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AIDS & People with Severe Mental Illness
Edited by Francine Cournos, M.D. and Nicholas Bakalar
Yale University Press (ISBN: 0-300-06757-7)

This is an excellent resource for mental health professionals looking for a complete and well-edited book addressing this rarely-discussed phenomenon. Divided into three main sections, each chapter is written by a different author. Some authors seem to know their stuff more than others, and naturally the writing quality varies a bit from chapter to chapter because of the different authors. But in general, each chapter is well-written and covers the topic in-depth. The first part of the book (five chapters) discusses the HIV epidemic among individuals who suffer from a serious mental illness, including the medical, psychiatric and neuropsychiatric manifestations of the illness and behaviors of these individuals. Part two considers interventions and assessment strategies, discussing cognitive-behavioral approaches, a drop-in model of helping to reduce risk, chapters on how best to work with individuals who suffer from these problems, and ends with a chapter on different kinds of training programs for staff.

The last part, the smallest of the three, consists of two chapters on AIDS and mental health policy and gives an overview of legal issues in working with these patients. The nine appendices outline the HIV case definition, the epidemiology of AIDS, universal precautions, tuberculosis, the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV, and various HIV tests. Some of these appendices are taken from the CDC Guidelines or are summaries of the guidelines. Overall, the book is an invaluable and readable resources guide for mental health professionals who work with HIV-positive individuals. If your caseload consists of even a handful of people with HIV, you should buy this book. 346 pages, hardcover.
Preview Website - 5-Apr-2000 - Hits: 441 - Rate This | Details

Chipmunka Publishing ^{Top Rated}
This site is for a mental health survivor book publisher. 'The World is Full of Laughter' by Dolly Sen and 'A Can of Madness' by Jason Pegler are examples of titles available here.
Preview Website - 10-Jul-2003 - Hits: 146 - Rate This | Details

Complete Creative Visualization Workbook
The Complete Creative Visualization Workbook is the definitive work on the subject of Creative Visualization. The site offers exercises and articles from the workbook. It is a seven part course in one workbook, easy to follow and offers potentially life-changing results. From The Anfield Institute of Personal Development.
Preview Website - 8-Sep-2004 - Hits: 283 - Rate This | Details

Do One Thing Different ^{Top Rated}
Ten Simple Ways to Change Your Life
By Bill O'Hanlon

You can move quickly from "stuck" to "smooth sailing" in all aspects of your life using Bill O'Hanlon's ten easy Solution Keys, Humorous, direct, and effective, they help you change how you view and "do" your problems-from difficult relationships to enhancing sexuality and resolving conflicts of all kinds. The next time you have a problem, try one of these solution Keys: Break Problem Patter: Change any one of what you usually do in the problem situation-i.e. do one thing different! Example: If you usually get angry and defensive, sit quietly and listen.

Find and Use Solution Pattern: Import solutions from other situations where you felt competent. Examples: what do you know on the golf course that you forget when you get behind the wheel of your car? What do you say to resolve a problem with an angry customer that you don't say to your angry partner?

Shift Your Attention: Focus what you would like to have happen rather than on what is happening.

Grounded in therapeutic practice, this bold and funny book will put you back in control of your emotions and your life.
Preview Website - 29-Mar-2005 - Hits: 632 - Rate This | Details

Do One Thing Different: Ten Simple Ways to Change Your Life ^{Top Rated}
The theory behind the title of this book is solution-oriented therapy. Rather than probing the past and analyzing causes and effects of psychological problems and troubles, therapist O'Hanlon advises making changes in behavior in the present in order to feel better sooner rather than later. Using 10 "solution keys," he challenges readers to focus on the here and now and adjust behavior to change the situation. The author uses plenty of examples to show solution-oriented therapy in action. There is something to be said for taking action in times of trouble rather than wallowing in the many negative feelings that arise.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 863 - Rate This | Details

Dr. Weisinger's Anger Work-Out Book ^{Top Rated}
by Hendrie D. Weisinger
William Morrow & Co (ISBN: 0688041140)

My favorite recommended workbook for people who are looking for effective, down-to-Earth strategies for learning to cope with their anger. The approach is hands-on, so be prepared to do some writing and actively put into practice the suggestions and exercises the author outlines in every chapter.

