Product Description
There are some things people don’t get over easily — pain from the past is one of them. Trauma changes people: It changes values, priorities, worldviews, and most of all…it changes how we relate to others. Painful, life-threatening experiences take people beyond the normal day-to-day life, leaving them stuck behind defensive walls that keep them from re-entering the world they have always known as “home”. So how does it happen? How do we lose the loving closeness with those around us? And better yet, how do we re-gain what pain has robbed us of? “Down Range” is not only a book explaining war trauma — it is required reading for anyone seriously interested about how to make healthy transitions from war to peace. Bridget C. Cantrell, Ph.D. and Vietnam veteran, Chuck Dean have joined forces to present this vital information and resource manual for both returning troops and their loved ones. Here you will find answers, explanations, and insights as to why so many combat veterans suffer from flashbacks, depression, fits of rage, nightmares, anxiety, emotional numbing, and other troubling aspects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Down Range From Iraq and Back
By far this book should be in the hands of every Veteran including WWII vets.This book has provided significant insight to the emotional toll the war takes on those who serve. I served in Vietnam when I was 18 years old in 1970. We tried to leave Vietnam in Vietnam but it just wasn't possible.

Iraq guy
The bible for help with PTSD and recovery.I used it daily during my rehab at Madagen Army Hospital.

The pain does not go away. You just learn to live with it.
This book was written by a female clinical psychologist, a trauma specialist in therapeutic counseling for war veterans and their families, and a male Vietnam War veteran, for combat troops returning home from deployment. It is an important book which tries to take the stigma out of seeking help for mental health services. Chapter Four Some Wounds Are Not Visible makes the important point "The emotional and psychological stress of war does not go away by leaving it unattended.The wounds of war do not go away with time or just by leaving it alone. They have to be addressed and you cannot do it alone. If you were wounded physically during combat you would allow a medic to attend to the wound. This is no different." As oftentimes returning veterans experiencing emotional problems may be discouraged by their peers for even considering seeking help normalizing this process cannot be overemphasized.

After describing what posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is, the book details its symptoms including intrusive thoughts and flashbacks, isolation and avoidance, emotional numbing, depression, anger, substance and alcohol abuse, guilt, suicidal thoughts and feelings, anxiety and nervousness and emotional constriction. It makes the important point that PTSD is NOT a mental illness but a "normal reaction to extreme stress."It occurs when a person has experienced, witnessed or has been confronted with traumatic death or physical injury to themselves or others.

Chapter 5 First Aid for PTSD stresses the importance of not battling nightmares, anxious feelings, unexplained anger, depression or other PTSD symptoms alone.The authors recommend talking it out, writing it out, physical activity, avoiding self medication and learning to relax as helpful approaches to managing negative str4ss.

Myself a veteran of the Navy Hospital Corps and a social worker who has worked with returning combat veterans, I would very much recommend this book to every servicemember who has returned from a war. In fact I wish I could have been able to give a copy of this book to every returning combat vet I came into contact with. I am sure it would have been of great help to many of them.

As much a help for the loved ones as for the victim.
My son gave me this book to read several months after his return from a fourth deployment to Iraq. Worried that I was expecting him to "get over it" and return to being the person he was before those deployments, he knew the book would give me a clear understanding of what the disorder is about and what are reasonable expectations for recovery. Best of all, it gives hope that with the right kind of treatment, a victim can resume a well-adjusted life, though forever changed.

Nevertheless, I did not give "Down Range" five stars for two reasons. I found it a bit repetitive--though one can skim over those parts. More importantly, the referrals at the back of the book listing military organizations that can help, raise false hope. I found that military mental health care, for active-duty or veteran, while improving, is still woefully inadequate and sometimes downright disinterested. My son has the means to go for private therapy but I am sad to think of those who don't.

Beware of Lables
I won't repeat here what I wrote about a returning warrior's outlook in my review of "War and the Soul."
Those who care should develop as much understanding as possible from a variety of sources, and this book is a good source.

"Down Range" is full of direct and practical advice (as opposed to philosophical and/or theoretical,) and is based on first-hand experience.

However, there is one common and potentially dangerous oversight that applies to many authors and healers - that is, the tattoo-type consequence of clinical labels.
A clinical label may be easy to get, but almost impossible to get rid of.
(See "Making Us Crazy," by Kutchins/Kirk.)

War Veterans who seek or claim a formal PTSD diagnosis as a result their war deployments, whether through the VA or through any other formal mental health-care mechanism, will be denied the Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Although the authors point out that PTSD is not a mental disorder, (i.e. it is a normal reaction to abnormal circumstances,) the formal label of PTSD will pigeonhole a Veteran as a "mental defective" - one of the labels used to deny an individual the Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

I can hardly think of a better way to effectively disarm an entire generation than to use formal, however subjective, mental health-care labeling nomenclature along with tempting disability benefits to deny returning Veterans their Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

The Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano has already attempted to marginalize our brave returning Veterans by labeling them as potential "Right Wing Extremists."

Veterans should avoid formal labels if at all possible.
You should not allow anyone to tempt you into trading your God-Given Right to Keep and Bear Arms for the `Thirty Pieces of Silver' of disability benefits!

If you are experiencing difficulties' you should at least first consider seeking support through informal channels such as Spiritual advisors and informal Fellowships such as 12 Step programs.

You can even start your own 12 Step Fellowship the way the Founders of AA and NA did - adopting the same Steps and Traditions.
These organizations are widespread and seem very successful.

As long as such Fellowships and support groups remain Anonymous and informal like the Fellowships of AA and NA, Veterans seeking support and help will be able to create their own informal treatment methodology and growing Chapters, Groups and memberships that do not jeopardize their Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms.

Churches and organizations, and even the AA and NA Fellowships themselves can provide support and guidance.

But whatever you do, if you want to protect your Second Amendment Right to Keep and Bear Arms, you should avoid being ascribed the formal label of PTSD.

... Read more

Product Description
• Written specifically with sufferers and carers in mind, to help them understand and apply the basic concepts of cognitive therapy for psychosis. • Illustrates what it is like to have common psychosis and how people's lives can be restored using therapy. • Increases understanding of how the psychosis started, and the factors that worsen symptoms or increase the likelihood of relapse. • Helps the sufferer learn how to control symptoms and delay or prevent relapse. • Includes features and exercises to help sufferers explore their own beliefs and feelings to reflect on the way they cope. • Helps carers know what to say and what to do. • Provides a resource for mental health professionals working with patients, to introduce the approach, support ongoing therapy and make the most efficient use of appointment time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

UNCHARTED TERRITORY
I am going to state from the outset as an Amazon Vine Reviewer, I am required to fulfill reviews for received products.That being said, I scanned through the book and found it to be unexpectedly far to emotionally challenging to me, I could not face it like I had thought I could due to the reason my Mother experienced psychotic episodes.Which happened to be very harmful to me and to an extent my younger siblings.I have not come to an understanding of the damage to her own life and to mine from those episodes.I have come to an understanding there is no conclusion to be reached and my heart goes out to anyone afflicted with this condition.And my heart goes out to anyone who has been subjected to being the main focus of the episodes. The reason I give the book a 4-star review is because my reaction cannot be attibuted to the authors' writing.It is due to the fact my mother suffered psychotic episodes.She had a very traumatic childhood, born in 1930 and this was a generation that did not even discuss it out loud when someone received a diagnosis of breast cancer, let alone mental illness and "There are people who have literally had generations of learning how to live wrong.If you can help a child you don't have to spend years repairing an adult."Repair was not cultural in her time, hiding any problem was more the culture of her time.Anyone remember when Betty Ford courageously discussed her own health problems to the Nation?A new era opened.Panic disorders exist in the family, whether environmentally induced or gentically inclined or both, I do not know and do not try to understand any longer.In my early 30's I experienced very severe panic attacks.During the course of therapy, a very gifted psychiatrist, explained to me much of what I was describing regarding my Mother was psychotic behaviour.I could not comprehend this at first, because I asked him ''if she was ill in that way, then why did the behaviors occur without witnesses?, Why did she cease the behaviours or mellow out when someone else came into the room or house?" and his reply stunned me, explanation was many people suffering from psychosis are aware enough to stop behaviors when others are present.So, this is why I offer 4-stars:I did scan the information and did scan reviews and am required to fulfill Vine reviews.I could not quite handle the memories it brought back and the sadness that she was from a generation that did not have the opportunity to gain helpful therapy, her episodes were viewed as just her personality.I am grateful there is now help for this condition and openness exists.

