Diagnosis: Schizophrenia
A Comprehensive Resource for Consumers, Families, and Helping Professionals, Second Edition
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- $18.99
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- $18.99
Publisher Description
In this book, thirty-five young, recently diagnosed patients speak about schizophrenia and the process of recovery, while two specialists illuminate the medical science, psychoeducation, and therapeutic needs of those coping with the illness, as well as access to medical benefits and community resources. A remarkably inclusive guide, the volume informs patients, families, friends, and professionals, detailing the possible causes of schizophrenia, medications and side effects, the functioning of the brain, and the value of rehabilitation and other services.
In their dialogues, participants confront shame, stigma, substance use, and relapse issues and the necessity of healthy eating, safe sex practices, and coping skills during recovery. Clinicians elaborate on the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as violent and suicidal thoughts, delusions, hallucinations, memory and concentration problems, trouble getting motivated or organized, and anxiety and mood disorders. Adopting an uplifting tone of manageability, the participants, authors, and clinicians of this volume offer more than advicethey prescribe hope.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shrouded in myth and mystery, distorted by sensationalist films like The Three Faces of Eve and mistakenly confused with multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, the authors argue, is one of the least understood mental disorders in the world. It affects 1% of the U.S. population, and this book, primarily targeted at those with the disease, marks an important entry in the mental health genre, particularly since it is coauthored by a group of 35 patients (from a New York treatment program) and has first-person accounts of diagnosis, delusional states and recovery. Miller and Mason, social workers who specialize in the issue, note that while it's still not clear if there is a cure for schizophrenia, many people can successfully manage the condition through a combination of structured routines, medication and therapy. Readers with short attention spans will be able to handle the short chapters, which offer straightforward, nonjudgmental advice on handling a variety of symptoms. Of particular interest are the sections addressing how much information to give co-workers and employers. The authors assume no prior knowledge or background on the subject, and their book is far easier to understand than the classic title for schizophrenics and their families, E. Fuller Torrey's Surviving Schizophrenia. Illus.