The author explains how anger works in our lives, how it perpetuates, and how to recognize it not only in your own life, but in others as well. Once you begin to recognize the types of things which make you angry ("triggers"), the author provides helpful exercises to find more effective ways of expressing your feelings, controlling, or reducing the anger.

The great thing about this book is that these are all skills you could easily learn in therapy.

Preview Website - 4-May-2000 - Hits: 698 - Rate This | Details

Electroboy: Fighting Mental Illness
"Electroboy" is a book by Andy Behrman and which will be published by Random House in Feb 2002. This site discusses the book, which is devoted to depression, manic depression and electroshock therapy (ECT). There is also a special section on finding the right doctor.
Preview Website - 6-Nov-2001 - Hits: 430 - Rate This | Details

From Poorhouses to Homelessness: Policy Analysis and Mental Health Care
Rochefort updates his classic comprehensive review of mental health policy issues in American society, beginning with early practices that predate the formal "mental health system" and ending with current debates, about parity insurance coverage for mental illnesses, managed care, and Medicaid reform. At the same time, he provides a perspective on mental health policy analysis that draws on diverse work in the policy sciences, looks to both applied and theoretical concerns, and gives full recognition to the distinctive nature of mental health care problems. This new edition will be of enhanced value to policymakers in the mental health field as well as to students of American social welfare policy and public administration in general.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 328 - Rate This | Details

How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness
Kushner, best known for his best-selling When Bad Things Happen to Good People (1985), here deals with an equally vexing topic, overcoming shame and guilt. As in his other books, Rabbi Kushner turns to the Bible to find answers to hard questions, and when it comes to guilt and shame, there is no better place to start than at the beginning, with the story of Adam and Eve.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 479 - Rate This | Details

Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life ^{Top Rated}
Martin Seligman, a renowned psychologist and clinical researcher, has been studying optimists and pessimists for 25 years. Pessimists believe that bad events are their fault, will last a long time, and undermine everything. They feel helpless and may sink into depression, which is epidemic today, especially among youths. Optimists, on the other hand, believe that defeat is a temporary setback or a challenge--it doesn't knock them down. "Pessimism is escapable," asserts Seligman, by learning a new set of cognitive skills that will enable you to take charge, resist depression, and make yourself feel better and accomplish more.

About two-thirds of this book is a psychological discussion of pessimism, optimism, learned helplessness (giving up because you feel unable to change things), explanatory style (how you habitually explain to yourself why events happen), and depression, and how these affect success, health, and quality of life. Seligman supports his points with animal research and human cases. He includes tests for you and your child--whose achievement may be related more to his or her level of optimism/pessimism than ability. The final chapters teach the skills of changing from pessimism to optimism, with worksheet pages to guide you and your child.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 467 - Rate This | Details

Making Peace With Your Past
By integrating scriptural truth and compassionate counseling, H. Norman Wright helps you unload the burden of excess baggage from your childhood, resolve unpleasant past events, and reform your ingrained patterns of behavior. Excellent read for anyone who has to deal with a "toxic" past or childhood.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 172 - Rate This | Details

The Mental Health Technology Bible
by Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D. & Michelle M. Weil, Ph.D.
John Wiley & Sons (ISBN: 0-471-17618-4)

With information covering everything from the hardware (computers, fax machines, etc.) to the software (word processing, office management systems, electronic billing, online, etc.) a mental health practitioner should look into purchasing, this book (in a binder format, but which was recently picked up by a publisher and should be re-published in a nicer format) is a must-buy for the technology neophyte. While only having enough space to talk about most items in general, it does a pretty good job in hitting the major points for each piece of hardware and software reviewed, including important items many other books leave out -- such as cost, how powerful your computer needs to be in order to run certain software and the like. 224 pages, paperback, with a CD-ROM enclosed. Updated and revised for 1997. This books remains a solid and informative guide to helping mental health professionals who are computer novices learn more about technology in an easy-to-understand manner.
Preview Website - 4-May-2000 - Hits: 188 - Rate This | Details

