Are hallucinations and delusions really symptoms of an illness called ‘schizophrenia’? This second edition of Models of Madness challenges those who hold to simplistic, pessimistic and often damaging theories and treatments of madness. In particular, it challenges beliefs that madness can be explained without reference to social causes and the excessive preoccupation with chemical imbalances and genetic predispositions as causes of human misery. This edition updates the now extensive body of research showing that these phenomena are best understood as reactions to adverse life events.
Key Features
- Critiques contemporary biological psychiatry and the influence of drug companies.
- Summarises research indicating that hallucinations and delusions are primarily caused by adverse life events.
- Explores effective psychological and social approaches to treatment.
- Includes a new final chapter discussing the ideologies dominating mental health and how to change them.
Additional Information
This edition highlights that psychological and social approaches to helping are more effective and far safer than psychiatric drugs and electroshock treatment. It is divided into three sections: Section One provides a history of madness, including examples of violence against the ‘mentally ill’; Section Two summarises the causes of hallucinations and delusions; and Section Three presents evidence for various effective treatment approaches.
Specifications
- Title: Models of Madness
- Edition: Second Edition
