Tag: stress & anxiety

When a new mother becomes manic overnight from a rare form of bipolar disorder, she stops at nothing to find the mental stability she needs to stay alive. After the birth of her baby triggers a manic maelstrom, Dyane Harwood struggles to survive the bewildering highs and crippling lows of her brain’s turmoil. Birth of a New Brain vividly depicts her postpartum bipolar disorder, an unusual type of bipolar disorder and postpartum mood and anxiety disorder. During her childhood, Harwood grew up close to her father, a brilliant violinist in the Los Angeles Philharmonic who had bipolar disorder. She learned how bipolar disorder could ravage a family, but she never suspected that she’d become mentally ill—until her baby was born. Harwood wondered if mental health would always be out of her reach. From medications to electroconvulsive therapy, from “redwood forest baths” to bibliotherapy, she explored both traditional and unconventional methods of recovery—in-between harrowing psychiatric hospitalizations. Harwood reveals how she ultimately achieved a stable mood. She discovered that despite having a chronic mood disorder, a new, richer life is possible. Birth of a New Brain is the chronicle of one mother’s perseverance, offering hope and grounded advice for those battling mental illness.

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Outsider musicians can be the product of damaged DNA, alien abduction, drug fry, demonic possession, or simply sheer obliviousness. This book profiles dozens of outsider musicians, both prominent and obscure—figures such as The Shaggs, Syd Barrett, Tiny Tim, Jandek, Captain Beefheart, Daniel Johnston, Harry Partch, and The Legendary Stardust Cowboy—and presents their strange life stories along with photographs, interviews, cartoons, and discographies. About the only things these self-taught artists have in common are an utter lack of conventional tunefulness and an overabundance of earnestness and passion. But, believe it or not, they’re worth listening to, often outmatching all contenders for inventiveness and originality. A CD featuring songs by artists profiled in the book is also available.

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“Bravo to Dr. Sydney Walker. He has written a masterful book for current and prospective mental health consumers. Before filling a prescription for Prozac or Ritalin, make sure you get A Dose of Sanity.”–Charles B. Inlander President, People’s Medical Society Has your child been labeled hyperactive? Has your parent been diagnosed with senile dementia? Did your doctor prescribe Prozac for your so-called depression? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need A Dose of Sanity. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans who are actually suffering from common medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, Lyme disease, and even poor nutrition are misdiagnosed with psychiatric disorders. Studies show that the rate of misdiagnosis is more than 4 in 10. In this powerful book, practicing psychiatrist Dr. Sydney Walker explains why psychiatric misdiagnosis is so common. More importantly, he helps you and those you love avoid the misdiagnosis trap. Dr. Walker’s unique 24-Hour-Day Profile lets you track physical and emotional changes over the course of a day to give your physician valuable clues to what your symptoms really mean.

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In the recent literature, the most influential case study books in neuropsychology are in the adult realm. Pediatric neuropsychology is a rapidly developing field with increasingly greater influence in the assessment, diagnosis, early identification, and treatment of childhood illnesses. This book will provide the first centralized, comprehensive resource for case studies in pediatric neuropsychology. Not only will this supply a valuable compilation for the growing numbers of professionals in this field, but will also serve as an innovative and appealing resource for therapists, teachers, and others interested in child development. This book will be structured in such a way that readers can easily access individual cases of interest, as well as related areas of dysfunction. Section breakdowns will be provided in order to highlight the combined focus of case presentations in acquired neuropsychological dysfunction as well as developmental disorders. Each section will begin with an introductory chapter, highlighting the salient feature of the concept and providing brief, up to date reviews of the current research and theories. Within each global section, individual case studies will serve as stand-alone chapters. Contributing authors will be provided extensive guidance and coaching with regards to the standard format and information to be included in each chapter. The first section of this book will present cases involving neurological disorders. The intention of this section is to provide not only “classic” examples of neurological dysfunction in children, but also to provide interesting cases of unique or remarkable presentations. The second section will present an accumulation of cases representing both common and progressive conceptualizations of developmental disabilities. Section three has been designed to highlight cases which often present complex issues to neuropsychologists. The case examples in this section will highlight the use of alternative treatments, pathologies that are often a source of inquiry, and situations that lack the more rigorous scientific data often utilized in other diagnostic procedures. Additionally, this section may include chapters on common differential diagnosis dilemmas in clinical practice. Often multifaceted and even contradictory evidence can arise during evaluations, resulting in complex or problematic situations for the clinician. Such examples are difficult, by their nature, to forecast, but rather would be added during the book’s development, as they occur.

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