Product Description
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that affects more than 400,000 people in the United States. In addition to the physical challenges it poses, MS can have negative emotional effects. Depression, anxiety and stress are common among patients with MS.

This therapist guide provides instruction for delivering treatment to individuals with MS who are experiencing stress and depressed mood. The stress and mood management program described has been developed over more than ten years of research and clinical trials. The treatment is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and is divided into two parts. Part I incorporates standard behavioral activation and cognitive restructuring techniques while Part II consists of optional modules designed to address specific problems that are common among MS patients.These include problems in social functioning and management of symptoms like fatigue, pain and cognitive impairment. A module on self-injection anxiety is a unique feature of the program that has proven to help patients overcome their fear of self-administering prescribed injectable medications.

Step-by-step instructions for administering therapy are provided in this book in a user-friendly format, along with information on assessment. Complete with sample dialogues, at-home assignments, and lists of materials needed, this comprehensive guide includes all the tools necessary for facilitating effective treatment. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Treatment of Childhood Disorders, Third Edition
This book is very big, and covers all of the childhood disorders as well as their treatments. ... Read more

Product Description
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in America, affecting one in every nine people. Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders brings us triumphant tales by those who have overcome them. Men and women of diverse ages and backgrounds share their individual experiences battling anxiety. Offering hope and inspiration, their essays discuss methods for recovery and techniques to manage symptoms. Each account is followed by a therapist’s explanation of the recovery techniques used and how others can apply these techniques to their lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

great book
Great book if your trying to learn what anxiety is. Its also a great book if you need emotional support hearing other people's stories knowing that your not alone.

Useful Stories to Enlighten and Encourage
If you suffer from any panic or anxiety disorder, often times you feel very alone in your plight. Many times, you wonder if you'll ever 'see' your old self again. It's a scary place to be, because I've been there.

In these true stories from folks spanning the spectrum of life, you quickly discover that all the feelings associated with anxiety and panic have been felt by countless others. A critical element to this book are the commentaries after each story by Dr. Paul Foxman. He treats each person's story on an individual basis, offering insight to the root of the disorder, and the very clear hope for overcoming it.

In each of the contributing author's stories, I am certain anyone suffering from panic or anxiety- perhaps both, will find comfort in knowing there's someone out there who made it through a very dark, lonely place to the bright side of living a full and enriching life.

This book is not intimidating with technical/medical jargon- rather, it's a book that's easily digested and leaves its mark by teaching someone suffering the power of hope and healing they hold within themselves. Highly recommended.

An engaging and motivating set of success stories
Compiled and edited by Jenna Glatzner (Editor-in-Chief of Absolute Write - a website for aspiring writers), and supported with commentaries by Paul Foxman (Director of the Center for Anxiety Disorders in Burlington, Vermont), Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders: Success Stories, Strategies, And Other Good News is an impressive collection of thirty-one true and inspiring stories of men and women who have confronted and overcome panic, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress, and more. An engaging and motivating set of success stories blazing a positive series of examples filled with hope for a better present and future, Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders is especially recommended reading for anyone struggling to cope with their own emotional stresses and predilections.

I Lived It
Paul Foxman, Ph.D. and Director of the Center for Anxiety Disorders in Vermont, offers an introduction in which he introduces himself as one who has suffered from anxiety and offers commentaries at the end of each essay. He says "These stories are full of hope and promise for anxiety recovery. May they fulfill their mission to spread the word and inspire many others to conquer their anxieties."

Each chapter is a story and is shown on the Content's page. In addition, Glatzer has organized the topics addressed to make disorders, therapies and feelings very easy to find.

The chapters average about 5 pages each but some are just a couple of pages and a few are 7 or 8 pages in length. The essays are presented as written by the authors so it was not Glatzer's intention to edit them down or "tweak" them.

Glatzer's hope is that people realize they are not alone while reading these 31 essays describing very personal situations and feelings. The authors have opened themselves up to the world. You will find a couple of professional writers, you will read stories by people who just like to write, and others who perhaps never intended to see their story in print.

