Fifty Signs of Mental Illness: A Guide to Understanding Mental Health

This compelling book introduces a wide range of psychiatric symptoms and their treatments. Written for anyone concerned about his or her own mental health or about symptoms observed in family members or clients, the book is packed with useful and reassuring information. It is both easy to read and difficult to put down. The volume presents fifty signs that may - or may not - signal mental illness. Arranged alphabetically, the signs include everything from anger to sexual preoccupations, from cravings to obsessions. Dr. James W. Hicks, a highly regarded psychiatrist with extensive clinical experience, begins each topic with a vignette to illustrate the symptom. He explains how a specific sign can be caused by several different illnesses and may even be a normal response to stress. And he outlines available treatments as well as strategies for coping with each symptom. Nearly one in three individuals experiences psychiatric symptoms each year. This book clarifies the significance of such signs and guides its readers toward appropriate treatment choices. It is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking a more informed perspective on mental illness. Fifty Signs discusses these and more: antisocial behaviour - anxiety - appetite disturbances - compulsions - deceitfulness - delusions - denial - depression - euphoria - fatigue - flashbacks - grief - hallucinations - identity confusion - intoxication - jealousy - mania - memory loss - mood swings -nonsensical speech - obsessions - panic - paranoia - self-mutilation - sexual preoccupations - sleep problems - sloppiness - suicidal thoughts

About the Author :
James W. Hicks, M.D., is director of clinical services at the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center in New York City. He is also assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University.

Review :
Concrete stories, a wide range of information, helpful advicea most useful book for the general reader.Michael Rowe, Yale School of Medicine -- Michael Rowe Dr. Hicks has done what many doctors are afraid to do: tossed aside the jargon and described in everyday terms what mental illness looks and feels like. This is an important and wonderfully accessible book!Charles Barber, project director, Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health and Author of Songs from the Black Chair: A Memoir of Mental Interiors -- Charles Barber "Concrete stories, a wide range of information, helpful advice--a most useful book for the general reader."--Michael Rowe, Yale School of Medicine --Michael Rowe "Dr. Hicks has done what many doctors are afraid to do: tossed aside the jargon and described in everyday terms what mental illness looks and feels like. This is an important and wonderfully accessible book!"--Charles Barber, project director, Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health and Author of "Songs from the Black Chair: A Memoir of Mental Interiors" --Charles Barber "Each of us has experienced one or several of the various forms of emotional distress described in this enormously helpful book--and who has not worried about their meaning and sometimes wondered whether, or how, to seek treatment? Finally, here is the book that answers every question lucidly, directly and authoritatively. Dr. Hicks deserves the thanks of every reader, for his remarkable contribution to mental health."-- Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D., author of "Lost In America: A Journey With My Father and ""How We Die "okay to edit for space but has to be cleared with SBN first-- " --Sherwin B. Nuland "The direct address, the concrete examples, and the quality of the writing give a dramatic, page-turning quality to the text."--Michael Rowe, Yale School of Medicine --Michael Rowe "Tackling psychological problems begins when we notice their signs. Dr. James Hicks has used this fact to devise an exceptionally practical guide for anyone struggling with the questions of mental illness."--Anand Pandya, M.D., NYU School of Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center, and NAMI Board of Directors --Anand Pandya " Concrete stories, a wide range of information, helpful advice -- a most useful book for the general reader. " -- Michael Rowe, Yale School of Medicine " Dr. Hicks has done what many doctors are afraid to do: tossed aside the jargon and described in everyday terms what mental illness looks and feels like. This is an important and wonderfully accessible book! " -- Charles Barber, project director, Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health " Dr. Hicks has done what many doctors are afraid to do: tossed aside the jargon and described in everyday terms what mental illness looks and feels like. This is an important and wonderfully accessible book! " -- Charles Barber, project director, Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health and Author of Songs from the Black Chair: A Memoir of Mental Interiors " Each of us has experienced one or several of the various forms of emotional distress described in this enormously helpful book -- and who has not sometimes wondered whether, or how, to seek treatment? Finally, here is the book that answers every question lucidly, directly and authoritatively. Dr. Hicks deserves the thanks of every reader, for his remarkable contribution to mental health. " -- Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D., author of Lost in America: A Journey with My Father and How We Die " Concrete stories, a wide range of information, helpful advice-- a most useful book for the general reader." -- Michael Rowe, Yale School of Medicine " Dr. Hicks has done what many doctors are afraid to do: tossed aside the jargon and described in everyday terms what mental illness looks and feels like. This is an important and wonderfully accessible book!" -- Charles Barber, project director, Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health and Author of "Songs from the Black Chair: A Memoir of Mental Interiors" " Each of us has experienced one or several of the various forms of emotional distress described in this enormously helpful book-- and who has not sometimes wondered whether, or how, to seek treatment? Finally, here is the book that answers every question lucidly, directly and authoritatively. Dr. Hicks deserves the thanks of every reader, for his remarkable contribution to mental health." -- Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D., author of" Lost in America: A Journey with My Father "and" How We Die"