Written for the end user and for those how care for them hand's-on, should not discourage anyone due to style
This book can be very useful to those who care directly for sufferers, for those who are challlenged, and has also been designed for reading by those who are suffering, questioning, searching, for solace, for peace, for answers.

Nevertheless this is not a Pop Self Help text; it is written at a very professional and even academic level.

This is no joke. This is not out to make an easy buck off the desperate and the lost. This book can be very, seriously, informative and guiding, once you come to grips with its style.

This is not a self-help animator, but an academic text.

It might possibly be the very book you are looking for, but do not be put off by its style.

Engage with it. Learn to converse with it. Search it for the fruit most relevant to your personal search, the several searches of those you care for.

This book can well reward such dedicated inquiry but it is not easy. Like life itself, it is not easy.

This book can point you in the right direction, to further resources. No one book can give you the road to recovery, to self-healing, alone, but this book can point you to the resources and the methods which have in some cases proven highly effective.

Do not go it alone any longer. Give this book a serious reading, and decide if this is a path which calls you onwards, and find the support people for your path.

This book can be a portal, if you can only learn to accept its language, and then find those who speak it well.

This is a serious commitment but one which can lead you to peace. Worth a look, no?

Rather good for what it is
The title for this review reflects a bias that should be understood.I am not a fan of "bibliotherapy" (reading books as therapy), particularly in a do-it-yourself manner.With that said, I have asked clients to read material, but almost never a whole book at once.Reportedly there's an "old Chinese saying" that says, "Tell me, I forget.Show me, I remember.Do it with me and I understand."Regardless of the origin of that statement, I've found it to be true in two different professional areas: teaching/training, and mental health counseling.There is very much to be said for having someone providing immediate or only slightly delayed feedback, redirection, and confrontation when necessary.A book simply can't do that, because it can't observe whether the reader is "getting it" or not.And particularly with a psychotic disorder, a person will rarely stick with something long term on his/her own, particularly early on in the treatment process.

What is good about this book is its explanations, and the inclusion of "carers."There are good self-searching questions, and good suggestions on how to integrate the carer into the change process.I could not agree more with Dr. Aaron Beck, who wrote the forward for the book."This book contains many nuggets of commonsense wisdom, which, when applied, will begin to help." Note the words "nuggets," "when applied," and "begin."Those suggest that this will still be of limited success for a non-professional and patient working together, using the book.Contrast that with the next paragraph: "In addition, this book provides an excellent resource for mental health professionals working with patients with schizophrenia.Not only can this book be used to support ongoing cognitive therapy ..., but it can also be used by clinicians working in a variety of settings who wish to introduce patients to this approach prior to a trained cognitive therapist being allocated."He goes on to talk about using single chapters as homework between sessions, etc.Aaron Beck is one to be listened to when it comes to cognitive therapy (CT).

That only reinforces the sentiment expressed in the second sentence of this review.The material is excellent.But just using it between a patient and a non-professional carer is unlikely to provide optimum outcome.CT, despite comments by some other reviewers, can be quite helpful with psychotic illnesses. Yet a qualified professional will be a significant element of the treatment/change process.It's important to remember that people with psychotic disorders still have brains that work quite well in many ways.Medication doesn't "fix" a brain, it merely makes it easier for the brain to do what it is already capable of doing - and that's why CT can be a good therapy option.Simply put, it's brain training.

Bottom line: I gave it four stars because it isn't a stand-alone brilliant solution, yet it contains an excellent working explanation of CT and would be a very good addition to an overall change program.It could also be an excellent introduction for a patient considering CT as a treatment option.Understanding CT first will make the early treatment sessions much more productive and sensible.

Not quite there.
The book has good information regarding psychotic symptoms and what is viewed as normal and what is not normal.However, the content is hard to read as it lacks continuity - almost as if written as separate articles and thrown together.

Great for counselors, not sure about clients
I am currently getting my masters in social work and wanted to supplement my coursework with more specialized knowledge on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by reading this book.Although there are many different therapies that a counselor might try, CBT is probably one of the most used ones by counselors.I found reading the book to be very useful, to get more concrete examples and tools, than the short overview of what I learned in class.I also loaned the book to my sister, who is a licensed therapist and has been practicing for around 3 years so far.She was very excited, and after reading the book, has been using several of the techniques on various clients of hers.

Typically, you would might use CBT on someone who has mood, anxiety, or personality disorders.If you have one of these problems, I don't recommend that you buy this book and try and treat yourself.It might be useful to a client while they are *in therapy*.And I don't just say that because I want to drive business... I'm just personally in visioning someone with borderline personality disorder, who has extreme difficultly regulating their emotions trying to treat themselves using this book, and I think it would be a recipe for disaster.

So, all in all, I recommend this book for counselors who would like to learn more about CBT, and for clients who are already in treatment. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Hope for people with OCD
Abramowitz's book is both approachable and informative. The book presents numerous helpful strategies in an easy to read format. The worksheets and personal examples provide exactly what is needed for people with OCD. I would enthusiastically recommend this to anyone interested learning more about OCD and getting help overcoming this disorder. It would also be a fantastic resource for family and friends of those affected. This book has lots of useful strategies that aren't available in other OCD self-help books.

Dr. Abramowitz really understands OCD -- Get this book!
This is the real deal (and a real bargain for this price)! I have seen this author give presentations on OCD at the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation conference. He is always one of my favorite speakers (the room is always packed, too). Dr. Abramowitz understands OCD extremely well, and it shows in this great book. In person, his communication style is clear, informative, easy to understand, and empathic- and his book is just the same. It is really up-to-date and based on the latest knowledge on OCD. But Dr. Abramowitz never presents the information in a stuffy or pithy way. Rather, it is very "down to Earth," which I appreciated as a non-scientist.

I was happy to see lots of great examples so that even if you have "rare" obsessions and compulsions (that most books never mention), this book will still apply to you. Also, most of the other books just assume that because you've bought them, then it means you're ready to jump in and face your fears (exposure therapy). But this book helps you work through your feelings about the pros and cons of doing this challening type of therapy. Impressive!

The chapters on doing exposure and response prevention are easy to follow with lots of suggestions for different types of obsessions and compulsions. There are even sections in each chapter for a significant other to read so that your loved ones can better understand what you are going through.

Like I said, doing exposure therapy can definitely be challenging, but the book clearly explains the reasons why it works and gives lots of motivational tips to help you be successful. It's like Dr. Abramowitz anticipates where you might run into trouble, and is ready with helpful information to keep you on track.

If you've got OCD and have been searching for a good book to help you understand and work though this problem (and maybe for your family to understand it or help you, too), this is definitely the book for you. Also, if you're seeing a therapist for OCD but aren't making progress, I would suggest bringing this book to your counselor. Maybe you can work through it together.

A useful adjunct for a psychologist
Jonathan Abramowitz, Ph.D. has written a thoughtful, clear, well-organized and detailed, evidence based, self help workbook addressing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The book's engaging, direct manner should appeal to a broad range of people confronting Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in its many forms and dimensions. Ifthe manual is used appropriately, I think it has the potential to become one of only a hand-full of such books commonly recommended to clients by professional psychologists in the treatment of OCD.

Overall, based on my experiences form 30 years of practice as a clinical psychologist,and given the following caveats, I strongly recommend consideration of Dr. Abramowitz's workbook as a worthwhile resource in the treatment of OCD.
The concerns and reservations that I do have about this treatment manual are those that I hold in general about the use of do-it-yourself mental health work books:

1.Self-help books, used in isolation, are difficult to effectively read and digest in their entirety, especially in focusing on the parts most applicable and beneficial to one-self. "Taking back your life" minimizes how truly difficult it is to cope with having OCD and to effectively change and then maintain the change.