I found that more often than not most of the authors used some of Foxman's approaches even if they didn't know they were. I like Foxman's commentaries a lot. I like the fact that not only does he explain in a professional way what often times the authors do not do because they are telling their story, but he also talks about how the various conditions came to be (perhaps multiple stresses). He also talks about physical symptoms, which are an important part of this book for people who are seeking help or seeking to understand if they need help.

The book is listed under psychology/self-help on the cover and I would imagine it being used in classrooms. Rarely will a student or an onlooker have a look into what panic and anxiety is like from a first-hand perspective with no clinical jargon or going back to one's childhood to find out the answers to why it happened. Some authors do attempt to figure out the whys, but for many, the whys are much less important than the "what can I do and who will help me" questions.

How do I know this? I am an author in this book. I am not reviewing it to sell it, however. My bottom line is that thisis a book of hope and of wanting not only to be heard but also to have others get some relief from their suffering. I wish I had been handed it 20 years ago. Inspirational
This book is written by real people with real problems and real cures.
It should be an inspiration to anyone with panic disorder. Go but it. Now! ... Read more

Product Description
Prepared by a panel of primary care physicians and psychiatrists, this handbook presents a fundamentally new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders. Part I discusses general principles of diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders from the primary care physician's perspective. Part II provides a detailed description of diagnostic criteria and management strategies for each anxiety disorder. An appendix features examples of three important assessment tools, and reproducible patient information aids. ... Read more

Product Description
The widely acclaimed "father of cognitive psychotherapy" adds a new introduction to the gold-standard book on anxiety disorders and phobias

At the forefront of the cognitive revolution, renowned psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck turned to information processing in order to understand the sources, consequences, and cures of anxiety disorders and phobias. In the first half of this classic text, Beck elaborates on the clinical picture of anxiety disorders and phobias and presents an explanatory model to account for the rich complexity of these phenomena. Cognitive psychologist Gary Emery then details the therapeutic principles, strategies, and tactics developed on the basis of the cognitive model of anxiety disorders and phobias.

This fifteenth anniversary edition of the foundational work on cognitive therapy features a new introduction by Beck, in which he offers an up-to-date appraisal of the current state of cognitive therapy and its application to the treatment of phobias and anxiety. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Fantastic Book
Aaron Beck is fantastic. This is very useful. I have an anxiety problem. There are great ideas here.

Beck keeps moving on
Aaron Beck and his associates keep providing a world of knowledge about the many disorders that affect us humans, and how to deal with them.

Great Overview of the Cognitive Perspective, but has some flaws...
This book offers a great overview of the subject, anxiety disorders and phobias, from a cognitive perspective.The book is divided into two parts, a clinical/theoretical analysis and a practical outline of the application of the theory in therapy, authored by Beck and Emery, respectively.

The book accomplishes its aim of laying down the fundamentals from a cognitive perspective, but does have some flaws.First, much of the anecdotal evidence is just that--anecdotal.Specific studies aren't often mentioned, especially in the second part of the book. Additionally, the book does not address the importance of approaching psychological topics from multiple perspectives.That is, the book does not inform the reader of the other perspectives.So, if you take a more biologically-oriented perspective towards behavior and psychopathology, it is difficult to not take much of the book with a grain of salt.All in all, however, it is a good overview of the cognitive perspective on the issue.

Very insightful - for patients as well as therapists
I picked up this book years ago (before getting therapy for my own anxiety disorder) and quickly gained much insight into the many variants of phobia and anxiety disorders.The explanations are clear, allowing laypersons as well as experts a good level of understanding.

While the book is definitely geared toward therapists interested in learning Beck's cognitive therapy approach, it is certainly useful to any patient or relative who is confronted with such problems -- above all the first half of the book!I really appreciated not being talked down to as in so many patient-oriented books.

Beck opens with an overview of everyday experience of fear and anxiety.Next, he describes the adaptive purpose of anxiety responses ("fight or flight") putting anxiety disorders on a dimension with normal behavior. He continues on to discuss the difference between "normal" and "pathological" forms of anxiety, addressing the major symptoms and thought patterns associated with clinical forms. He then gives an overview of clinical anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder,post-traumatic stress disorder, atypical anxiety disorder, phobic disorders (of which there are many kinds), agoraphobia, social phobia and simple phobias.

