When Body Speaks Mind (Paperback)

by Berney Goodman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Goodman begins by pointing out the differences in physician-patient relationships in cases of certain psychosomatic manifestations, depending on whether or not the physicians involved are psychiatrists. Doing this, he defines the major benefits that psychiatrists enjoy and the major problems they face. Goodman looks both theoretically and practically at hypochondria, somatization, and the extreme form of somatization known as Munchausen syndrome. The central part of the text consists of six case histories, half with good outcomes and half with bad. They not only give the flavor of psychiatric practice but also show that Goodman can tell stories on himself and is aware that human beings are found on both sides of the doctor's desk--a point some psychiatrists forget. These are not dry accounts, for Goodman relays his own thought processes as well as analyzes those of his patients, and he describes several unusual cases of Munchausen and Munchausen-by-proxy syndromes, a few of them hair-raising. A helpful list of sources ends this informative, thought-provoking book. William Beatty

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (March 23, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874777585
• ISBN-13: 978-0874777581
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,312,920 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plain talk on how the mind affects the body, September 27, 1998

By A Customer

Dr. Goodman, an eminent psychiatrist, has written a very comprehensive and readable book about the many ways--some of them startling--that the mind can affect the body. Dr. Goodman peoples the book with a host of memorable characters, and tells their stories in a non-judgmental manner. His discussion of the bizarre Munchausen's Syndrome is especially well-worth reading, for good education about this incurable and painful process of self-induced sickness. A word of warning: as a person coping with the devastation of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I took issue with the good doctor's assessment that this is a purely psychogenic problem, and related to women's problems in coping with the demands of playing many roles. This is a minor flaw in a very readable and educational book.