The Origin of Illness: Psychological, Physical and Social ^{Top Rated}
Drawing on 30 years of clinical research, this book asserts that envy is humankind's primary pathology, the root of all ills. Norberto R. Keppe has created a scientific methodology that can help uncover internal corruption. This methodology is effective both for those seeking psychotherapy and for those who want to improve their quality of life. This book supplies the necessary tools to construct the strength, resourcefulness, and resilience needed to become happier, healthier, and more loving human beings.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 228 - Rate This | Details

The Survivor Personality
Why Some People are Stronger, Smarter, and More Skillful at Handling Life's Difficulties... and How You Can Be, Too
by Al Siebert, Ph.D.
Perigee, Berkley Pub Group (ISBN: 0-399-52230-1)

This remains one of the best books I have ever read and it is an appropriate read for anyone. In this updated edition of the book, the author discusses how best to make it through life and cope with all of its myriad of difficulties. While it's focus is on survivor issues, it really can help anyone.

The updated version of this book retains its nineteen chapters, the author covers topics ranging from the importance of flexibility and empathy, to learning how to thrive and manage your own self-healing. Specific chapters deal with surviving emergencies, crises, and natural disasters. He offers useful advice in dealing with negative and angry people, which should be of help to almost anyone who reads this. The book includes specific guidelines for listening to survivors of extreme experiences (helpful for anyone who knows someone who has survived a traumatic experience, including family members and friends), how to cope and survive job loss and the job search process, and much more. The Appendix includes notes and references as well as a recommended reading list.

The author has written a down-to-earth book which is an easy and enjoyable read. Peppered with the occasional graph to help illustrate an example, as well as dozens of stories from people's experiences, it is an excellent "how-to" book in how to become one of life's survivors. Resiliency and flexibility are key issues dealt with throughout this book. Highly recommended. 293 pages, softcover.
Preview Website - 4-May-2000 - Hits: 508 - Rate This | Details

The Winning Against Relapse Program
Mary Ellen Copeland's battle with manic depression, fibromyalgia, and chronic myofascial pain syndrome sent her on a search for ways to manage these conditions. In this audio version of her book, she teaches listeners how to manage symptoms in a way that reduces, modifies, or eliminates the possibility of relapse. Audiobook.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 77 - Rate This | Details

They Say You're Crazy: How the World's Most Powerful Psychiatrists Decide
Psychologist Caplan shows how the American Psychiatric Association's bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, lacks the scientific basis claimed for it. Drawing on her years as an adviser-consultant to various related APA committees, she brings to light the association's lack of interest in outsiders' views and the sloppy design and execution of the research it accepts as authoritative. Caplan cites two diagnostic entities, self-defeating personality disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, not only to demonstrate the association's narrow-mindedness and sloppy scientific manners but also to underline the dangers of labeling individuals or groups with such designations. The APA is aided, wittingly or not, by news media reliance on association news releases and the association's biased use of language, and the problems caused thereby affect women in particular, for APA material is also used for political and social purposes.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 148 - Rate This | Details

What You Need to Know About Psychiatric Drugs
Prepared by a team of nationally respected health professionals, here is the definitive consumer guide to the powerful medications that have revolutionized the treatment of psychological illness, and includes: an alphabetical listing and discussion of the most frequently utilized drugs, cross-referenced to the illness they treat AND their side effects; a review of their effects on special risk groups, such as pregnant women, and the elderly, plus guidelines for finding and evaluating psychiatrists who are knowledgeable in prescribing psychiatric drugs, and much more.
Preview Website - 7-Jan-2003 - Hits: 161 - Rate This | Details