He then presents his cognitive model of threat reactions and in-depth chapters focussing on anxiety disorder clusters ("Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder", "Simple Phobias", "The Agoraphobic Syndrome", and "The Evaluation Anxieties" social phobia and social anxiety).The second part of the book is devoted to his principles and strategies/techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

The fact that new editions of this book have been published every few years over the past 2 decades is a tribute to its usefulness.

Beck's Anxiety Disorders and Phobias - Cognitive Perspective
Every day, veterans of the Vietnam War commit suicide in deep depression.With the United States almost continually cutting its Veterans Administration budget, you would think that the V.A. would give up, butbooks like those of Beck help it treat and cure depression and anxiety. The Cognitive Therapy uses Socratic questioning, training people to ask whythey feel sad or anxious, what their answers mean, to substitute moreeffective coping thoughts for ineffective thoughts and wrong ideas(illogical ideas, like "everybody is against me," "I'm bornto fail," etc.).Patients record in diaries or logs what eventstrigger these wrong thoughts and learn to instantly respond with otherthoughts and actions.This is one of the greatest books in psychology andpsychiatry, and should be read by the young people of all ages (many ofwhom are depressed) as well as the older ones. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Positive Options for Seasonal Affective Disorder
SAD is a very important issue for many Americans. Positive Options for Seasonal Affective Disorder by Fiona Marshall and Peter Cheevers is very educational.
SAD is depression caused by lack of natural light. In this book it described the many different cases of SAD. This is usually seasonal. Most of the depression is caused during the winter when there is a lack of sunlight and it is very cold. Many people become very tired and start to get aches and pains. In severe cases the depression starts to affect the person's social life. It interferes with their activities. Some can even lose every aspect of the person's life.
This book is a very useful tool for someone who suspects themself to have SAD. It goes through many different types of the illness. It also gives a lot of things that can be done to help cure SAD. It also describes how light and climate is very important to this illness. Light is especially important to have in your house and at your work. Without enough lighting SAD could become much worse and cause extreme depression.
There are many different symptoms of SAD. There is extreme fatigue and increased desire to sleep. Increased appetite and extreme mood swings. Many people have thoughts of suicide. Others might gain a drinking problem, or a drug problem. The seasonal depression starts and ends at certain times of the year. This can be caused by holiday blues also. People can feel very alone and lonely causing extreme depression. This depression usually only lasts for sixty days. More often than not this is found more in women than men. It can be linked to PMS. Most cases appear in those in their twenties to forties. SAD can become a very serious issue.
The book Positive Options for Seasonal Affective Disorder is very helpful. It gives you all the information anyone would need to know about the illness. SAD can be treated and should be taken seriously.

Positive Options for Seasonal Affective Disorder
I found this book to be helpful. Somebody finally put into words what I feel. It was like reading about my life. I gave it to my husband to read also, so that he would understand what I am going through. ... Read more

Product Description
Despite works published as recently as 2002, the continuing rapid evolution of new medications and adjunctive psychosocial interventions for bipolar disorder has made the concise Advances in Treatment of Bipolar Disorder essential for today's clinicians who want to stay abreast of the latest developments in treating this complex and challenging mental illness.

Meticulously referenced with numerous tables and illustrations, Advances in Treatment of Bipolar Disorder offers a very timely and exciting perspective on new ways to treat bipolar disorder. After an overview, six succinct chapters written by experts review recent developments—emphasizing interventions supported by controlled studies—in the following areas:

• Advances in treatment of patients with acute mania: discussing newer antipsychotics, which as a class are effective as primary treatments for acute mania, and have emerging potential roles in maintenance treatment, and acute bipolar depression; and anticonvulsants, some of which are effective for as primary treatments for acute mania or maintenance, and others of which although not primary treatments for bipolar disorders may provide benefits as adjuncts for comorbid conditions.
• New developments in the treatment of acute bipolar depression: describing therapeutic options beyond mood stabilizers and highlighting that adjunctive use of antidepressants requires additional adequately powered controlled studies to support this common approach.
• Techniques in the maintenance treatment of patients with bipolar disorder: including both medications and adjunctive psychosocial therapies, which together can help clinicians manage medication adverse effects and maintain the therapeutic alliance, treatment adherence, and involvement of significant others to enhance outcomes.
• Innovations in the treatment of rapid-cycling bipolar disorder: although no treatment has received FDA approval for the management of this challenging presentation, results of controlled trials are beginning to provide clinically relevant insights in to the treatment of patients with rapid cycling, offering hope for more effective future therapies.
• The treatment of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder: no treatment has FDA approval for the treatment of pediatric patients with bipolar disorder and controlled data are limited, yet recent research is beginning to yield important new information about the diagnosis and management of children and adolescents with this illness or its putative prodromes.
• Phenomenology and management of bipolar disorder in women: introducing important new information to enhance clinicians' understanding of the importance of accounting for gender differences and reproductive health in the treatment of women with bipolar disorder.

