Life Support: Three Nurses on the Front Lines


Suzanne Gordon - 1997
    Critics everywhere have hailed this book as a classic in the making.

Goodbye Lupus: How A Medical Doctor Healed Herself Naturally with Supermarket Foods


Brooke Goldner - 2015
    is a board certified physician known world-wide for being a medical doctor who has developed a nutrition-based treatment for for her own autoimmune disease, Lupus. In this personal and intimate story, she takes you through the pain of her illness and her miraculous recovery, and how she discovered the simple yet powerful way to heal the human body naturally. Also included are the easy to follow steps you can take to achieving amazing health yourself using supermarket foods, and her favorite recipes for healing your body. Review: If the information in Dr. Goldner’s book were encapsulated in the form of a medication it would top every headline, be the lead story of every newscast around the world, and would be touted as the miracle treatment for people fighting Lupus and autoimmune disease. It is not a drug, but 6 simple and achievable steps using whole plant based foods that can suspend and reverse Lupus. Dr. Goldner brings a message of hope to all of those fighting autoimmune disease in this must read book. Scott Stoll, M.D. Co-Founder Plantrician project Author, international speaker, Olympian

Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction


Judith Grisel - 2019
    With more than one in every five people over the age of fourteen addicted, drug abuse has been called the most formidable health problem worldwide. If we are not victims ourselves, we all know someone struggling with the merciless compulsion to alter their experience by changing how their brain functions.Drawing on years of research--as well as personal experience as a recovered addict--researcher and professor Judy Grisel has reached a fundamental conclusion: for the addict, there will never be enough drugs. The brain's capacity to learn and adapt is seemingly infinite, allowing it to counteract any regular disruption, including that caused by drugs. What begins as a normal state punctuated by periods of being high transforms over time into a state of desperate craving that is only temporarily subdued by a fix, explaining why addicts are unable to live either with or without their drug. One by one, Grisel shows how different drugs act on the brain, the kind of experiential effects they generate, and the specific reasons why each is so hard to kick.Grisel's insights lead to a better understanding of the brain's critical contributions to addictive behavior, and will help inform a more rational, coherent, and compassionate response to the epidemic in our homes and communities.

The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary Son


Ian Brown - 2009
    At age thirteen, he is mentally and developmentally between one and three years old and will need constant care for the rest of his life. Brown travels the globe, meeting with genetic scientists and neurologists as well as parents, to solve the questions Walker’s doctors can’t answer. In his journey, he offers an insightful critique of society’s assumptions about the disabled, and he discovers a connected community of families living with this illness. As Brown gradually lets go of his self-blame and hope for a cure, he learns to accept the Walker he loves, just as he is. Honest, intelligent, and deeply moving, The Boy in the Moon explores the value of a single human life.

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior


Temple Grandin - 2004
    She has a perspective like that of no other expert in the field, which allows her to offer unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas.People with autism can often think the way animals think, putting them in the perfect position to translate "animal talk." Grandin is a faithful guide into their world, exploring animal pain, fear, aggression, love, friendship, communication, learning, and, yes, even animal genius. The sweep of Animals in Translation is immense and will forever change the way we think about animals.*includes a Behavior and Training Troubleshooting Guide Among its provocative ideas, the book:~argues that language is not a requirement for consciousness--and that animals do have consciousness.~applies the autism theory of "hyper-specificity" to animals, showing that animals and autistic people are so sensitive to detail that they "can't see the forest for the trees"--a talent as well as a "deficit".~explores the "interpreter" in the normal human brain that filters out detail, leaving people blind to much of the reality that surrounds them--a reality animals and autistic people see, sometimes all too clearly.~explains how animals have "superhuman" skills: animals have animal genius.~compares animals to autistic savants, declaring that animals may in fact be autistic savants, with special forms of genius that normal people do not possess and sometimes cannot even see.~examines how humans and animals use their emotions to think, to decide, and even to predict the future.~reveals the remarkable abilities of handicapped people and animals .~maintains that the single worst thing you can do to an animal is to make it feel afraid.

I Don't Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression


Terrence Real - 1997
    And these escape attempts only hurt the people men love and pass their condition on to their children.This ground breaking book is the "pathway out of darkness" that these men and their families seek. Real reveals how men can unearth their pain, heal themselves, restore relationships, and break the legacy of abuse. He mixes penetrating analysis with compelling tales of his patients and even his ownexperiences with depression as the son of a violent, depressed father and the father of two young sons.

