What would you do if your child suffered with something so severe it affected every aspect of his life?
Susie Dunham, Midwestern mom and former nurse, never suspected her son Michael was anything but a typical college student with big dreams until he developed schizophrenia shortly after his 21st birthday. The Dunham family quickly becomes immersed in the nightmare world of mental illness in America: psychiatric wards, a seemingly indifferent nursing staff, and the trial-and-error world of psychotropic meds. Michael's ultimate recovery and remission comes with plenty of traumatic incidents involving both ignorance and stigma, but his courage and quest for dignity will inspire all readers.
"Susie Dunham's heroic, heart-rending story is a beacon of light in the darkness of insanity. It shows that recovery is hard-won but possible for people who develop schizophrenia, despite a media that sensationalizes them, a society that shuns them, and a dysfunctional mental healthcare system that fails them miserably."
--Patrick Tracey, author of "Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia"
"Every person in a leadership position needs to take the time to read this moving story of triumph over adversity."
--State Representative John Adams, Ohio House Minority Whip
"The fact that Michael bravely fought this disease, picked up the pieces and moved beyond it, should give others hope that one day schizophrenia will be seen as a treatable disease with no stigma attached."
--Sharon Goldberg, News & Reviews Editor,"NYC Voices" A Journal for Mental Health Advocacy
""Beyond Schizophrenia: Michael's Journey" is a book that I couldn't put down. The story of Michael's parents Susie and Mark who support their son both in good times and bad really touched me. I really like the way the symptoms of schizophrenia are explained clearly."
--Bill MacPhee, Founder/CEO of SZ Magazine
Also available in trade paperback and eBook editions
Learn more at www.SusieDunham.org
From the Reflections of America Series at Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com
PSY022050 Psychology: Psychopathology - Schizophrenia
BIO026000 Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
MED105000 Medical / Psychiatry / General

As indicated by its title A History of Great Ideas in Abnormal Psychology, this book is not just concerned with the chronology of events or with biographical details of great psychiatrists and psychopathologists. It has as its main interest, a study of the ideas underlying theories about mental illness and mental health in the Western world. These are studied according to their historical development from ancient times to the twentieth century. The book discusses the history of ideas about the nature of mental illness, its causation, its treatment and also social attitudes towards mental illness. The conceptions of mental illness are discussed in the context of philosophical ideas about the human mind and the medical theories prevailing in different periods of history. Certain perennial controversies are presented such as those between the psychological and organic approaches to the treatment of mental illness, and those between the focus on disease entities (nosology) versus the focus on individual personalities. The beliefs of primitive societies are discussed, and the development of early scientific ideas about mental illness in Greek and Roman times. The study continues through the medieval age to the Renaissance. More emphasis is then placed on the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century, the enlightenment of the eighteenth, and the emergence of modern psychological and psychiatric ideas concerning psychopathology in the twentieth century.

Originally published in 1901. Author: Havelock Ellis Language: English Keywords: Psychology Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Obscure Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Emotional Transformation Therapy: An Interactive Ecological Psychotherapy describes an entirely original approach to psychotherapy that drastically accelerates therapeutic outcomes in terms of speed and long-term effects. It includes an attachment-based interpersonal approach that increases the impact of the therapist-client bond and is amplified by the precise use of the client's visual ecology. This synthesis is called Emotional Transformation Therapy (R) (ETT (R)). Steven R. Vazquez, PhD, discusses four techniques that therapeutically harness the client's visual ecology. When the client is asked to view a maximally saturated spectral chart of colors, visual feedback provides immediate diagnostic information that helps the therapist to regulate emotional intensity or loss of awareness of emotions. A second technique offers an original form of directed eye movement that facilitates relief of emotional distress within minutes. A third technique uses peripheral eye stimulation to rapidly reduce extreme emotional or physical pain within seconds as well as to access previously unconscious thoughts, emotions, or memories related to the issue or symptom. The fourth technique uses the emission of precise wavelengths (colors) of light into the client's eyes during verbal processing that dramatically amplifies the effect of talk therapy and changes the brain in profound ways. Emotional Transformation Therapy uses theory, research, and case studies to show how this method can be applied to depression, anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and complex trauma. Pre and post brain scans have shown that ETT (R) substantially changes the human brain. This method possesses the potential to revolutionize psychotherapy as we know it.