Advances in Treatment of Bipolar Disorder helps clinicians to better understand the utility of both older medications and important new treatment options as it highlights the need for additional research to ensure further progress in overcoming the challenges of caring for patients with bipolar disorder. ... Read more

Product Description
Once largely the providence of poets, philosophers, and psychologists, the study of emotions has become one of the most important and topical fields in the biological sciences, particularly neuroscience. This timely book examines exciting new discoveries into how genetic, biological, and environmental conditions generate and shape our moods.

More than merely a popular science book, Mind, Stress, & Emotions links recent findings in brain science, immunology, and stress research with novel treatment strategies for mood and anxiety disorders. From mood genes to the biological ramifications of parent-child attachments, readers are taken on a tour de force of the science of emotions. In a lively, conversational tone, we are treated to a fascinating look at the modern science of mood in the 21st century.

Dr. Gene Wallenstein is eminently qualified to guide readers through this tour. An internationally recognized neuroscientist and expert on the biology of emotions and their disorders, he is a pioneer in the emerging field of cognitive neurobiology, which integrates genetic, physiological, and pharmacological research toward clinical applications in a number of mental health areas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

One of the best books on stress and mood I have read yet.
I heard about this book from a colleague (a psychologist) who has been recommending it to her patients. Like her, I found the book to be exceptional in every way - it is both fascinating and highly informative. The author has used a wide-ranging and richly integrative approach to the subject of human emotions, and the book is based on new research that has just been performed within the last five years or so. I was surprised by many of the more recent discoveries, particularly those that link childhood trauma to physiological changes in adult brain chemistry. Also exciting are the experiments that suggest new treatments for anxiety and affective disorders that emerge from these conditions. But even if readers are not interested in treatments, the book will be very engaging to those who simply want to grasp what modern science is now learning about human emotions. Overall, I highly recommend this book. It is written for the intelligent reader who wants to understand how different forms of stress alter immune function and emotions. The book stays true to the current scientific findings and at the same time, has the very nice feature of including sections for using the findings in practical ways. It's a fun read and will be very rewarding for those interested in learning about the science of mood and emotions.

Excellent, insightful, and cutting edge:
This is an exceptional book. It is written for the popular reader, but provides such rich information (with great pictures) as to allow a real understanding of how stress, mood, and immune function interact in the body and brain. I work in this field, and it has expanded so rapidly in the last few years, with significant new discoveries nearly every month. It is refreshing to find a book on mood and stress that has kept pace with the scientific findings and gone beyond the talk show descriptions. This is an absolutely indispensable work for patients, clinicians, students, and teachers alike.

All of the recent discoveries in brain science
Mind, Stress & Emotions: The New Science Of Mood by Gene Wallenstein (Neuroscience expert and Adjunct Professor, University of California - San Diego) provides the reader with an informative survey of all of the recent discoveries in brain science, immunology, and stress research, as well as new treatment strategies for mood and anxiety disorders. A well-rounded and thought-provoking examination of the science of human moods, written with technical descriptions yet phrased to accommodate and teach a non-specialist general reader about the workings of the brain, Mind, Stress & Emotions is strongly recommended for Psychology Studies reading lists and academic reference collections as an unusually informative, educational, and accessible survey. ... Read more

Product Description

Symptoms of personality disorders may seem to differ widely, but all personality disorders are characterized by entrenched patterns of thinking and behavior. Chances are, if you have a personality disorder, you face feelings of uncertainty about your future and experience ongoing conflicts with your loved ones every day. These patterns may seem impossible to change, but if you're ready to overcome your symptoms and create a more balanced life, you can.