Ask yourself, "Do I really have the time, motivation and persistence to slowly and thoughtfully work my way through the book and persevere in its application? Consider obtaining assistance and support from an experienced and informed psychologist, and to incorporate the present workbook in this situation.

2.As a mental health professional, will you really read, study and become familiar with the workbook in its entirety?Or, will you give it your cursory attention and haphazardly extract various portions as homework?

3.The one criticism about the book itself is that the lack of reference citations regarding other, significant sources of information and underlying research findings and theory does not give credit to others where it is due; and,
it limits additional information seeking.

4.The book is good enough that,if it is initially used without sufficient rigor either by the psychologist with the client and/or or separately by the client, this will do a dis-service to the client and interfere with subsequent efforts to effectively use the workbook or other, similar self-help materials. ... Read more

Product Description
People with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) challenge those close to them with their often bewildering mood shifts and unpredictable behavior. For those people who have relationships with persons with BPD, whether they be relatives, friends, spouses, parents, or children, this book should prove a godsend. It delineates the ways in which borderline individuals (BPs) behavior and communications frustrate and perplex those around them but goes further in articulating specific strategies that those close to the person with Borderline Personality Disorder (nonBPs, as they are termed in this book) can effectively cope with these kinds of behaviors. Larry J. Siever, M.D. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fantastic - Very helpful!
This book was very insightful into the BPD's issues as well as the non-bpd's responses. After reading it I felt a lot more empathy for the BPD, but also felt like the tools were there to cope better with the BPD in someone's life. The book will probably be more helpful to someone with a BPD who is primarily in their life, like a spouse, parent, child, etc. Does offer some help to those who have a periphery BPD in their life, for example a cousin, uncle, friend, son-in-law, etc. I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Product Description
"No one wants to get rid of obsessive-compulsive disorder more than someone who has it. That's why Talking Back to OCD puts kids and teens in charge. Dr. John March's eight-step program has already helped thousands of young people show the disorder that it doesn't call the shots--they do. This uniquely designed volume is really two books in one. Each chapter begins with a section that helps young readers zero in on specific problems and develop skills they can use to tune out obsessions and resist compulsions. Dr. March demonstrates how to: *Create a nickname for the illness to remember that OCD isn't you*Make a symptom chart so you can plan when and where to start talking back*Break the disorder's rules about the rituals The pages that follow the instructions for kids and teens show their parents how to be supportive without getting in the way, including tips for: *Separating the OCD from your son or daughter*Asking your child's permission to stop helping with rituals*Offering praise without imposing expectations After just a few months' practice, your family will get back to spending time on things that matter, instead of following pointless orders from the illness. The next time OCD butts in, you'll be prepared to boss back--and show an unwelcome visitor to the door." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Fantastic for use in therapy
I'm a therapist, and purchased this to use with a teenage client struggling with OCD.It's helpful to use this in conjunction with March's "OCD in Children and Adolescents: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Manual," which is geared towad professionals and presents a framework for treatment."Talking Back to OCD" indicates that it can be used outside of the therapeutic context; however, I found it helpful to use in treatment.The book's format covers education about OCD, how to externalize OCD (seeing OCD, not the child, as the problem) and then step by step ways to strengthen coping skills and prepare the child for exposure and response prevention tasks.Teenage clients like the concept of "talking back" to OCD and identifying the ways in which OCD has tried to "trick" them.The approach of this book allows parents and children (along with therapists) to "team up" against OCD.I've seen this process of externalizing the problem bring much relief to clients who have personalized their OCD symptoms and believe there is something "wrong" with them.The chapters for parents are helpful in bringing caregivers onto the treatment team; I discovered that teens also benefit from reading the parent chapters.

The tools in the book help clients to become more aware of their own thought processes when compulsive behavior kicks in, so that they can begin to modify and challenge "OCD thoughts."The use of homework assignments is empowering for clients.My one complaint with the book is that I would have liked to see much more information on coping with obsessions-- repetitive bad thoughts.There was terrific, detailed information on reducing compulsive behavior such as hand washing, but I found myself wanting more on how to address the obsessive bad thoughts that often accompany OCD.I would highly recommend this book for families wanting to know more about helping their child with OCD, as well as for therapists seeking new tools to use with young clients.

Highly recommended!
Talking Back to OCD is an excellent book and resource for families. You can't always access a counselor but it is critical for parents and children to work together to overcome and learn to handle OCD. This book allows you to do just that. There is no easy solution to OCD, the more you know about it, the more you will be able to help the person who has it and yourself. OCD is not easy to overcome, you have to work at it and this book helps you do that.

Therapy helps, so do medications but this book will help you feel as if you are not in it alone. When you can't find encouragement this book will help. It eases the mind of the child who suffers from OCD to know that someone else understands how they feel and think and helps take away the negative aspects by helping to focus on what is working. I am glad we found and bought the book.

Very Frustrating
This book was so frustrating. There were some good ideas here and there, but they were few and far between. As another reviewer mentioned, the program is convoluted and hard to follow. It was often difficult to understand exactly what the point of each step was and what the "homework" entailed. There were useful "summary sheets" for each chapter, but they were hidden in the back of the book. This kind of thing happened a lot--things seemed to be out of order. Several times, I had a question about something I read, and would only find the answer to it in a much later chapter. Other times, something would be mentioned seemingly in passing, only to have it turn out to be of great importance. It seemed to me that this program would be very hard to follow from beginning to end.

Another thing that bothered me was that, while the book is purportedly for kids and teens, most of the content seemed written for very young children. The most annoying thing was the way the authors constantly referred to obsessions as "brain hiccups" (It was not uncommon to find the word "hiccup" four times in one paragraph), but there was also a seemingly endless stream of "kid-friendly" analogies that felt patronizing. "Your 'brainpower techniques' should roll off your tongue as smoothly as your explanations for why your chores aren't done or what happened to that homework that was supposed to be turned in today," reads one irritating passage. Weirdly enough, the same chapter contained sample "task lists" that seemed copied from a program for adults; one sample task for a person with "moral scrupulosity" OCD was described as "looking at porn sites online without praying". I'll admit that, after four chapters of "hiccups" and lame sports metaphors, this was pretty jarring for me.

Finally, as a warning to people who are considering buying this, I should mention that there is an excessive number of testimonials and stories from other kids who have gone through the program. These are obviously intended to inspire camaraderie, but for kids who are triggered by reading about other people's rituals, they can be a disaster. Sure, there are some instances where a concept can't be explained without an example, but I really don't see the need for the book to contain detailed "example lists" of rituals, or a descriptive passage about how one girl had to wash her hands ("one finger at a time, starting with her right thumb"). My daughter became hysterically anxious reading about all these other people's symptoms and was very afraid for a while that she would develop some of them.

Overall, I would obviously not recommend this book. If the basic ideas (which are solid) could be put in a more readable format, it would have been much better. If you're reading this, you were probably hoping for a program that your child could do herself, but between the distracting examples and metaphors and the confusing layout (not to mention the odd reference to porn sites), this isn't it.

