( 14 reviews )
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Posted: Aug 18 2008
I work in the mental health field and this book was a Godsend. It is a page-turning thriller of a nonfiction book about the dangers of and alternatives to psychopharmacology. A MUST READ FOR EVERY MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL and layperson who knows somebody on drugs.
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 10 2008
How you feel about the message will boil down to a difference of psychiatric philosophies. The book itself however, suffers from biased writing. In such a matter as important as taking a medication that could save one's life, it's important to acknowledge there is some benefit from neuropharmaceuticals. This book does not do that, which is incredibly irresponsible scientific writing. In fact, self-medication is viewed by the authors as a moral flaw. And all of this is laid out in the first chapter. It is a thesis made up mostly of moral pleas about "dealing with life" (as opposed to medication) more than anything, and the science is bent around it to corroborate. If you're a person dead set against taking psychiatric medicine and want to quit, I suppose you'll find this book useful (at least they tell you to consult with your psychiatrist before going cold turkey). However, if you are looking for a detailed, scientific analysis of how and why psychiatric drugs might pose a medical threat, you'd be better off with a PDR and a dictionary. The doctors here confuse cynicism for skepticism. The book should have been better titled, "Your Drug IS Your Problem," since the authors seemed damned and determined from the get-go that it is.
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Posted: Jul 4 2008
I was in search of literature which would expose the other side of the coin. [(Perscription) drugs or no drugs]For poeple who like to use common sense and aren't afraid to explore other options meaning finding the root of the problem rather than numming the symtomes that it causes - this book provides a different perspective and allows people who have been told they need these perscriptions for the rest of their lives to form their very own opinion either way. In this book you will also learn about which problems you might encounter if you consider comming of these typs of drugs and what possible harm they can cause. It mostly touches on common psycheatric drugs perscribed for anxiety disorders, ADHD and depression in adults as well as children. Other drugs are also talked about but not as much in depth as the above mentioned. The book is written straight forward however I found it a little bit repetative. I found the information provided useful and plausible. I would recommend this book to anybody who feels uncomfortable with the thought to have to take meds. for the rest of their lives and wants to explore alternatives.
