Customer Reviews

Delusional Disorder: Paranoia and Related Illnesses (Concepts in Clinical Psychiatry)

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My husband has delusional disorder and I have done a lot of research and reading to better understand his disorder. He fortunately has been seeing a psychiatrist for about a year now, but with no results. After reading this book, I now have some information I can discuss with the psychiatrist to help move forward in the treatment of my husband's disorder. This book is a very good resource for better understanding delusional disorder.

Brilliant description and classification based on an exhaustive review of the literature and a lifetime of personal clinical experience and research is somewhat marred by the author's antidynamic stand along with the really cheap shots he takes at Freud and his tendency to ridicule almost anyone who suggests that we can understand delusions in the light of the patient's conflicts and concerns. Is it really plausible that erotomanic delusions are not related to a patient's sexuality, or that litigious delusions are not rooted in a patient's hostility? Does it seem likely that there is nothing to talk about with a patient who is convinced that her stretch marks will hamper her chances for marriage? To my way of thinking this is an unfortunate dehumanization of patients with a Delusional Disorder. Highly recommended, but mainly for those who are more interested in diagnosing than in treating Delusional Disorder using other than pharmacological methods.

Clearly this is the work on the subject. It is a serious studious reference work. It is worth working through for anyone who has been touched by someone with this conditon.

Delusional Disorder: Paranoia and Related Illnesses provides the most complete information on delusional disorder that I've found. As Dr. Munro states, this type of mental illness is probably not as rare as statistics show because the mentally ill persons don't show up in psychiatrists' offices to be counted; they don't believe anything is wrong with them so don't seek psychiatric help. But the people dealing with and living with them know something has happened to their minds. Dr. Munro provides insight into what that might be. When he commented about the delusions being "encapsulated," I found myself thinking "bingo!"

Dr. Munro gives us a history of the psychiatric understanding of this mental illness in an interesting, non-technical manner. He also writes about treatment. He provides no cure because presently there is none. But as I read his book, I gained insight and with that came some hope. I highly recommend this book.