Outstanding book!
When we first realized our son was showing signs of OCD, we began to research any information that would somehow help us. We needed material that was practical and would give answers and guidance to enable us to get our son back.
We found this book and began working through the steps with our son. The explainations were clear. The quotes from other kids with OCD were encouraging. The layout was reader friendly. My son gave OCD a nickname as Dr. March suggests in his approach. He hated OCD as much as we all did for stealing so much of his time and causing such frustration. The blame was on "OCD" not my son as a person and this was a huge step forward.
I can hardly believe the progress we saw as we worked through this book. Slowly and steadily my son began to chip away at each obssesion/compulsion. He mapped them out and graphed the progress. It was a difficult task, but this book was like having Dr. March give my son and the whole family personal therapy at every turn.
We had looked at other material on OCD and even tried a therapist, but NOTHING compared to the information and tactics explained in this book. We have our son back! He's free again - free from the OCD! What more can I say?

the best child-centered book for overcoming OCD
My 11-year old son has been in weekly therapy for treatment of OCD for over one year.One-on-one therapy has been very useful and cannot be overlooked.However, reading this book, TALKING BACK TO OCD, together with my son and having him follow it verbatim is what truly helped him BEAT OCD and know that he is in control!My son followed the instructions completely and has been nearly symptom free for over three months.Dr March's book gave my son the confidence to control his brain pathways and know how to "talk back" when OCD rears its ugly head again.I HIGHLY recommend this book over all others (and I have read them all!) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Real help for mental health sufferers!
Susie Macomber's book "Into Fear and Back" is heartfelt and touching, and so much more! It shows how very devastating emotional disorders are to those experiencing them and everyone around them. And IT SHOWS HOW TO OVERCOME such emotional disorders! The book contains new information on the REAL cause of emotional disorders which is not a chemical imbalance in the brain but rather an electrical malfunction in the nervous system. She tells how common foods and supplements can repair the nervous system so that you can recover from so many emotional disorders (anxiety, depression, bipolar, and even schizophrenia).
I know for a fact personally how impacting these disorders can be. I've had a lifelong battle with severe generalized anxiety. Six years ago doctors started me on just a couple medications, just to help me get calm and be able to sleep. But in time those medications started to not work as well, so they added more. . . and more. . . and more.
Here's a partial list of what medications I've been on over the last 6 years;
Ambien, AmbienCR, Lunesta, Gabitril, Propranolol, Indomethacin, Isometh/APAP/Dichlor, Baclofen, Hydroxyzine Pamoate (aka Vistaril), Meloxicam, Promethazine, Topamax, Hydrocodone, Mirtazapine (brand name Remeron), Prednisone, Doxepin (aka Sinequan or Adapin)and Cymbalta (which made me suicidal).
This time last year my family and I were preparing to go on a fabulous 2 week family vacation to the ABC islands. But I was so heavily medicated I had to be pushed by wheelchair through the airport, 15 different types of medication with me at all times, I could barely even put a sentence together. Shortly after that trip I started trying to put into practice what Susie Macomber has written in her book. Today I am drug free for the last 4 months, no small feat considering the many and varied heavy medications I had been taking for the past 6 years. I can honestly say my life and my family's life is infinitely better for having taken her advice and putting it into practice. My only regret is not having it sooner.

Raquel
I have read the book and think it is wonderful.So much of it makes sense about our nerous system and even the electrical part of it.I have experienced ( on a smaller scale) some of the very samethings the author did.I have also put some of the things into practice and after only a week I can tell a difference.I also appreciate it because it lets me know there are other people experiencing the samethings and that there is help! This is a must read for everyone because either ourselves or someone we know are experiencing depression or anxiety or both.

Excellent firsthand account and a remedy for anxiety/depression
This book is an easy read; a real page-turner.Susie recounts how she suffered unspeakable torment,which she describes effectively, step-by-step, in a gut-wrenching tale with a happy ending.It's as if you are experiencing her pain right along with her, and later, her joy because of the good outcome she achieved.To have had a physical cause for her psychiatric/psychological illness seemed impossible to the medical community, but her hard-won solution vindicated her premise that she was not mentally ill - though her major symptoms were mental. How many thousands of others have been misdiagnosed and rendered zombie-like with little or no amelioration of pain?

I highly recommend this book to anyone connected in any way to the mental health field.It contains informative facts about our marvelous bodies and the often-overlooked crucial electrical function of the nervous system, affecting every cell in the body. Sufferers will appreciate the insights offered, and may find a solution or at least better understand loved-ones who suffer.This book will stay in my library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Parents that uses non medication approach should not buy this book
Parents that uses non medication approach should not buy this book!
This book is not as helpful as Cheri J meiners books

Awesome book
This is an awesome book for adults and children with ADHD.It explains so much and a way that is easily understood.I highly recommend this book for anyone with a child diagnosed ADHD.

Jumpin' Johnny Get Back to Work!: A Child's Guide to ADHD/Hyperactivity
This is a good book which speaks to a child in helping them understand that they are not the only ones with these issues.A lot of times, books speak "louder" than parents.:)

Well done
This book is actually funny.It hits on the aspects of ADHD perfectly, right down to the angelic little sister who can do no wrong.There are some words in the book I wish were not there, like stupid and crazy.I bought it to read to my 5 year old who is ADHD, but with no learning disablities...yet. So I figure we will skip the part on learning disablilities, and being given less homework from the rest of the class.Use it for a tool to help explain what we are doing as a family to address the ADHD, and help him control his behavior.Read it first, cut out what you don't think applies or needs to be heard by your child.The book is mostly informative, and really funny.

A great, down-to-earth kid's view of ADHD!
I bought this book for my 6-year-old nephew and will read it to him when he comes to live with us soon.I can't wait, because it is so simplywritten and straightforward, I'm sure it will help him understand what wehave not been able to tell him about his ADHD condition.It isentertaining, and because it is told in a kid's point of view, it showsADHD with concerns that kids would have that adults might not have eventhought of.I recommend it if you're trying to find just the right way ofreaching your child or student! ... Read more

Product Description

My Kid is Back explains how family-based treatment can greatly reduce the severity of anorexia nervosa in children and adolescents, allowing the sufferer to return to normal eating patterns, and their families to return to normal family life.

In this book ten families share their experiences of living with anorexia. Parents describe their frustrations in seeking help for their child and dealing with their behaviour and sufferers discuss how the illness gets into their mind and takes over their personality.

By focusing on the Maudsley family approach and expert advice from Professor Daniel Le Grange, and including clear lists of illness symptoms, strategies for parents and carers to follow, and information on getting further treatment and support, this book proves an essential resource for families who want to win the battle with anorexia nervosa.

Customer Reviews (2)

Helpful and hopeful advice for parents of kids with anorexia nervosa
My Kid is Back: Empowering Parents to Beat Anorexia Nervosa by Australian author and journalist June Alexander will be a valuable resource for parents dealing with anorexia nervosa. June, inspired by her own experience with the illness, talks with leading experts and ten families about family-based treatment. These stories will feel familiar to anyone who who has confronted an eating disorder.Parents will identify with their fear and confusion as each family struggles to understand this baffling illness and find the help they need. The voices of the young people emerging from the disorder are heard as well.Just how do they manage to overcome anorexia nervosa? These resourceful families pull together and work out solutions. My Kid is Back will provide hope and inspiration toparents. These moving accounts will provide insight into anorexia nervosa and the real-life difficulties families face for eating disorder professionals, as well.

The families in the book all live in Australia, but the book is truly global in perspective. Professional advice is offered by leading experts on three continents. Daniel le Grange, author of Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder, contributes an introductory chapter explaining the Maudsley approach, its history, and research support, and a second chapter in the book's "What are Parents to Do?" section with practical strategies for parents. Ivan Eisler of London's Maudsley Hospital writes the forewordand offers the UK perspective on anorexia treatment. June also talks with Westmead Children's Hospital and Oak House to provide Australian treatment picture.

Parents need good information and real-life examples of success
Parents, if your loved one has been diagnosed with an eating disorder I very much recommend this book. I've read them all in my years of writing and talking with families, and I wish all families facing this diagnosis in their child had the benefit of this kind of experience and inspiration. Alexander tells the story of these families with great compassion and insight, and useful information.

Parents facing an eating disorder need and deserve good information and inspiration. This book offers both. The information is evidence-based, and the experiences of these ten families provides a wonderful training in how to face this daunting illness and seek good help. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Saved My Life!
The knowledge obtained from this book saved my life!I had had scleroderma for 11 years when I first started taking the recommended dosage of tetracycline twice a day, three times a week.My doctor told me it wasn't going to work, but after taking it for 23 months,my skin started to soften, and now, four years later, I can touch my toes from a standing position,something I thought would never be able to do again,The damage that the scleroderma left behind is still present, but praise God, my skin is soft again!The review is published under my husband's name.Thought it was important to mention that women get scleroderma a lot more often than men.Don't have any idea why.

