Dr. Gary Small and his wife, Gigi Vorgan, are the co-authors of "The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head," a compilation of Dr. Small's "most bizarre cases" culled from his thirty years as a psychiatrist and researcher. He is a professor at UCLA and the director of the university's Memory and Aging Center. "The Naked Lady" is written in chronological order, from 1979 until 2008. Along with unusual and sometimes heartbreaking accounts of men and women in distress, Small shares entertaining reminiscences about his work, friendships, and family life. Small hopes to "demystify the treatment of mental illness," so that the sixty million adults who suffer from psychiatric disorders will have the courage to seek the help that they need.
As a twenty-seven year old psychiatric trainee at Harvard, Small was thrust into "a whirlwind of clinical experiences." Over the years, he would deal with borderline psychotics, manic-depressives, sociopaths, agoraphobics, obsessive-compulsives, and people whose psychological symptoms stemmed from a physical disorder. In many cases, dysfunctional family dynamics played a large role in damaging people's psyches. Although he does use a bit of jargon, Dr. Small explains any technical terms clearly for the layperson, and he lightens the mood occasionally with passages of wry humor.
Small focuses on the mind-body relationship. A mental imbalance can affect a person's physical health and a physical problem can unbalance the mind. Therefore, his approach has been to use "an eclectic psychiatric style," in which he treats patients with psychotherapy, medication, or both. "The Naked Lady" is breezy, fast-paced, attention-grabbing, and always enlightening. Sherlock Holmes would appreciate the sleuthing that goes into finding out why a man has a recurring dream that he is Pinocchio, why a woman undresses and stands on her head, why a twenty-two year old student suddenly loses his vision, and why someone insists that his healthy left hand should be amputated. The re-enactments of the unusual case histories are vivid and engrossing; they provide a window into the minds of ordinary people whose lives have taken an extraordinary turn. Thanks to Dr. Small's compassion, hard work, tenacity, and insight, he has made a positive difference in the lives of many individuals in distress.
In a sad and touching coda, Dr. Small describes the decline of his brilliant and beloved mentor, a giant in the field whom Small had always turned to for guidance and support. Although psychiatrists can do wonders, they are not magicians; not every illness can be cured. This entertaining work of non-fiction will appeal to those who are interested in how psychiatry continues to evolve as a result of cutting-edge technology, innovative treatments, and more effective drug therapy. With all of the progress that is being made, however, it is important to remember that psychiatry is still as much an art as it is a science.
