The Complete Guide to Psychiatric Drugs: Straight Talk for Best Results

by Edward H. Drummond

Overview

TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH


Both easy to use and highly informative, The Complete Guide to Psychiatric Drugs is an indispensable reference for both patients and professionals. Now in a revised and expanded edition, this up-to-date handbook supplies current information on the newest and most commonly used psychiatric drugs as well as the latest details regarding side effects, dosages, and precautions.

Drawing upon his years of experience helping patients understand their illnesses and take charge of their treatments, top expert Dr. Edward Drummond covers vital topics that include:
* Is medication for you?
* What to discuss with your doctor before starting medication
* Do psychiatric drugs pose extra risks for you?
* How to start, monitor, and stop your medication
* Psychiatric syndromes and their treatment

The book also explores non-drug therapies such as dietary treatments, exercise, relaxation techniques, meditation, and self-hypnosis as well as information on how to combine drug, non-drug, and alternative therapies for maximum benefit.

The Complete Guide to Psychiatric Drugs: Straight Talk for Best Results, Revised and Expanded Edition gives you the facts so you can get better, with straight talk on the best new treatments for:
* Anxiety
* Panic Attacks
* Agoraphobia and Phobias
* Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
* Generalized Anxiety Disorder
* Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
* Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
* Bipolar Disorder and Mood Swings
* Depression
* Asperger's Syndrome
* Autism
* Pervasive Developmental Disorder
* Drug Dependence
* Anorexia
* Bulimia
* Binge-Eating Disorder
* Insomnia
* Acute Psychosis
* Schizophrenia
* Schizoaffective Disorder
* Delusional Disorder
* Alzheimer's Disease

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471750628
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	06/01/2006
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	6.18(w) x 9.31(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

EDWARD DRUMMOND, M.D., received his medical education at Tufts University and was trained in psychiatry at Harvard University. Dr. Drummond is the Associate Medical Director at Seacoast Mental Health Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Who Should Read This Book?

PART I: The Myths about Medication.

1. Psychiatric Drugs—Poison or Panacea?

2. The Truth about the "Accurate Diagnosis".

PART II: Is Medication for You?

3. What to Discuss with Your Doctor before You Start Medication.

4. People for Whom Psychiatric Drugs Pose Extra Risk.

5. Alternative Treatments for Psychiatric Problems.

PART III: Psychiatric Syndromes and Their Treatment.

6. Anxiety: Panic Attacks, Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

7. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

8. Bipolar Disorder and Mood Swings.

9. Depression.

10. Developmental Disorders: Asperger’s, Autism, Rett’s, Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

11. Drug Dependence.

12. Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge-Eating Disorder.

13. Insomnia.

14. Psychosis: Acute Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Delusional Disorder.

15. Alzheimer’s Disease.

PART IV: How to Use Medications.

16. How to Start, Monitor, and Stop Your Medication.

17. The Medications.

18. Alternative Remedies.

19. Managing Side Effects.

Appendix A: The Biology of the Brain and How Medications Work.

Appendix B: Sources of Information about Psychiatric Disorders and Treatments.

Notes.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

Arms general readers with information needed to understand treatment options for psychiatric problems and make informed decisions about drug therapies. Explains what is known about causes and cures of psychiatric disorders, describes the full range of medications, and provides guidelines for using medications safely. Also explores dietary treatments, exercise, relaxation techniques, meditation, and other non-drug therapies, and explains how to combine drug, non-drug, and alternative therapies. Drummond is associate medical director at Seacoast Mental Health Center. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

A clear-eyed view of psychiatric disorders and how drugs may help, Drummond's guide recognizes both the complexity of the subject and medicine's inadequate understanding of the underlying physiology. Psychiatrist Drummond points out at the start that psychiatric problems are not like other medical problems. First, there is so much unknown about causes and treatments (even the mechanisms of some treatments considered standard are not fully understood); and second, people vary infinitely both in their psyches and in their responses to treatments. Above all, considering the level of distress that is present before most people even seek out a psychiatrist, it is almost impossible to act as an informed patient. "Trying to manage their distress, talk to a doctor they've never met before about intimate details of their lives, understand what the doctor is saying about their problems, learn about the different treatment options, and decide between different medicines that are completely unknown is extremely difficult." Drummond never oversimplifies here, first considering "The Myths about Medication" (media reporting on psychiatric issues is notoriously unreliable). Part II ("Is Medication for You") makes clear the complexity of this decision and offers guidelines for the process. Part III describes the various psychiatric syndromes and their treatment, and Part IV offers a detailed, alphabetically arranged guide to the medications (including alternative remedies). What we don't know, what we do know, and how best to proceed—an invaluable guide for those in a supremely difficult spot.

Kirkus Reviews