About the Book
At a State facility, where a resident was constantly banging his head, the psychologist used cigars as a reward for the person, he called "Junior" to extinguish this behavior. The resident was called into the room and the psychologist, handing him a cigar, said, "Say hello to the people, junior." And he replied "Hello the people, junior."
A resident, on a field trip to major league ballpark, asked for permission to go to the bathroom. Granting such request, the man unzipped his pants and urinated on the concrete stairs.
Examples such as these permeate this retrospective account of treating mentally ill patients in a public State mental hospital. Told through captivating examples, where, for example, staff feared they had an undercover reporter admitted as a patient, (you'll have to read the book to find out what happened), the author provides real scores of interesting episodes pertaining to caring for the mentally ill.
The events took place during a period of time when mental health treatment lacked reliable interventions resulting in humorous, and sometimes, tragic consequences. Those interested in mental health and mental illness, who enjoy reading memoirs and who are devotees of psychiatry and psychology will be captivated by the events reported here.
About the Author :
Robert J. Craig Ph.D., ABPP, is a licensed and Board Certified Clinical psychologist who attained Fellow status in the American Psychological Association and in the Society for Personality Assessment, where he was the recipient of the Martin Mayman award for "distinguished contributions to the literature of personality assessment." He has published ten academic books, contributed over one hundred scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and served as Consulting Editor to the Journal of Personality Assessment as well as to journals in Psychology, Psychiatry and Substance Abuse. He served as the Director of the Drug Abuse Treatment Program at the VA Medical Center (Chicago) and worked for eight years at a State public mental hospital. He has taught doctoral students (part-time) for forty years and has chaired and presented at multiple workshops and symposia.
Review :
"State of Mind is a must-read for individuals interested in the mental health field, students and experienced clinicians." -Mark J. Zerwic, Ph.D., Chief, Psychology Section, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center "An intriguing read not just for students and professionals in the mental health field, but anyone seeking to understand the plight of the mentally distressed." -Seth Grossman, Psy.D., Cooper City, FL "This is a candid and engaging first-hand account of a noted psychologist's eight years at a state psychiatric hospital. It is full of interesting case vignettes and stories, some amusing, some chilling, some dark, some instructive. These come from diverse settings and populations, and are brought into context with digressions into the professional, administrative, and legal standards as these applied at the time." -Dave Nichols Ph.D. Portland, Oregon "This book documents the experiences of a young psychologist as he earns his Ph.D. in psychology and gains experience in treating the mentally ill in a public institution. The different patient and staff personalities, situations, and politics of mental health care all lead to an informative and enjoyable read from a man who loved his profession and had a successful and rewarding career." -Bernard A. Bonkalski R.Ph. Hayward, Wisconsin "The author has crafted an engaging and very captivating book that recounts the history of state mental health hospitals during the middle of the 20th century through a series of entertaining stories and vignettes. The content will have great appeal for both mental health professionals as well as the general public interested in the history and culture of state mental health hospitals, the professional development of an outstanding psychologist, and the pivotal role played by state mental health hospitals in the treatment of the mentally ill. I enjoyed it immensely." -Robert P. Archer, Ph.D., ABPP Frank Harrell Redwood Distinguished Professor, Eastern Virginia Medical School "This book was a delight to read. This is a true and personal history of the mental health system during those years. It certainly brought back memories for me since I, too, trained in that era. I believe that knowing our history is valuable in order to appreciate where the system is now and how it got there. Thank you for asking me to read it." -Catherine Cooper Ph.D. Carol Stream, IL "Not many mental health professionals provide memoirs about their time and service in working in a mental health facility. Bob Craig has provided a very unique description of his early experiences as he progressed from a psychology intern and into his career as a staff member and later a department head at an inpatient psychiatric facility. Clear and informative descriptions and insights are provided in this process. The reader will find the experiences described as providing a very unique and informative perspective of mental health treatment during this time." -James N. Butcher, PhD Minneapolis, MN "An intriguing read not just for students and professionals in the mental health field, but anyone seeking to understand the plight of the mentally distressed. Dr. Craig's personal account of his extensive professional experience in a state hospital, in a time when it was the accepted standard of care, lifts a shroud of secrecy and mystery. Particularly poignant in his account are his reflections on interactions between staff and patients; he also brings to light the struggles of professionals to maintain ethical care, often a controversial enterprise in the world of greys typical in this line of work. A worthy history lesson that will have you reflecting on many questions of humanity and humane treatment." -Seth Grossman, Psy.D. Cooper City, FL
