Diagnosis: Schizophrenia (Paperback)

~ Rachel Miller (Author), Susan Mason (Author) "For some of us schizophrenia came on suddenly and turned our lives inside out overnight..." (more)
Key Phrases: Social Security, Hillside Hospital, Julia Becker (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From 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.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In the United States, one out of every 100 people suffers from schizophrenia, the mental illness that afflicts Nobel prize winner John Nash, the subject of Sylvia Nasar's A Beautiful Mind and the Ron Howard film of the same name. In this atmosphere of heightened awareness, Miller (M.S.W., Hillside Hosp., NY) and Mason (social work, Yeshiva Univ.) present an excellent guide for patients and their families dealing with the onset and long-term effects of schizophrenia. Intermingled with firsthand accounts by 35 patients is jargon-free information by mental health specialists on the initial diagnosis and beginning of treatment, answers to frequently asked questions, the physiology of the brain, a basic explanation of the illness, the state of research on the origins of the disease, dealing with family and friends, coping with side effects and negative symptoms, using drugs and alcohol, getting the services necessary to recover, and today's new generation of antipsychotic medications. The appendixes include state phone numbers for client assistance programs, national mental-health advocacy organizations, and vocational rehabilitation programs, but surprisingly none of the state agencies responsible for mental health services in hundreds of community mental health centers. Still, the heartfelt delivery of these comprehensive and vital data will facilitate a greater understanding of a complex disease. Essential for all public libraries. Dale Farris, Groves, TX
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press; 1 edition (August 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231126255
• ISBN-13: 978-0231126250
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #158,168 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars grounding, hopeful introduction to schizophrenia, August 20, 2006

By	a reader (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

I was looking for books to help my my brother with his newly diagnosed son. After reading two recommended books, which were testaments to survival, but described such horrific experiences, I found this one. The family has been trying to read books and we have just been devastated chapter after chapter. This is a very down-to-earth book. It replaces some of the frightening images of schizophrenia with more hopeful images. The information is clear, presented by professionals with impressive credentials and interspersed by different patients offering their experiences (onset, fears, medication, family response, etc.) It addresses obvious concerns in such a matter-of fact way. I particularly like the emphasis on schizophrenia as a disease that the person has. The person is not a schizophrenic but has schizophrenia. They are still the same person they always were, just with a disease. One of the patients expresses feeling lucky that she has a treatable disease and not some fatal cancer. We can absorb this book, the patients are wonderful. Very helpful, very hopeful. Just what we all need to read at this point in our experience. First review I have written, only because I think this book might be great for many others at the same point in their experience.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good as an introduction to schizophrenia, May 26, 2003

By	Pumpkin King - See all my reviews

This book isn't for people who want in-depth coverage of schizophrenia. It's very conversational, written as a series of interviews, and is meant to introduce people who've been diagnosed with schizophrenia or who have found out that someone they know is schizophrenic, and has no idea what it's all about. As an introdruction to the disease, how it affects people, the medications prescribed, etc., it does a pretty good job of being informative without being scientific, and avoids being dumbed down. But for people who already know about schizophrenia, the contents should be familiar.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for both patients and professionals, December 18, 2005

By	Book maven (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

I read this book a while ago. At the time I was working with a patient with schizophrenia. I shared some of the stories with this patient. The patient and I both were amazed by the similarities between (the patient's) delusions and those of the clients in the book. It helped me to better understand the world of a person with schizophrenia.