Twelve from Hell


Francesco Carmine - 2017
    The cases presented are somewhat graphic though I have attempted to minimize the technical aspects in the interest of not bogging down the reader with too much information. Since this is a work of nonfiction I have not spent a great deal of time with character development choosing instead to present the patients in much the same way an ER doctor sees them. When the volume and the acuity went up there was barely time to glance at the name on the chart. The patient's chief complaint became the starting and ending point for the physician's interaction with them. There was rarely time for niceties and in all likelihood the patient and doctor would never meet again, with the doctor- patient relationship reduced to; admit them, send them home or send them to the morgue.

A Short History of Falling: Everything I Observed about Love whilst Dying


Joe Hammond - 2019
    I can lie against it, lolling my arm over the edge, running my fingers around the rim. And this is where I am.In 2018, Joe Hammond, wrote a piece for the Guardian about the 33 birthday cards he was writing for his two sons. It was shared by thousands. In A Short History of Falling he tells the story behind that piece, about the experience of living with – and dying of – motor neurone disease (ALS).A Short History of Falling is not a lament. It is a deeply imaginative meditation on what it feels like to confront the fact that your family will persist through time without you. It’s a book about love and about fatherhood. But it’s also an extraordinary kind of travel writing: an unblinking account of a journey into unlighted territory and of what it means to lose your body and your connections to the world one by one.This astonishing, luminous book will truly change the way you see the world.

Madness in Civilization: The Cultural History of Insanity


Andrew Scull - 2015
    Today, mental disturbance is most commonly viewed through a medical lens, but societies have also sought to make sense of it through religion or the supernatural, or by constructing psychological or social explanations in an effort to tame the demons of unreason. Madness in Civilization traces the long and complex history of this affliction and our attempts to treat it.Beautifully illustrated throughout, Madness in Civilization takes readers from antiquity to today, painting a vivid and often harrowing portrait of the different ways that cultures around the world have interpreted and responded to the seemingly irrational, psychotic, and insane. From the Bible to Sigmund Freud, from exorcism to mesmerism, from Bedlam to Victorian asylums, from the theory of humors to modern pharmacology, the book explores the manifestations and meanings of madness, its challenges and consequences, and our varied responses to it. It also looks at how insanity has haunted the imaginations of artists and writers and describes the profound influence it has had on the arts, from drama, opera, and the novel to drawing, painting, and sculpture.Written by one of the world’s preeminent historians of psychiatry, Madness in Civilization is a panoramic history of the human encounter with unreason.

The Unspeakable Mind: Stories of Trauma and Healing from the Frontlines of PTSD Science


Shaili Jain - 2019
    With profound empathy and meticulous research, Shaili Jain, M.D.—a practicing psychiatrist and PTSD specialist at one of America’s top VA hospitals, trauma scientist at the National Center for PTSD, and a Stanford Professor—shines a long-overdue light on the PTSD epidemic affecting today’s fractured world.Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder goes far beyond the horrors of war and is an inescapable part of all our lives. At any given moment, more than six million Americans are suffering with PTSD. Dr. Jain’s groundbreaking work demonstrates the ways this disorder cuts to the heart of life, interfering with one’s capacity to love, create, and work—incapacity brought on by a complex interplay between biology, genetics, and environment. Beyond the struggles of individuals, PTSD has a tangible imprint on our cultures and societies around the world.Since 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been a huge growth in the science of PTSD, a body of evidence that continues to grow exponentially. With this new knowledge have come dramatic advances in the effective treatment of this condition. Jain draws on a decade of her own clinical innovation and research and argues for a paradigm shift in how PTSD should be approached in the new millennium. She highlights the myriads of ways PTSD care is being transformed to make it more accessible, acceptable, and available to sufferers via integrated care models, use of peer support programs, and technology. By identifying those among us who are most vulnerable to developing PTSD, cutting edge medical interventions that hold the promise of preventing the onset of PTSD are becoming more of a reality than ever before.Combining vividly recounted patient stories, interviews with some of the world’s top trauma scientists, and her professional expertise from working on the frontlines of PTSD, The Unspeakable Mind offers a textured portrait of this invisible illness that is unrivaled in scope and lays bare PTSD's roots, inner workings, and paths to healing. This book is essential reading for understanding how humans can recover from unspeakable trauma. The Unspeakable Mind stands as the definitive guide to PTSD and offers lasting hope to sufferers, their loved ones, and health care providers everywhere.

Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism


Barry M. Prizant - 2015
    This perspective leads to therapies focused on ridding individuals of autistic symptoms. In Uniquely Human, Dr. Barry M. Prizant suggests a major shift in understanding autism: Instead of classifying "autistic" behaviors as signs of pathology, he sees them as strategies to cope with a world that feels chaotic and overwhelming. Rather than curb these behaviors, it's better to enhance abilities, build on strengths, and offer supports that will naturally lead to more desirable behavior and a better quality of life. In fact, argues Dr. Prizant, attempts to eliminate autistic behaviors may actually interfere with important developmental processes.Including inspiring stories and practical advice drawn from Dr. Prizant's four-decade career working in universities, schools, hospitals, and in private practice, Uniquely Human offers a compassionate and insightful perspective that parents, professionals, and family members will find uplifting and hopeful.

My Heart Is Your Secret


Chelsea Maria - 2020
    With each passing day that went by without touching her… kissing her… I became more ill.Atlas fell in love with me when he thought it was impossible… I fell in love with him knowing it was guaranteed.I wanted Keatyn to be so in love with me that I became a second pair of skin to her. So engraved in her that she was unable to breathe unless I exhaled first… But I had secrets. And she had silent insecurities. With everything combined, we were a disaster waiting to explode…

The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry


David M. Taylor - 1999
    Where do you look for information when transferring a patient from one drug to another? Where do you find a clear overview when dealing with a complex patient (e.g, with co-morbid epilepsy or liver disease or HIV infection)? Where can you seek advice on prescribing psychotropics during pregnancy? "The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry"! The leading clinical reference for handling prescribing problems as encountered in daily practice and for formulating prescribing policy.Evidence-based and written by expertsThis book is the essential guide for anyone responsible for prescribing, dispensing or administering drugs for patients with mental health disorders. All the evidence has been reviewed and summarized succinctly by an expert team of psychiatrists and pharmacists.New content and improved formatThis new edition makes greater use of tables and boxes to facilitate quick reference and includes new sections on cytochrome-mediated interactions and psychiatric side effects of non-psychotropic drugs.Clinically relevantChapters address plasma monitoring, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, children and adolescents, substance abuse and special patient groups. Each section has a full reference list. The book covers prescribing drugs outside their licensed indications and their interaction with substances such as alcohol, nicotine and caffeine.Useful for all levels of experienceTrainees will gain important information regarding the rational, safe and effective use of medications for patients with mental illness. Experienced clinicians will find excellent guidance regarding more complex issues that they may not encounter regularly.Why the Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry?Long recognized as an international trailblazer in mental health care, the Maudsley Hospital earned its reputation for excellence in both in-patient and community care. It is highly regarded for its research, and pioneered the use of clinical neuroscience. You can trust "The Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry" to be scientifically sound and clinically effective.

Schizophrenia: A Very Short Introduction


Chris Frith - 2003
    This book describes what schizophrenia is really like, how the illness progresses, and the treatments that have been applied. It also summarizes the most up-to-date knowledge available about the biological bases of this disorder. Finally it attempts to give some idea of what it is like to have schizophrenia and what this disorder tells us about the relationship between mind and brain.

Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty and the Mad-Doctors in Victorian England


Sarah Wise - 2012
    With the rise of the ‘mad-doctor’ profession, English liberty seemed to be threatened by a new generation of medical men willing to incarcerate difficult family members in return for the high fees paid by an unscrupulous spouse or friend. And contrary to popular modern belief, the madwoman in the attic was at least as likely to have been a madman.Among the victims were the beautiful and charismatic Rosina, wife of the novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton; Edward Davies, victim of a mother’s greed; Louisa Lowe, who paid for her religious fervour; and John Perceval, who, despite the best efforts of the abusive asylum attendants, cured himself.Sarah Wise uncovers twelve shocking stories, untold for over a century, which reveal the darker side of the Victorian upper and middle classes – their sexuality, fears of inherited madness, financial greed and fraudulence – and chillingly evoke the black motives at the heart of the phenomenon of the ‘inconvenient person’.