The Complete Guide to Mental Health for Women

by Lauren Slater (Editor), Amy Banks (Editor), Jessica Henderson Daniel (Editor)

Overview

As women, we know how important it is to take charge of our health care-to be informed and proactive. But too often we forget that our mental wellness is an integral part of our overall health. The Complete Guide to Mental Health for Women is the definitive resource for women looking for answers to their mental health questions, whether those questions concern a disorder like depression or adjusting to major life changes like motherhood or divorce.

Drawing on the latest thinking in psychiatry and psychology, written for women of diverse backgrounds, The Complete Guide to Mental Health for Women begins with Part One, the life cycle, helping women understand the major issues and biological changes associated with young adulthood, middle age, and old age. Specific entries address the psychological importance of women's sexuality, relationships, motherhood, childlessness, trauma, and illness and discuss how social contexts, such as poverty and racism, inevitably affect mental health.

Part Two explores specific mental disorders, including those, like postpartum depression, related to times when women are particularly vulnerable to mental illness. Part Three takes a closer look at biological treatments-including the use of antidepressants, and various types of psychotherapy-from cognitive behavioral treatments to EMDR and beyond. The Complete Guide to Mental Health for Women ends with a section on life enhancements-because the activities that help us live fuller, more vital lives are also essential to our mental health.

The Complete Guide to Mental Health for Women
* Draws on the knowledge and practical experience of more than fifty psychologists and psychiatrists
* Helps women think through the psychological challenges inherent in the life cycle, from young adulthood through old age
* Focuses on key life issues, from sexuality and relationships to trauma and racism
* Provides important information on mental disorders, their biological treatments, and psychotherapeutic interventions
* Includes a comprehensive list of psychotropic medications, targeted reading suggestions, crucial online resources, and support groups

The Complete Guide to Mental Health for Women covers what every woman should know about:
* Aging. What should I expect from menopause? What do I need to know about the benefits and risks of hormone therapy?
* Pregnancy. How will becoming a mother change me? How do I overcome postpartum depression?
* Childlessness. What if I don't want to be a mother?
* Sexuality. Is a "female Viagra" the solution to women's sexual complaints? How does societal ambivalence about women's sexuality affect me?
* Body Image and Eating Disorders. Are all eating disorders a reaction to societal pressures to be thin?
* Polypharmacy. Why are some patients prescribed more than one type of psychotropic drug? Is this overmedicating?
* Finding a Psychotherapist. How do I know if a therapist is right for me? And how do I know what type of therapy I need?
* Anger. Why is it the most difficult emotion for many women to express?
* EMDR. What exactly is EMDR? Is it a reputable therapy?
* Depression and Anxiety. What do I need to know about psychopharmaceuticals? Does talk therapy help?
* Complementary Treatments for Depression and Anxiety. Does St. John's Wort really work? What else might help?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807029251
Publisher:	Beacon Press
Publication date:	08/15/2003
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	8.28(w) x 10.78(h) x 1.05(d)

About the Author

Lauren Slater, Ed.D., is a psychologist and Knight-Ridder Science Journalist Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her writing has appeared in The Best American Science Writing 2002, and she is the author of numerous books, including Prozac Diary and Welcome to My Country.

Jessica Henderson Daniel, Ph.D., ABPP, is director of training in psychology at Children's Hospital, Boston, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and past president of the Society for the Psychology of Women in the American Psychological Association.

Amy Elizabeth Banks, M.D., is Medical Director for Mental Health at the Fenway Community Health Center, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and a faculty member at the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	vii
Part 1	Psychology and the Life Cycle
	Life Stages
	Late Adolescence and Early Adulthood	1
	Pregnancy as a Life Passage	6
	Living with Infertility	10
	Becoming a Mother	18
	Adoption	31
	Choosing Childlessness	40
	Issues for Women in Middle Age	48
	The Fires of Menopause	51
	Older Adulthood	56
	A Guide to Grief and Bereavement	65
	Life Issues: Sexuality
	How Do We Define Sexual Health for Women?	74
	Female Sexuality	82
	Life Issues: Relationships
	Growth in Connection	92
	Women of Color and Relationships	100
	Intimate Relationships	104
	Adjusting to Divorce	121
	Anger	127
	Life Issues: Traumatic Experience
	Women and Trauma	134
	Domestic Violence	144
	Sexual Abuse and Rape	154
	Child Abuse, Neglect, and Maltreatment	164
	Terrorism	173
	The Impact of Chronic and Debilitating Illnesses on Women's Mental Health	177
	Social Contexts for Mental Health
	Poverty and Women's Mental Health	185
	Racism and Mental Health	190
Part 2	Mental Disorders
	Disorders across the Life Cycle
	Anxiety Disorders	197
	Depressive Disorders	204
	Bipolar Disorder	211
	Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder	214
	Body Image	221
	Eating Disorders and Disconnections	228
	Women and Addictions	238
	Schizophrenia	250
	Disorders Relating to the Life Cycle
	Marriage and Motherhood	253
	Postpartum Depression	260
	Menopause and Psychiatric Illness	266
	Aging and Its Effects on Mood, Memory, the Brain, and Hormones	270
Part 3	Getting Help
	Table: Psychotropic Medications	276
	Biological Treatments
	Antidepressants	277
	Antianxiety Medications	281
	Mood Stabilizers	283
	Antipsychotic Medications	287
	Polypharmacy	291
	Medications in Pregnancy	295
	Complementary Treatments for Depression and Anxiety	300
	Psychotherapeutic Treatments
	Cognitive Behavioral Therapy	307
	Dialectical Behavior Therapy	314
	Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)	322
	Insight-Oriented Psychotherapy	327
	Group Psychotherapy with Women	333
	Mechanics of Treatment
	How to Find and Choose a Therapist	340
	What to Expect from Ethical Psychotherapy	344
	Questions to Ask a Psychiatrist	355
Part 4	Life Enhancements
	The Importance of Exercise and Physical Activity for Women	363
	Stress Management for Women	369
	Play	375
	Women and Spirituality	379
	Suggested Reading	383
	Contributors	389
	Index	393

Editorial Reviews

This timely book presents a broad range of information related to mental health from a woman's point of view. For far too long, psychiatry used male" as the norm, presenting women as "less than." With friendly, well-informed, voices, it helps to rectify that bias. This excellent volume is a welcome resource for women. "—Alvin F. Poussaint, M.D., author of Lay My Burden Down: Unraveling Suicide and the Mental Health Crisis among African-Americans

From the Publisher

Written for lay readers, this four-part guide addresses mental health issues that pertain to women, from aging and depression to pregnancy and trauma. In Part 1, editor Slater (Prozac Diary) and professors Jessica Henderson Daniel and Amy Banks (both Harvard Medical Sch.) offer a helpful overview on "Psychology and the Life Cycle," which explains the main issues and biological changes of young adulthood, middle age, and old age. In Part 2, more than 50 psychiatrists and psychologists contribute adequate mainstream introductions to the aforementioned topics with good See Also references. Then in Part 3, readers learn about the full range of psychotherapeutic therapies (e.g., EDMR, antidepressants, and psychotherapy), before a closing discussion on "life enhancers" such as exercise. The bibliography is sparse and somewhat eccentric. As the only recent reference that covers both the female life cycle and specific mental disorders, this book is recommended as a starting point for patrons and especially for small libraries that can't afford to purchase the many books that deal in greater depth with the specific issues covered here.-Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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