The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook for Personality Disorders is packed with exercises and worksheets that enable you to put an end to the self-defeating thoughts that hold you back. Based in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), a proven-effective treatment for personality disorders, this workbook can help you reconnect with life by teaching you a set of key skills for overcoming difficulties associated with the eleven most common personality disorders. You'll learn stress reduction, relaxation, and emotion regulation techniques, and how best to communicate and cope with others while keeping your personality-disorder-related behaviors in check.

Product Description

Symptoms of personality disorders may seem to differ widely, but all personality disorders are characterized by entrenched patterns of thinking and behavior. Chances are, if you have a personality disorder, you face feelings of uncertainty about your future and experience ongoing conflicts with your loved ones every day. These patterns may seem impossible to change, but if you're ready to overcome your symptoms and create a more balanced life, you can.

The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook for Personality Disorders is packed with exercises and worksheets that enable you to put an end to the self-defeating thoughts that hold you back. Based in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), a proven-effective treatment for personality disorders, this workbook can help you reconnect with life by teaching you a set of key skills for overcoming difficulties associated with the eleven most common personality disorders. You'll learn stress reduction, relaxation, and emotion regulation techniques, and how best to communicate and cope with others while keeping your personality-disorder-related behaviors in check.

Product Description
This highly practical manual provides evidence-based tools and techniques for assessing and treating clients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Proven cognitive-behavioral interventions are described in rich, step-by-step detail, together with illustrative case examples. With an emphasis on both accountability and flexibility, the clinician is guided to select from available options, weave them into individualized treatment plans, and troubleshoot problems that may arise. For those clients who do not respond well to CBT alone, the book also offers a chapter on cutting-edge supplementary interventions that have shown promise in preliminary clinical trials. Special features include a wealth of reproducible materials-over 25 client handouts and forms, assessment tools, and more-presented in a convenient large-size format.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Helpful Resource
This is a very useful resource in working with anxiety.A nice balance of clinical tools, research and theory.Highly recommended.

Alot of info that is useful
This is a great treatment tool.it gives you lots of tools youc an tailor to your client.

An excellent supplementary resource
An impressive collaborative effort by Jayne L. Rygh and William C. Sanderson, Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a manual for psychologists, offering tools and techniques for treating generalized anxiety disorder. Offering tested and proven cognitive-behavioral interventions, as well as cutting-edge supplementary interventions for those who do not respond well to cognitive-behavioral therapy alone, Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder illustrates its techniques with sample doctor-patient conversations, flowcharts, suggested logs and recordkeeping forms for undertaking steps of the therapy, and more. An excellent supplementary resource for brushing up professional techniques to aid those who need help the most, Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder is recommended for professional and academic library reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
... Read more

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Product Description
Bipolar disorders are changes in the brain and nervous system that cause severe mood swings, from the deepest suicidal depression to the most elevated euphoria. Approximately 2 million adults in the US have a bipolar disorder, according to the latest figures from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI).Worldwide prevalence hovers around 1 percent.Many traditional treatments, investigational medications, and complementary therapies can address symptoms and improve the lives of people with bipolar disorders. In some cases, the results are spectacular.Adult Bipolar Disorders: Understanding Your Diagnosis and Getting Help covers:

Securing a diagnosisManaging family lifeUnderstanding medical interventionsExploring therapeutic and other interventionsGetting care with an existing health plan, even with no coverage of “mental disorders”

Customer Reviews (3)

outstanding graduate level introduction
This is the best book on bipolarism that my (bipolar I) wife and i have ever read.It combines readability with many references to academic/medical studies and snippets from interviews of bipolars.The book is informative and detailed as well as compassionate.The anecdotal pieces are not vague musings about being bipolar, but rather personal experience to complement the scientific data of any given topice.The book does not forever dwell on what bipolarism is, but instead quickly details the disease then moves on to how to continue living with the highest possible quality of life when you have the disease.Like any good graduate text, it starts with the most basic information and quickly helps the reader up the learning curve of the topic to discuss the most advanced and recent research on how to deal with the illness.This book is outstanding.