The Road Back by Thomas McPherson Brown
The information in this book was instrumental in my rheumatoid arthritis going into
remission 20 years ago. I have recently begun to have recurring joint pain and have
begun antibiotic again with good results. Excellent information.

Excellent Book
What a simple cure for a devastating disease.Really opens your eyes to the medical world and its answers to treatment for debilitating disease.A must read.

EXCELLENT BOOK!
When my spouse was diagnosed with RA, rather than use drugs for symptoms which are highly toxic chemicals, we used this method and in ten months was RA free. Compared to having it for a lifetime, this seemed a short period of time to terminatedly handle the disease. It's been sixteen years now... with no return of RA.

This is the only way to go in any medical problem-- treating the cause, not just drugging the symptoms. ... Read more

Product Description
By the best-selling author of Talking Back to Prozac, a revised and updated edition of the first and most-compelling book to challenge the use of Ritalin to treat ADHD.

Millions of children take Ritalin for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The drug's manufacturer, Novartis, claims that Ritalin is the "solution" to this widespread problem. But hidden behind the well-oiled public-relations machine is a potentially devastating reality: children are being given a drug that can cause the same bad effects as amphetamine and cocaine, including behavioral disorders, growth suppression, neurological tics, agitation, addiction, and psychosis. Talking Back to Ritalin uncovers these and other startling facts and translates the research findings for parents and doctors alike.

An advocate for education not medication, Dr. Breggin empowers parents to channel distracted, disenchanted, and energetic children into powerful, confident, and brilliant members of the family and society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Needed this book years ago.
Any book that can be a warning against stimulants is a very good thing. I know from personal experience what Adderall can do and other stimulants. It is not a problem for everyone but I know one thing I would never give stimulant medication to my child. Never. Life depending on any stimulants is no life. This book is just trying to give people some knowledge before it's too late.

Dear NICKNO
You have NO idea what you are talking about, WE who DO have children DO NOT WANT them sitting still for 6 hours a day. you have missed the picture.you are a complete moron, who obviously have no children . before you spout offget your facts straight.
you can't judge if you haven't experiencedit.You have no idea the heart break parents go through with their children who need spiecial help.and im not saying we do or do not use the drugs, You just dont know sh$#.and about the book, who the hell really knows the truth???????

If you are wondering about what to do for your child, read this book!
I read this book after my son started having trouble in first grade and was sent to the principal so many times he had earned his way up to 3 days of in-school suspension. His infractions, although inappropriate, didn't seem incredibly bad to me (humming in the bathroom, putting a spider on his private area during show and tell, batting a girl with the long sleeves of his teacher's shirt, saying "middle finger", spitting out water over another child's desk and backpack), and in-school suspension didn't seem to be changing his behavior either.

However, my son has always been active and moving, and definitely does not respond well to pure authority. I suspected ADHD and took him to a doctor. I grew up with a chiropractor as a father and didn't want to put him on drugs, but thought maybe it would be necessary.

I also have a Ph.D. and checked out armfuls of books about ADHD and began reading. I picked up whatever was newest and available in the library, with no regard to ideology. I read lots of the books and identified with many things my son was doing. I took my son to a psychologist who said he probably had a bit of ADHD and maybe some sensory integration issues. But she pointed out that the trouble was at school. "You wouldn't be here except for school, right?" she asked. That's right. Our son is challenging but we manage him just fine at home and have a very happy home life. The psychologist gave me pause about just where the problem lay.

Then I read Talking Back to Ritalin. And I got mad. You mean, there is absolutely no evidence for these claims in all these other books I read that there is anything wrong with the brains of kids diagnosed ADHD? You mean that these stimulant drugs don't really 'attach' to the deficient receptors and 'correct' the imbalance, like all the other books were claiming? They claimed this, but where was their proof? They had no citations, no hard evidence behind these claims, nothing! Dr. Breggin, on the other hand, was reporting the available scientific evidence. The real stuff, that the doctors publish in journals, not what they say in books for the public. Now I haven't read those articles, but when he quotes Barkley who admitted that there is no way technologically to tell the difference between brains of 'normal' kids and 'ADHD' kids, it's pretty convincing that nothing has really been found.

And he makes sense. My latent unease over drugs became horror that I might have possibly done this to my son. Breggin quotes one study (p. 29) where 122 kids were put on stimulants for 1-23 weeks, and 9% of the children developed tics, including one who developed an irreversible Tourette's syndrome! Is this the kind of probability of a drug CAUSING a problem that I want to subject my kid to?

I saw school administrators and doctors talking about medication, for my son with his problems, as if it were harmless. Doesn't sound harmless to me. Stunts growth? Causes loss of appetite? Is as addictive as cocaine? Causes a rebound effect after they come off it, that could make them behave worse? Flatlines kids so they don't feel emotions? This is a drug that should not even be talked about with kids like mine, who just like to move and explore!

Read this book. You owe it to yourself to hear the other side of the story, because there is a LOT out there about the medication side. Maybe you won't be convinced, but for me, this guy has the scientific evidence on his side, and it all makes sense too.

Oh, and by the way, I watched my son's teacher, and was dismayed to find a very negative attitude. A voice inside me said, "Get him out of this classroom." I did, and he is now with another teacher who is calm, kind and loving, and he is doing great. I'm shaking with fear from what I might have done to my son because of this great big drug-company-pushed engine.

Excellent! - Thorough and well reasoned argument
I think this book is one of the best researched in the alternative view about drugs. It gives well reasoned arguments that aught to give pause for the knee jerk phenemoma that is going on with Stimulant drugs and our youth.

Yes Dr. Breggin is thoroughly biased, but that is a given for all human beings. Being biased in itself is not a bad thing, because it often is simply the expression of passion and certainty. Bias is a problem when there are no clear arguments or good reason to support the bias. Dr. Breggin is always quite thorough in supporting his point of view.

To be fair, he gives almost no credibility to the opposite view. Since I happen to mostly share his bias, it is not something I have a problem with.

While it is apparent that for many children, stimulant medications have effects and do help, the question is really about the cost of that help for the long term.Should we be using these drugs as the first and often only solution? If we can help these kids without resorting to drugs, wouldn't that be best? Once that diagnosis is surrendered to along with a lifetime of stimulant medications, is that the best option? That is what Breggin is getting at here, are we really looking at this thoroughly or simply swallowing what we are told?

I'm biased against the drugs because I've been successfully treating adults and children with ADD, ADHD, OCD, etc with homeopathic medicine for several years now. Many of my collegues in homeoapthy report similar success.

There is a good book out called "Ritalin Free Kids" By the Ullman's that goes into some depth about homeopathy - one of the best solutions for ADD, ADHD, etc. The book, "Impossible Cure"(Amy Lansky), is also a wonderful primer for those interested in researching homeopathy.

The only dissappointment I have for Breggins' books in general, is he is simply not thorough enough for my tastes in talking about solutions. There are many kids who have VERY disturbing problems in this spectrum, and some of his solutions are too simplistic and not realistic. It is with some of these extreme cases that we see homeopathy really shine, in a way that drugs can't match. There must be other alternative methods as well that really work. So that is my only concern with this book, lack of research into alternative solutions.

Let psychiatry rebut this point for point
I am a licensed clinical social worker with seven years' experience working with troubled children, and am now director of a large therapeutic foster care program. From my practical experience, and from my reading, the negative reviews of this book, calling Breggin unscientific, ranting, etc. have got it exactly wrong. The "literature" supporting Ritalin and other stimulants is biased and only intermittently scientific - more like ad copy than fact.

It is easy to see why stimulants dominate the treatment of ADHD. Drug companies spend over $20 billion a year on promotion - more than they spend on research.What does this money buy them? David Healy, internationally known psychiatric researcher and writer, claims about 50 percent of all psychiatric journal articles are ghost written by employees of drug companies, and that 30% of The American Psychiatric Association's income comes from drug company subsidies, grants and advertising. Around 70 percent of all drug research is funded by the drug companies themselves, and most of the rest, funded by the government, is heavily influenced by drug companies' extensive lobbying machinery.