This book presents a scholarly examination of some of the most popular psychiatric disorders, psychological syndromes, trauma disorders, addictions, and emotional injury claims in an attempt to determine if these are merely forms of malingering being used to achieve financial gain through litigation, or as a means of escaping criminal or civil responsibility. The book also examines unreliable and unsubstantiated treatment and assessment methods used by the mental health industry which find their way into the courtroom. There has been a significant amount of research (and anecdotal evidence) recently presented in the scientific literature regarding many of the above-mentioned topics. In addition, there is a seemingly neverending parade of legal cases in the media which are examples of some of the topics of this book (e.g., the Andrea Yates case and others). What distinguishes this edited book from others is (1) it does not shy away from confronting the unusual and even bizarre psychological phenomena which the legal profession must deal with; (2) it provides a solid theoretical review from renown psychologists, psychiatrists, and lawyers; (3) it provides the latest psychological research findings relating to various questionable disorders and methods; (4) it presents real-life experiences from the courtroom; and (5) relevant case law is discussed. This book will be of monumental use to practicing attorneys and law students, practicing psychologists and psychiatrists, and students in mental health and criminal justice. The book will allow for a clear understanding of "syndrome" evidence, its uses and abuses, malingering, phony and bogus "diseases" and "addictions," and how patients, clients, and defendants (as well as psychiatrists, psychologists, and lawyers) abuse the mental health and legal systems in order to escape criminal culpability, attain benefits, or make a case.

Few would argue that people suffer from mental illness, mental breakdowns, depression or any number of adjectives that describe behaviors that adversely, even severely, affect people's lives. In law it is said that "it doesn't matter what one believes, only what one can prove." The same can be said for psychiatric diagnosing. It matters little what anyone in the medical/psychiatric community "believe" is the cause(s) of mental illness. The question that has not been answered is whether tens of millions of Americans who have been diagnosed with any one or number of psychiatric mental disorders suffer from a mental "disease" - an objective, confirmable abnormality of the brain. What is known is that neither the American Psychiatric Association nor the National Institute of Mental Health, nor any other medical organization, is capable today of making available scientific evidence to prove that any psychiatric disorder is an objective, confirmable abnormality of the brain. This mantra is repeated throughout the book because it is the point of the book. That people are suffering isn't in question. Whether they actually suffer from a psychiatric disorder that is a known objective, confirmable abnormality of the brain is in question because selling mental disorders as "disease," such as the theoretical chemical imbalance, has become the norm in the medical/psycho pharmaceutical Community and it is blatantly false. The People, if given the truth, can take it. The decision to accept the psychiatric diagnosis and seek treatment with psychiatric mind-altering drugs may be no different, but at least the decision will be based on all the truth, the objective confirmable scientific evidence, not theories, wishful thinking, deceptive advertising and misleading advocacy group, pharmaceutical company and government-sponsored information campaigns.

Shaddock makes sense of intersubjectivity, the functional paradigm shift in highbrow psychotherapy, as both a way of thinking about our psychological lives and a way of doing clinical work. Applying it to relational systems means investigating the experience of each partner/ member from inside his/her perspective and without judgment.The book illustrates how that approach lowers defenses and lets in insights, mutual understanding, and renewed hope; it demonstrates that treatment built on empathic awareness of contexts and connections can actually also lead to individual transformation.

Aimed primarily at teens and young adults, the information, guidance, and resources in this book will also make it valuable for anyone directly or indirectly affected by trauma as well as those wishing to learn new resiliency and coping strategies. Traumatic experiences come in many forms, from fighting in a war zone to suffering abuse at the hands of a stranger or a loved one to being in or witnessing an accident. Trauma can have far-reaching and long-lasting negative impacts, affecting psychological well-being, relationships, and even physical health. But with proper treatment, many individuals are able to not only survive after trauma, but thrive. Books in Greenwood's Q&A Health Guides series follow a reader-friendly question-and-answer format that anticipates readers' needs and concerns. Prevalent myths and misconceptions are identified and dispelled, and a collection of case studies illustrates key concepts and issues through relatable stories and insightful recommendations. Each book also includes a section on health literacy, equipping teens and young adults with practical tools and strategies for finding, evaluating, and using credible sources of health information both on and off the internet-important skills that contribute to a lifetime of healthy decision-making. Provides a resource for teens and young adults struggling with trauma and for those seeking to build resiliency Makes the subject approachable and accessible through a simple Q&A format Helps readers hone their research and critical thinking skills in a Guide to Health Literacy section Provides real-world examples of concepts through case studies Dispels popular misconceptions surrounding trauma and points readers toward accurate information in a Common Myths section