Excellent book for taking control of mood swings!
I bought this expecting some kind of basic book on bipolar but it is so much more. The mood charts & advice on medicines and natural health are something I should have had years ago. Left me asking why I had to buy a book to find out these things, and thinking about buying another copy for my doctor.

This book is mislabled
Except for 2 Chapters in the book the bulk talks about areas other than Bipolar illness. This would be good as a dictionary if you wanted a paragraph or two only on something related to different topics that cover mental illnes. It does introduce the novice to wide variety of possible treatments and physical illness that might cause a misdiagnoses of Bipolar illness. Its a good starting point for futher reading. ... Read more

Product Description
Psychiatry today is a barren tundra, writes medical historian Edward Shorter, where drugs that don't work are used to treat diseases that don't exist. In this provocative volume, Shorter illuminates this dismal landscape, in a revealing account of why psychiatry is "losing ground" in the struggle to treat depression.
Naturally, the book looks at such culprits as the pharmaceutical industry, which is not inclined to market drugs once the patent expires, leading to the endless introduction of new--but not necessarily better--drugs. But the heart of the book focuses on an unexpected villain: the FDA, the very agency charged with ensuring drug safety and effectiveness. Shorter describes how the FDA permits companies to test new products only against placebo. If you can beat sugar pills, you get your drug licensed, whether or not it is actually better than (or even as good as) current medications, thus sweeping from the shelves drugs that may be superior but have lost patent protection. The book also examines the FDA's early power struggles against the drug industry, an influence-grab that had little to do with science, and which left barbiturates, opiates, and amphetamines all underprescribed, despite the fact that under careful supervision they are better at treating depression, with fewer side effects, than the newer drugs in the Prozac family. Shorter also castigates academia, showing how two forms of depression, melancholia and nonmelancholia--"as different from each other as chalk and cheese"--became squeezed into one dubious classification, major depression, which was essentially a political artifact born of academic infighting.
An astonishing and troubling look at modern psychiatry, Losing Ground is a book that is sure to spark controversy for years to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Bracing Critique of Contemporary Psychiatry
Shorter's critique is complicated and multifactorial (and he frequently gets distracted by historical curiosities), but lives may depend on it.The main thrust of his argument is that Psychiatry has not progressed as other medical specialties have, because the classification of illnesses and the medications used to treat them are inferior to the state of the art 40 years ago.This came about because 1.Major Depression was so broadly defined as to be a meaningless diagnosis, 2. The FDA decreed that drugs had to be indicated specifically for a particular use (antidepressant, antipsychotic, anxiolytic) 3. The early FDA arbitrarily wiped out or vilified whole classes of drugs as an exercise of power, and 4. the later FDA adopted a standard for efficacy of double-blind trials against placebo, without regard for relative effectiveness of other drugs.

The political document known as the DSM is certainly an easy target.Shorter's main objection is the classification of depressive disorders.He believes that clinically useful categories would be melacholic depression (what used to be called clinical depression, meaning slowed physical reactions, inability to get out of bed, high cortisol levels, sleep disturbance, anorexia, feelings of guilt) with the first line of treatment being tricyclic antidepressants; Atypical depression (increased sleep and appetite) with the first line of treatment being MAO inhibitors; and Neurotic Depression, covering a wide swath of the worried well (who now, along with the other two, now meet the diagnostic criteria for "Major Depressive Disorder").For these, he marshals evidence that SSRI's can be effective, but not as much as meprobromate, librium, valium, chlorpromazine, and even ritalin, amphetamine and barbiturates.Shorter argues that the distinction between an antidepressant and an anxiolytic is not important in neurotic depression.(It is interesting that Abilify is now being promoted as an adjunctive treatment of depression; one wonders whether a cheaper phenothiazine would work as well.)The problem is not so much what psychotropic is in fashion for the "neurotic" depressives, but that people with the old depressive symptoms (affective disorders used to be considered psychoses) are being treated with drugs that barely beat out placebos, and never come close to the effectiveness of the antidepressant drugs used in the 1960's. Since suicide is a complication of melancholic depression, this is a serious issue.