Major journals (including The New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet) have lamented the control of research and publishing by drug company money: The New England Journal of Medicine editorialized, stating they could hardly find reviewers for their psychiatric drug articles who did not have conflicts of interest due to financial ties with drug companies. Studies funded by drug companies, that don't support the companies' drugs, are rarely published.

The bottom line: professionals and the public are bombarded with a stream of "research" and "information" financed and spun by the people who make and sell these drugs. The conflict of interest is palpable.

Many people lack access to effective non-drug ways to deal with "ADHD." But this is no proof that the drugs are especially effective and safe - it just shows the advantage of having billions of dollars to finance and promote the drugs.

I have a challenge for readers who dismiss Breggin's book: Read half a dozen responsible critiques of biopsychiatry and psychiatric drugs. Try David Healy's The Creation of Psychopharmacology, also Healy's Let Them Eat Prozac (soon to come out in the U.S.), Robert Whitaker's Mad in America, Glenmullen's Prozac Backlash, Fisher and Greenberg's From Placebo to Panacea - Putting Psychiatric Drugs to the Test, and Elliott Valenstein's Blaming the Brain - The Truth About Drugs and Mental Health.

These are not works by new agers who think crystals heal schizophrenia. They are by respected academics, researchers and clinicians (and not all of them, especially Healy and Glenmullen, are against psychiatric drugs).

But read these books, and note the claims and evidence they cite about the drugs. Now, here's the challenge: look in mainstream psychiatric literature for any serious attempt to address these claims. I've read over forty books, pro and con, on psychiatric drugs - and I've yet to find pro-drug literature that addresses 98% of these arguments, not in general, and not point by point.

This is a matter of informed consent. See if Peter Breggin's words in Toxic Psychiatry are not at least very plausible: "In the world of modern psychiatry claims can become truth, hopes can become achievements and propaganda is taken as science".

Yes, Breggin is angry. He pulls no punches and gives no quarter. But he deserves serious consideration - he has been qualified as an expert witness in numerous product liability cases against drug companies around the country. Try to find, anywhere, point by point refutations of the specific claims he makes in this book. Except for a few points, biopsychiatry's silence on Breggin's claims is deafening. Ask an "authority" on ADHD whether, as Breggin claims, the pannel of experts at theNIH Consensus Conference on ADHD DID or DID NOT conclude in their final report, "..there are no data to indicate that ADHD is due to a brain malfunction," and ask the "authority" who it was that later took it upon himself to edit that statement to muddle the wording, but without changing its bottom line. And ask if it is true that the conference organizer, Peter Jensen, later admitted in a 2000 article that the experts at this conference found NO proof that "ADHD reflects a disordered state."(See Breggin, page 16).

If, after looking into the issue, you decide to give your child Ritalin, so be it. But each parent, child and professional deserves to know the whole story - something you will not get reading standard psychiatric literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Back From the Brink
Very good for answering questions about trauma. Should be good for relatives, family and friends in understanding the actions or behavior of a loved one.

Back from the Brink: A family guide to overcoming trauma
As a therapist who works with survivors of trauma as well as their partners and families, this book has been very helpful in normalizing the survivor's experience, grounding them in their healing process, and educating their significant others about the process.Trauma recovery is not an easy process; so often I have been told by my client's that it has been said to them "They should just get over with it".Many get frustrated because they believe this too!Easier said than done, I'm afraid.For the survivor, so much has changed and the impacts can be so overwhelming."Back from the Brink" is an important book that is both practical and builds hope.The author's warmth and reassurance will be a comfort for any reader who is in recovery or whose important other(s) in their life are struggling and must be educated to be supports in recovery.

Nothing Moved Me as much as this book.
After Reading the book I realized I was not the only one.And I was not alone.The book made a big difference in my life after injuries from ahead-on auto accident.

Excellent book for trauma survivors and their families
I am a survivor of PTSD and have found this book to be extremely valuable in helping me understand why I act and feel the way I do!I have found it to be quite a relief to realize I suffer from a disorder which has been identified and, as such, offers treatment options.I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been through trauma or the loved one of such a person.

Excellent resource for those with PTSD and their families.
Since being diagnosed with PTSD, I have been looking for a book that could help me and my wife understand what was causing "our" problems.This straight forward and excellent book has changed the way we booth look at my PTSD and how it affects both our lives.It is a must for any and all families dealing with PTSD ... Read more

Product Description
We all worry about things - some of us even worry about the fact that we are worrying. This practical book will help you to put your fears into perspective and teach you to cope with stressful situations.Supporting and offering advice to worriers, as well as their family and friends, this book also provides guidance for professionals who work in mental health, especially those who recommend self-help to their clients.

Other contributors: Saida Akhnikh, Anneke Koopman, Maarten van der Linde, Marleen Stam and Elvan Tutkun were doctoral students in clinical psychology at the VU University of Amsterdam where they carried out research on the Stop Worrying Project, which formed the basis of this book. ... Read more

Product Description

Spinal disorders are among the most common medical conditions with significant impact on health related quality of life, use of health care resources and socio-economic costs. Spinal surgery is still one of the fastest growing areas in clinical medicine. The increasing age of the population will require an increased need for the treatment of degenerative spinal disorders particularly spinal stenosis. Basic knowledge on the state of the art in diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders is required not only for spine specialists but also for general orthopedic surgeons, rheumatologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, basic scientists and health care executives to choose and/or evaluate appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. "Spinal Disorders" is an easily readable teaching tool focusing on fundamentals and basic principles. It provides a homogeneous syllabus with a consistent didactic strategy teaching fundamentals and general principles. The chosen didactic concept highlights and repeats core messages throughout the chapters. This modern, up-to-date and easy to read textbook on spinal disorders with its appealing layout will inspire and stimulate the reader for the study of spinal disorders.

Product Description

Bestselling author Sue Augustineleads the reader along a clear, manageable path to reconciliation with apainful past. Relying on biblical principles and using her own heart–rendingstory, she points the way to a future full of hope.

With compassion and empathy—and plenty of“telling–on–herself” humor—she shows readers how to...

• Identify, release, and change how they respond to the past
• Overcome the “victim” mentality
• Set goals for the future with passion and purpose

Fears will be conquered and dreams renewed for those seekingto cut loose the baggage of the long ago. A must–read foranyone struggling with a difficult past that is harming their present andcrippling their future.

Customer Reviews (7)

Healing
This book is the topic of bible study and just reading the the first chapter you know that it is going to be a healing in process.

When your past is hurting your present
I'm the proof of God's heart changing power through this book. I have spent a lifetime trying to understand why as Sue puts it "you only brighten a room when you leave it." I now have the tools to be the Christian God wants me to be. I just never figured it all out until I read this book. God speaks so clearly in this book through Sue. It was a page turner and it opened up my eyes to such destructive habits but unlike many books, she gave me an alternative that is not only biblical but works. This book has not only changed my life but I've only had it one week. I am just blown away and just wish I had read it years ago. I was set free and I pray that you purchase it and get set free by our Lord as well. It is written for women, but guys will gain from it as well. I will say that you will get what you put into it. She suggests to get a journal and copy down key passages that speak to you. I did that and in doing so I was able to help a friend by simply quoting God's truths that Sue writes so beautifully about.
If you want to be the woman God wants you to be, you so need to read and embrace this book.

When Your Past Is Hurting Your Present
I have been searching for a Christian author that has written a book on "Forgiveness" that is balanced and non-judgmental...this book is the best I have ever come across. I truly believe the author was moved along in the Holy Spirit as she wrote much or all of this book. It comes to grips with childhood abuse, other abuse, neglect, events others may have caused harm to us and those we have caused to ourselves. The book is very Scriptural sound and can help anyone with the problem of overcoming forgiveness. It teaches "forgiveness" whether it is in the past and is now causing us problems or it is something in our adult years we need to learn how to forgive and move on or it is learning how to forgive of ourselves! If you are truly searching for a Biblical Foundational book on "Forgiveness", this is it!

