historical (almost archaeological) and biographical reconstructions give us unique insight into these lives which would otherwise be lost and, indeed, unimaginable to the rest of us." --Oliver Sacks "Fascinating...The haunting thing about the suitcase owners is that it's so easy to identify with them." --Newsweek When Willard State Hospital closed its doors in 1995, after operating as one of New York State's largest mental institutions for over 120 years, a forgotten attic filled with suitcases belonging to former patients was discovered. Using the possessions found in these suitcases along with institutional records and doctors' notes from patient sessions, Darby Penney, a leading advocate of patients' rights, and Peter Stastny, a psychiatrist and documentary filmmaker, were able to reconstruct the lives of ten patients who resided at Willard during the first half of the twentieth century. The Lives They Left Behind tells their story. In addition to these human portraits, the book contains over 100 photographs as well as valuable historical background on how this state-funded institution operated. As it restores the humanity of the individuals it so poignantly evokes, The Lives They Left Behind reveals the vast historical inadequacies of a psychiatric system that has yet to heal itself.

This great book offers an up-to-date overview of how gender and sexuality affect mental health. It will help women to self-identify and self-manage the symptoms of mental ill health. The book covers a wide range of specific mental health disorders - many of which are more common in women - and includes real-life case studies, the latest treatments and where to find further help and support. It's written in an easy-to-read format to give an invaluable guide for women.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can be a very disabling and distressing problem. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to be very effective in helping people to overcome OCD. However, OCD is a highly heterogeneous disorder, often complicated by contextual factors, and therapists are often left wondering how to apply their knowledge of treatment to the particular problems as they face them in clinical practice. This book provides the reader with an understanding of the background to and principles of using CBT for OCD in a clear practical 'how to' style. It also elucidates the particular challenges and solutions in applying CBT for OCD using illustrative case material and guidance on formulation-driven intervention. The book also addresses commonly occurring complexities in the treatment of OCD, for example working with comorbidity, perfectionism, shame and family involvement in symptoms. Throughout the book, the authors provide tips on receiving and giving supervision to trouble-shoot commonly encountered problems, resulting in a guide that can help clinicians at all levels of experience.

This timely reference examines the psychological and social phenomena of mass and serial murder, bringing scholarly depth to a frequently sensationalized subject. Its review of the literature features case studies of serial and mass murderers to expand on salient theories of evil, with biopsychosocial profiles highlighting core personality traits, particularly malignant narcissism, associated with psychopathy and its often deadly outcomes. The author's insightful analysis separates misconceptions from reality, poses questions for critical thinking and discussion, and offers realistic suggestions for prevention. Public fascination with these violent figures-the mystique of serial killers and their popularity in the entertainment media-is explored as well. Included in the coverage: * Public interest in mass and serial murder. * Concepts of evil: where it comes from, and why people kill.* Mass murder: classification, motivation, and typologies. * Serial murder: motivation and typologies. * Current trends in prevention, and areas for improvement. * Plus instructive case studies, both famous and less-known. Mass and Serial Murder in America is illuminating reading for undergraduate and graduate students and practitioners in social science disciplines such as criminal justice, criminology, social work, psychology, forensic psychology, and related fields. It will also find an audience among educators teaching courses in these areas, as well as interested laypersons.

In this compelling scientific detective story, a leading neuroscientist looks for the nature of human kindness in the brains of heroes and psychopaths (Wall Street Journal). At fourteen, Amber could boast of killing her guinea pig, threatening to burn down her home, and seducing men in exchange for gifts. She used the tools she had available to get what she wanted, and, she didn't care about the damage she inflicted. A few miles away, Lenny Skutnik was so concerned about the life of a drowning woman that he jumped into the ice-cold river to save her. How could Amber care so little about others' lives, while Lenny cared so much? Abigail Marsh studied the brains of both psychopathic children and extreme altruists and found that the answer lies in our ability to recognize others' fear. And as The Fear Factor argues, by studying people who demonstrate heroic and evil behaviors, we can learn more about how human morality is coded in the brain. A path-breaking read, The Fear Factor is essential for anyone seeking to understand the heights and depths of human nature.

Breaking through Schizophrenia builds on the ideas of Jacques Lacan who argued that schizophrenia is a deficient relationship to language, in particular the difficulty to master the metaphoric dimension of language, which children acquire by the Oedipal restructuring of the psyche. This book is thus a countercultural move to present a less damaging view and a more efficient treatment method for schizophrenic persons. Through a collection of published and unpublished articles, Ver Eecke traces the path of Lacanian thought. He discusses the importance of language for the development of human beings and examines the effectiveness of talk therapy through case studies with schizophrenic persons.

What is defiance, and when does defiant behaviour impede one's ability to aim at flourishing? People who are defiant can present perplexing challenges etiologically, diagnostically, and responsively. But in order to understand accurately when defiant behaviour is good, or bad, or neither (when it emerges out of mental illness), a fresh perspective on defiance is needed. This book offers a nuanced and complex look at defiance, taking seriously issues of dysfunction while also attending to social contexts in which defiant behaviour may arise. Those living in adverse conditions such as oppression, systematic disadvantages, and disability may act defiantly for good reasons. This perspective places defiance squarely within the moral domain; thus, it should not be assumed that when professionals come across defiant behaviour, it is a sign of mental dysfunction. Potter argues that defiance sometimes is a virtue, meaning that a disposition to be ready to be defiant when the situation calls for it is part of living a life with a realistic understanding of the aim of flourishing and its limits in our everyday world. Her work also offers theoretical work on problems in knowing that can impede understanding and responsiveness to those who are, or seem to be, defiant. Clinicians, teachers, social workers, nurses, and others working in helping professions are invited to engage in different ways with defiance so as to better understand and respond to people who express that defiance. Case studies, a framework for differentiating different forms of defiance, a realistic picture of phronesis-practical reasoning-and an explanation of how to give uptake well are some of the topics covered. The voices of service users strengthen the author's claims that defiance that is grounded in phronesis is just as much a part of moral life for those living with mental disabilities as for anyone else.