His history of the FDA is illuminating.Like the changes in the DSM, the policy at the FDA was based on politics, not science.In the early days, many drugs were banned or restricted; some of them were probably useful.Just about all of the belladonna compounds were tossed out; some of these had been used as antidepressants, notably benactyzine.Was there promise in developing or modifying this antimuscarinic drug?We will never know.Shorter points out that many psychotropic drugs including the phenothiazines, the tricyclics, and early SSRIs, are antihistimines.He notes that chlorpheneramine is an effective anxiolytic and serotonin reuptake inhibitor (available over the counter at your local Walgreens for $5 per silo).As a personal aside, I will never forgive the FDA for banning belladonna alkaloids from cold remedies.Now instead of scopalamine, which will actually dry your mucus when you have a cold, there is only antihistimine, which is great for allergies but useless for colds.Belladonna alkaloids are effective as antiemetics and soporifics as well.

At times Shorter overstates his case.He minimizes the danger of barbiturates, which are every bit as lethal, addictive and dangerous as the FDA claimed. He plays down the (obvious) addictive potential of the benzodiazapenes, although he makes a good case that the FDA and others have overestimated it.He minimizes the side effects of tricyclic and MAOI antidepressants, even claiming that they are equivalent to the side effect profiles for SSRI's, but he admits in one place that the side-effects of the tricyclics were so obnoxious that people stopped taking them as soon as possible.

Shorter's other excellent books on psychiatric history focus mostly on neurotic disorders.This is his interest, so the book is mostly focused on depressive disorders.He could have made similar points regarding antipsychotic medication.Studies have shown that cheap, out of patent phenothiazines and haloperidol are just as effective as the superexpensive new designer drugs, and when dosed carefully, have no more side-effects.Zyprexa is highly effective, maybe the most effective of the newer antipsychotics, but I have seen people gain 20 pounds a month while taking it.It's bad enough that people with schizophrenia smoke so much, do we have to turn them into Type II diabetics, too?

Whatever we think of the new drug set, there is nothing new in the pipeline for affective or psychotic disorders.Shorter is exasperated with the lack of progress in Psychiatry.When the drug companies were throwing lots of money at research (although not as much as they claim--much of it was paid for by government grants) they came up with a set of new drugs for depression and anxiety that are not as effective as the old set.He offers no hope for the future of psychiatric treatment beyond reconsidering the older drugs.

Fascinating look at psychiatry in the 20th century
Prof. Shorter provides a fascinating exploration of the psychopharmacology of mood disorders and psychiatry in the 20th century. He describe the early discovery of medications useful in the treatment of the different forms of depression and anxiety (and the general angst of modern life). Some of the most effective treatments were found amongst these early medicines. He describes the ascendancy of the FDA in the 60's and how its flexing of muscles led to the disappearance of some of them based on politics instead of science. Later, the FDA would adopt the policy of approving medications based solely on their ability to outperform placebo. Shorter argues that this has led to weakly effective drugs for mood disorders; he primarily claims that they should be compared to older treatments to see if they are an improvement over the old. (Ideally, a comparison of the new to both placebo and old would be best.)

Prof. Shorter also describes the evolution of the diagnosis of depression with changes in the DSM. He relates how the diagnosis of major depression was more a political consensus to partially placate the psychoanalytic community and less about what was understood about the biological roots of depression. He claims that this new categorization of major depression included the "neurotic" and "melancholic". Making a distinction has implications in treatment.

Prof. Shorter concentrates on the more familiar mood disorder, depression; he does not cover bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. For a history of depression and modern psychiatry, this book is very useful.
... Read more

Product Description
A Clinically-Oriented, Prescriptive Guide to Diagnosing and Treating Mood Disorders

Depression is very common in chronic medical illness, hindering recovery, increasing functional impairment, contributing to the costs of treating disease, and worsening prognosis.In addition, symptoms of depression are often indistinguishable from symptoms of co-occurring illnesses.It is imperative that clinicians acquire a more precise understanding of how depression and other chronic medical conditions impact each other, and how the treatments for each may influence the other.

This book describes the epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of comorbid depression and bipolar disorder with specific illnesses.It informs physicians about what patients need for optimum outcomes, and gives practical ideas on communicating with patients and instilling hope.

This wealth of practical information on treating mood disorders and comorbid physical illness over the long term and avoiding relapses can be immediately utilized to enrich patient care.