Never realized how much you were still hurting...now you can get over it for good.
AMAZING BOOK!!!!! We know that we are suppose to "forgive, forget and move on" but sometimes this is much easier said than done.We don't realize how much hurt we still hold onto and how much it is hurting us in many ways of our lives.Sue helps bring to the forefront what we have tried to unsuccessfully bury and helps us lay it to rest once and for all, deepening our faith and helping us realize that our life can be GREAT no matter what has happened in the past. Until we forgive and forget we cannot move on - Sue walks us through how to apply this to our personal lives.This book is a must read even if you think you have "moved on". Sue's passion and zeal for a better life is contagious.

"Releasing the Past -- So Easy When You Know How"!
"W.O.W." -- "Write on Woman"!This certainly is a book in due season.Who doesn't have a past that affects them, in the present, to some degree?Sue Augustine is endearingly transparent, sharing her own past struggles as she evolves into the beautiful, strong & vibrant woman she is today.She gently draws you into own personal realm and envelopes you with caring, sharing and encouragement.It feels like Sue is right there beside you becoming your own personal strategist and helping you to implement the 21 Steps.She guides you through the pages, helping you to face past issues and, where necessary, gives permission to simply "let go". -- a very freeing and uplifting journey.This book is all-encompassing and not easily put down once started.I'll certainly recommend it hightly to others as a "must-read" and look forward to future releases with great anticipation. ... Read more

Product Description
"Help Your Child or Teen Get Back on Track" offers specific self-help interventions and a wide-ranging, practical discussion of the types of professional help available for a child or adolescent with emotional and behavioral problems.The book covers topics that would be discussed during a consultation with a child psychiatrist. The first section offers practical guidance and ideas to help parents understand their child's problems and learn to distinguish between normal disruption and that which warrants professional treatment. The second section of the book includes useful information for those parents who are considering, seeking, or already involved with professional help for their child.Essential reading for parents who are worried about a child or adolescent with emotional and behavioral problems, this book is also a useful resource for social workers, psychologists, school counselors, pediatricians, and adult psychiatrists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Any library catering to parents or professionals needs this
Help Your Child or Teen Get Back on Track: What Parents and Professionals Can Do for Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Problems is the winner of two awards and provides a fine survey of parental techniques for handling both kids and teens who are aggressive. Self-help interventions proven to work accompany tips on typical emotional and behavioral problems in a fine guide packing in useful information for parents who are considering or already involved with professional help for their child. Any library catering to parents or professionals needs this.

Good for beginners
I got this book, thinking it would enable me to get my teens with ASD back on track. What I found was a book full of lots of advice on what is normal teen/tween behavior, what is not, and when to seek professional assistance.In that respect, the book could be very valuable to some families.

At my house, my kids have been different all their lives, so my husband and I learned most of these skills on our own from sheer experience. As I said, if your family is new to the world of off-track kids, I suspect you will enjoy this book immensely.
... Read more

Product Description
"Today, I see the link between my feelings of crazinessand loss of control over my own life and my need to place rigidrestraints on my weight and eating.

"When other areas of my life felt out of control, there was always onething I knew I could control. My weight and eating became the focus ofmy life, and all of my other troubles were forgotten -- at leasttemporarily."

From The Long Road Back: A Survivor's Guide to Anorexia

Each year, in the United States alone, thousands die of the eatingdisorder anorexia nervosa, which carries the highest mortality rate ofany psychiatric disorder. To make matters worse, it is some of ourbrightest and best young people (more than 90 percent of them females)whose lives are lost to this insidious illness.

Anorexia is characterized by a refusal to maintain a minimally normalbody weight. The individual suffering from it is intensely afraid ofgaining weight, and has a distorted perception of the size and shapeof his or her body. Unless there is successful intervention andtreatment, the anorexic may die of starvation, suicide, or electrolyteimbalance.

In THE LONG ROAD BACK, Judy Sargent tells the story of her ten-yearstruggle with anorexia, which began to manifest when she wasthirteen. As it progressed, the disease repeatedly brought her weightto life-threatening lows of less than seventy pounds.

Now completely recovered, and pursuing a career as a clinical nursespecialist, Sargent details in this book her return to health and anormal life. She writes with an honesty, humor, and insight that makeher fascinating and harrowing story all the more absorbing. Youngpeople afflicted with eating disorders (and those who love them) willfind hope, inspiration, and valid advice in these pages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Huge Disappointment
The title of this book should have been "The bad things doctors did to me while I was in the hospital."While going into explicit detail of her experience at several different treatment centers, she glosses over her recovery - the main thing her book is supposed to address.

I have read several books on the subject of anorexia, and I found this book to be the worst I have ever come accross.A complete waste of time and money.

A Testament to The Ultimate Human Fighting Spirit
This book is not just for current or past anorexic, but for everyone who has some serious setbacks in their lives. It is a true testament to the ultimate human fighting spirit.As far as anorexia is concerned, I find this book a real eye-opener to the many flaws of the mental health system where the doctors and nurses seem to be just as obessed with the patients gaining the weight, as the patients with losing it. I could not put this book down oce I started reading it. It left me wondering how Ms(?) Sargent is still alive today.It is even more amazing that not only she is leading a normal life, but she is only excelling in her career and her true passion of figure skating.It is a matter of time unil this gem is made into a movie.

Insightful and comprehensive look at anorexia
Sargent writes a passionate account of her battle with anorexia.She comes forth shining and gives others the hope that sustained her through her 'dark night of the soul'.She is truly an inspiration for anyone suffering with any eating disorder, compulsive eating included.A beautifully written and carefully detailed book.

The awful pain of anorexia
As an anorexic of several years, I was deeply affected by this book's account of another's suffering with the same disease.I alternately cried and was filled with anger by the descriptions of the often barbaric"treatments" the author was forced to endure.I have been insuch treatment centers, where the people who are supposed to be helpinginstead make patients feel less than human, by watching them eat as if itwere a circus sideshow and referring to them by numbers instead of names. These people think that the only thing an anorexic has to do to get betteris to eat and gain weight, and that's it.Wrong, wrong, wrong, as thisbook shows, and it's high time people started realizing it.No one starvesherself to make someone else suffer, or as a way of getting what she wants. Anorexia is a terrible, terrible disease that makes you want to just die. If you know someone who's suffering from this hell of a disease, treat thatperson with the utmost love, respect and compassion.Read this book tohelp you understand: No one CHOOSES to be anorexic, and no matter how manytimes the anorexic says, "Leave me alone, I'm fine," she reallydoes want help, deep down.It just has to be the right kind of help.

The Long Road Back
For some one who has experienced an eating disorder first hand, this is one of the most accurate portrayals that I have come across.In the book, Sargent tells about her struggles with therapists and hospitals.I foundthis to be more than true.This is an amazing book for any one, especiallyhealth care providers for those with eating disorders.I would reccommendit to every one. ... Read more

Product Description
The heart of this book consists of thirteen, riveting, in-depth stories of people who fought back with courage, humor, and a positive attitude. In doing so, they have provided valuable guidance for you, the readers of thisinspiring work.

• The seriously ill, their friends and family will gainpriceless advice on coping, dealing with depression,how to partner with the medical profession, thetremendous value of self-help groups and the vitalimportance of attitude.
• Those with disabilities will learn how others havesuccessfully played the hand they were dealt and managedto live successful, fulfilling lives. The disabledand those with serious illnesses can learn from eachother. There are no silver bullets buried in these pages,just the sound, useable experience of others.
• Caregivers, be they family, friends, or health professionals will gain great insight from the in-depth stories of survivors, the bereaved, and thosewho died with grace and even style.

Customer Reviews (6)

Brimming with Life in the Face of Death
The author is, in his own words, "a man whose flawed genetics and lifestyle invited fate to test him more often than most", having undergone 8 major surgeries. Yet, he survived to be a healthy, fulfilled, and physically and intellectually active 74 years old. The book offers both patients and their caregivers critical insights on how to prevail and thrive against great medical odds. These boil down to: it's all in the mind, develop and adopt the right attitude and you will live; work with doctors who actually care about you; rid yourself on unhealthy habits; join a self-help group; research your problem. These truisms are convincingly demonstrated, time and again, in the pages of this fascinating work-cum-testament.

