10 books about schizophrenia

The heartrending story of a midcentury American family with twelve children, six of them diagnosed with schizophrenia, that became science's great hope in the quest to understand the disease. Don and Mimi Galvin seemed to be living the American dream. After World War II, Don's work with the Air Force brought them to Colorado, where their twelve children perfectly spanned the baby boom: the oldest born in 1945, the youngest in 1965. In those years, there was an established script for a family like the Galvins--aspiration, hard work, upward mobility, domestic harmony--and they worked hard to play their parts. But behind the scenes was a different story: psychological breakdown, sudden shocking violence, hidden abuse. By the mid-1970s, six of the ten Galvin boys, one after the other, were diagnosed as schizophrenic. How could all this happen to one family? What took place inside the house on Hidden Valley Road was so extraordinary that the Galvins became one of the first families to be studied by the National Institutes of Mental Health. Their story offers a shadow history of the science of schizophrenia, from the era of institutionalization, lobotomy, and the schizophrenogenic mother, to the search for genetic markers for the disease, always amidst profound disagreements about the nature of the illness itself. And unbeknownst to the Galvins, samples of their DNA informed decades of genetic research that continues today, offering paths to treatment, prediction, and even eradication of the disease for future generations. With clarity and compassion, bestselling and award-winning author Robert Kolker uncovers one family's unforgettable legacy of suffering, love and hope.

Updated throughout and filled with all the latest research, treatment plans, commonly asked questions and more, the bestselling resource on schizophrenia is back—now in its seventh edition. “E. Fuller Torrey is a brilliant writer. There is no one writing on psychology today whom I would rather read.”— Los Angeles Times Since its first publication in 1983, Surviving Schizophrenia has become the standard reference book on the disease and has helped thousands of patients, their families, and mental health professionals. In clear language, this much-praised and important book describes the nature, causes, symptoms, treatment, and course of schizophrenia and also explores living with it from both the patient's and the family's point of view. This new, completely updated seventh edition includes the latest research findings on what causes the illness, as well as information about the newest drugs for treatment, and answers the questions most often asked by families, consumers, and providers. An indispensable guide for those afflicted by schizophrenia as well those who care for them, Surviving Schizophrenia covers every aspect of the condition and sheds new light on an often-misunderstood illness.

A memoir of paranoid schizophrenia by an accomplished professor recounts her first symptoms at the age of eight, her efforts to hide the severity of her condition, and the obstacles she has overcome in the course of her treatment and marriage.

Serious in part, yet at times humorous, Gently Dented chronicles what it is like living with a severe mental disorder. Each chapter explores the various trials of living with an abnormal mind. With absolute truth and conviction, Meaghan Hilary attempts to meet, head on, the challenges of describing the personal and social experiences of being a bipolar schizophrenic. Though our collective perceptions of mental health problems are steadily becoming more progressive, there is still a significant stigma associated with those who are mentally ill. Stories such as Meaghan Hilary's can enlighten minds and bring greater acceptance and empathy to the world. Gently Dented is Meaghan Hilary's written account of living with hallucinations, paranoia, grand delusions, mixed episodes, mania, and depression. It is a peek into the mind of a bipolar schizophrenic.

"Sandra Allen did not know her uncle Bob very well. As a child, she had been told he was 'crazy,' that he had spent time in mental hospitals while growing up in Berkeley in the '60s and '70s ... Then in 2009 Bob mailed her his autobiography. Typewritten in all caps, a stream of error-riddled sentences over sixty, single-spaced pages, the often incomprehensible manuscript proclaimed to be a 'true story' about being 'labeled a psychotic paranoid schizophrenic,' and arrived with a plea to help him get his story out to the world. In [this book], Allen translates her uncle's autobiography, ... creating a ... coming-of-age story while sticking ... to the facts as he shared them"

Originally published by Viking Penguin, 2014.

"Dr. Paul Miller takes EMDR theory, research, and practice a major step forward with his new book. [He] explores the way both researchers and clinicians can successfully integrate EMDR theory and therapy into the current understanding and work with schizophrenia and other psychoses. I believe this volume will be a milestone in the development of EMDR." óUdi Oren, PhD, President, EMDR Europe Association "The EMDR community has been waiting for Paul to publish this book! He has a tremendous reputation, nationally and internationally!" óUri Bergmann, PhD, Recent Past-President, EMDRIA Author, Neurobiological Foundations for EMDR Practice This groundbreaking resource is the first to apply EMDR therapy to individuals with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Written by the recognized world leader in using EMDR therapy to treat psychoses, the book delivers state-of-the-art research on this topic. It demonstrates how EMDR therapy can be safely used to help individuals with schizophrenia and other psychoses by formulating these disorders within a trauma and dissociation model. The book describes ICoNN (Indicating Cognitions of Negative Networks), an easy-to-use modification to the standard EMDR therapy eight-phase model, and includes actual case studies to illustrate its use. These case studies of patients that have been successfully treated with EMDR therapy serve as valuable templates for clinicians regarding obtaining patient histories, examining mental states, case formulation, and treatment planning. Scripted materials provide additional guidance to therapists working with this client group. The book traces the evolution of the phenomenology of psychoses from Kraepelin's dementia praecox through to Kendler's substantial nosological contribution to the modern phenotype for schizophrenia. Using Kendler's criteria, it aids the clinician in identifying those clients most likely to benefit from EMDR therapy. The book demonstrates how to formulate cases within a trauma model to facilitate the strong therapeutic rapport needed when treating patients with psychoses. It describes the ICoNN model, which provides a semistructured method of formulating and treating complex cases, and underscores its value as a unifying model that facilitates research. Chapters reinforce the theoretical foundations of EMDR therapy through learning objectives and summaries covering historical, phenomenological, and clinical facets of EMDR therapy with psychotic patients. KEY FEATURES: Guides clinicians in the safe, proven use of EMDR therapy to treat psychoses Authored by a recognized world leader in EMDR therapy for treatment of psychoses Describes ICoNN, an easily understood adaptation to the standard 8-phase EMDR therapy model Summarizes the trauma and dissociation literature Provides case examples and scripted materials to guide the therapist

Get the straight facts about mental illness from two Harvard trained psychiatrists. More than 40 million people in the US suffer from mental health problems—yet less than half receive adequate care and treatment. Even in the 21st century with the most advanced medical care in the world, social stigma still surrounds psychiatric problems, and this, combined with a lack of understanding, perpetuates a national mental health crisis affecting those in need and their families. Ignoring and/or being unaware of a problem can have devastating effects in our families and for society at large—many people living with mental illness go untreated, and as a result, people with untreated mental illnesses make up one third of the nation’s homeless population and can be imprisoned. To meet these challenges, Dr. Carlin Barnes and Dr. Marketa Wills have written this necessary and comprehensive, practical guide to educate and help everyone better understand mental health. Each chapter offers insights and wisdom concerning a variety of psychiatric conditions, including: Mood disorders Anxiety disorders Personality disorders Substance abuse issues Eating disorders Women’s mental health issues Suicide in America Geriatric mental health Professional athletes and mental health And more Armed with this knowledge, you and your loved one can better appreciate the real struggles at hand, and as a result, seek the proper care needed.