This is the first step-by-step mood disorder guidebook designed specifically for physician use:

• Helps physicians detect, diagnose, and treat depression and bipolar disorders in a concise, results-oriented way.Also helps physicians understand the issues and concerns of their patients for more effective and patient-centered care.
  
  
• Provides a clinically rigorous method for quickly and accurately linking symptoms to each disorder.
  
  
• Offers clear, up-to-date information on psychotropic drugs--with definitive instructions on the use of these antidepressants and mood stabilizers in the treatment of disorders, including dosage guidelines.
  
  
• Covers mood disorders as primary illnesses.
  
  
• Focuses also on how mood disorders affect the diagnosis, treatment, and course of specific medical illnesses.

Product Description
If you suffer from bipolar disorder, this program can be closely integrated with the medication you are taking to help you manage your symptoms and stabilize your mood. Comprised of up to 30 sessions, this treatment is divided into four phases, each with its own focus and set of goals. In phase 1, you will learn the skills and strategies necessary for overcoming the depressive phase of your illness. In phase 2, after your mood has been stabilized, you will work together with your therapist to create a treatment contract that informs your friends and family of what to do when you are ill. In phase 3, your therapist will individualize your treatment and focus on specific problems, such as social skills, problem solving, anger management, etc. Phase 4 gives advice on the best ways to avoid relapses , and shows you how to anticipate future problems. The overall goal of the treatment is not to cure your disorder, but to teach you how to manage it effectively so that you can lead a successful and stable life.

TreatmentsThatWorkTM represents the gold standard of behavioral healthcare interventions!



·All programs have been rigorously tested in clinical trials and are backed by years of research


·A prestigious scientific advisory board, led by series Editor-In-Chief David H. Barlow, reviews and evaluates each intervention to ensure that it meets the highest standard of evidence so you can be confident that you are using the most effective treatment available to date


·Our books are reliable and effective and make it easy for you to provide your clients with the best care available


·Our corresponding workbooks contain psychoeducational information, forms and worksheets, and homework assignments to keep clients engaged and motivated


·A companion website (www.oup.com/us/ttw) offers downloadable clinical tools and helpful resources


·Continuing Education (CE) Credits are now available on select titles in collaboration with PsychoEducational Resources, Inc. (PER) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The best approach to this treating this malady
A common sense, well-thought out workbook toward minimizing and managing the ups and downs of any affective disorder.Puts the responsibility and possibilities of management squarely in the patient's hands, once initial work with it with one's therapist finished.Offers techniques to integrate into everyday life instead of just patches to get you through the hard times.I can't recommend this workbook more highly.It has changed my life.

Managing Bipolar Disorder workbook
This resource has assisted in meeting the therapeutic challenges of clients with the diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. ... Read more

Product Description
Our limited knowledge of the pathophysiology underlying mood disorders contrasts sharply with the efficacy of the treatment modalities developed over the past decades. There has been an explosion of new antidepressant and anxiolytic medications, as well as mood stabilizers and compounds that aim to improve cognition. Although treatment success is still not optimal, pharmacotherapy for mood disorders and cognitive disorders is effective and is improving.

Pharmacotherapy for Mood, Anxiety, and Cognitive Disorders takes a critical look at the medications available for treating mood, anxiety and cognitive disorders; their relevance to pathobiology and underlying mechanisms; and their limitations. Its 90 distinguished contributors, many of them pioneers in the development of treatment modalities, provide background and rationale in understanding the underlying mechanisms of frontline treatments for these disorders. This book reviews

• Effective new alternatives in mood stabilizers and antidepressant interventions
• Advances in the study of the pathobiology of anxiety disorders as well as available treatment choices, including anxiolytic medications
• Several treatment approaches to dementia and other age-related cognitive impairments
• Gender differences in the treatment of depression and anxiety and the different responses to pharmacotherapy
• New treatments for social phobia and pharmacological strategies for cognitive disorders

Providing both a broad overview and detailed reviews of pharmacotherapy, this resource is essential reading for any practitioner who wants to understand the rationale and background for the drugs he or she prescribes and to assess medications that are currently under development. It is a great reference and ancillary text for students and residents during their clinical years. ... Read more