But the book is far from a mere theoretical discourse.Despite its potentially morbid topic, it brims with life: real cases, real people, real triumphs over a variety of illnesses and the distress they cause and over other,non-medical, but equally harrowing circumstances. This tome is a treasure trove of celebrated stories of survival and passages from the memoirs of those who made it. Though down to Earth, the book is compassionate and never condescending or patronizing. Though encyclopedic in scope and content, it is as intimate as talking to a close friend. A compelling read. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited".

bad fighting technique
"You've Gotta Fight Back!Winning with Serious Illness, Injury
or Disability" by Dirk Chase Eldredge

The author of this book takes all the way until chapter 5 to
really show how "you've gotta fight back."This is the chapter
most connected to what the book is supposed to be about.
It's the hard knocks of how diet, exercise, and relationships can all
be altered by a new diagnosis.And make no mistake, such a diagnosis
can be difficult even for someone who's been used to some sort of
chronic illness; the difficulty lies in the fact that the illness is
new.What you do with that diagnosis, getting yourself moving around,
and changing your mindset to "I'm gonna do this!", are key to getting
yourself better faster, according to Mr.Eldredge.

What can you do?Again, take charge of what you now have.Understand your new illness.Zero in on the important things, like the information about it.But stop yourself from thinking about unimportant stuff; for example when I find that little voice in my head putting me down I tell it "STOP."Think about things you can change, (NOT what you can't).Lastly, to sum all of this up, think of modifying your behavior either through therapy or talking to a friend.

To get to the good parts, like chapter five, you need to read through
a long prologue about why Mr.Eldredge was qualified to write it.I
don't know if that was necessary to put in.At least not so large a
prologue; what does he have to say other than the writer is someone
who's lived through a severe bout of illness/disability?


It's also difficult to see what his point exactly is reading through most of this rambling book.Sure, there are stories of hardship that are hard to read and to take and they can make a person shake the head in amazement.However, they are not as gripping stories as they could be, because they go all over the place, telling the entire story of a person's issues with illness and their own family's difficulties.

However, if you can read through the rambling stories, Mr. Eldredge does have some useful information.Within the stories are bits of information about different ways a patient can take charge of what they have, and their treatment.When that happens, as the author notes, that patient will have a faster recovery.He includes five steps to how to do this: for instance in chapter two, five steps are discussed for it, including taking charge of your space and time, especially important for those of us in hospitals or rehab clinics for any length of time.

I agree with Mr.Eldredge in chapter 7 that a patient must learn all they can about their illness to become as well as possible.In my own experience, I've found that the "informed patient" is not always popular among doctors or in hospitals, but indeed, it's much better for a person to know as much as he or she can and ask questions, get involved in his or her care, as possible.

The part of the book I truly did not understand was chapter 10, where the author actually says that the next three chapters will profile people who've fought unsuccessful battles against illness.Is this supposed to be inspirational?As the author says at the start of chapter 10, "each loss left a legacy of courage and determination."Maybe so, but I don't see why three chapters need be devoted to it.If the message is "you've gotta fight back" and then sometimes you lose, then give it one chapter. He also does not give his own reasoning for these chapters till they are done with.If I were reading this book just to read it, I would have
no clue why he was putting them in, not really.Put the
information about them before they start, and maybe it would make
sense.

Chapter 16 returns to the focus of the book; it discusses how you can help yourself by helping others.Psychologically, this is very beneficial, yes.The author tells how self-help groups can be helpful, because you get to talk with others with similar issues, and sometimes be able to exchange possible solutions.This can help for people with illnesses, addictions and injuries.

Truly, if you sift through the long tales of illness and everything else, you can find some bits of information as well as a few inspirational tales.There is, for instance, the story of the young woman with quadriplegia who learned to paint and donated her work to Christopher Reeve.He then had the paintings made into ties, and these were sold by J.C.Penny.Then there are the humorous tales of someone trying to get her medical equipment through customs around the world.

Sure, there are those stories.And there is some useful information.But the amount of stuff to get through to get to it is in my mind not worth trying to read this book.It's like going through a dumpster full of various kinds of garbage, from old furniture to cans to car parts, where you know there's some treasure, but you have to get through all of that to find it within the scattered mess.That's the real "fight" in this book.

Fight back with help from this book
Reviewed by Randy A. Lakin for RebeccasReads (11/08)


This is Dirk Chase Eldredge's third book, and I have to say that "You've Gotta Fight Back" is a must for anyone who has suffered from a critical Illness, injury or disability.In this book, Eldredge lays out several different stories of individuals, families and their friends who have had major life altering illnesses or injuries.In the first story, Eldredge tells the story of an individual who has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease, and ALS for short.Normally someone with ALS will live for two to five years, but this person lived twenty-five years.The story unfolds around the whole family, his wife and the children, one of whom does not handle the news of her father having ALS very well.

The last story in the book is about the writer's son, a former functioning alcoholic and drug user. Functioning alcoholics are able to perform their job and go through the everyday motions of life without being detected, but eventually everyone saw through Dirk, Jr.'s facade except his father.After he hit bottom and his wife left, Dirk, Jr. finally turned to AA.With the help of Alcoholics Anonymous, he was able to put his life back on track, and he now devotes his time to helping others overcome the same problems he once suffered from.

Another area Eldredge covers is the caregiver, a group of people that often get overlooked.It is hard being a caregiver in this day and age.This is the one person sees the most changes in a patient, and usually has no one to turn to.I personally am a caregiver to my wife, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 46.I take good care of her, but it is hard to see her shake and lose her memory.All the doctors tell us is that they usually do not see something like that in someone her age, and, boy, that really helps!

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who has or knows someone who has a serious illness or injury.The author has hit the target with this book.I personally have a failed back fusion in my lumbar area with scar tissue entrapping the nerves in my lower back and down both legs.I am also on morphine daily for the pain.I truly enjoyed reading this book and I think you will too.This book lets you know you are not alone in the world, and would make a great addition to anyone's library or even as a gift to someone who suffers from an illness or injury.

Encouragement for those who are ill
The most amazing thing is the human spirit and it's power.In "You've Gotta Fight Back!," Dirk Eldredge gives testimony to the ability of people who are faced with a variety of health and life challenges to beat the odds and overcome or manage their conditions.With detail and compassion, he tells the stories of a number of people who had the courage and insight to study, research, and work hard, and make the most of the life challenge they were facing.He also lauds supportive spouses, caretakers, family members, and friends for the role they play in helping these challenged people.For a person who has been diagnosed with a serious illness, this book can give hope and encouragement.

You've Gotta Fight Back!
They are some of the most disheartening and utterly devastating words in the world: You've got ... Life will never be the same again. Suddenly, the day to day issues that used to cloud your mind seem petty. Everything becomes about the pain, disease, the condition, or the disability.

When dealing with a serious illness, injury, or disability it's really difficult to stay positive. Often just the thought of fighting back and living each day to the fullest seems much too overwhelming. Still, that's exactly what we must do.

You've Gotta Fight Back! is filled with inspiration and heartwarming stories about people who pushed the limits. Some took it as a challenge when the doctors gave them months to leave, extending their lives for decades through pure will. Others took control of their health issues, asked questions, and made choices that worked for their situation. All of these stories are genuine, showing that we all have good and bad days but the most important thing is to never give up. ... Read more

Product Description
Using simple yet effective techniques developed in modern psychotherapy and self-help programs, the author tackles many different fears. ... Read more

Product Description
Spinal problems are one of the most common presentations confronting general practitioners. GPs see over 5 million patients per year in relation to back pain alone. It is one of the most common causes of absence from work and has an estimated treatment cost of £12 billion.

Written by a multidisciplinary team of authors, including doctors, physiotherapists, and osteopaths, the ABC of Spinal Disorders is uniquely placed to address the causes and management of the different spinal conditions presenting in general practice. Providing practical guidance and advice on diagnosis, treatment, and when to refer the patient for further help, it is ideal for general practitioners, junior doctors, Foundation doctors, and all allied health professionals. ... Read more