Doctoring the Mind

Richard P. Bentall is professor of clinical psychology at the University of Bangor in Wales. He has held chairs in clinical psychology at the universities of Liverpool and Manchester. Known internationally for his research into the causes and treatment of severe mental illness, he is also the author of the award-winning book Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature.

List of IllustrationsList of Figures AcknowledgementsPreface: Rational Antipsychiatry Part One: An Illusion of Progress1 A Smashing Success? 2 The Appliance of Science: The Emergence of Psychiatry as a Medical Discipline 3 Therapeutic Innovation at the End of the Asylum Era 4 Dissent and Resolution: The Triumph of Biological Psychiatry Part Two: Three Myths about Mental Illness5 People or Plants? The Myth that Psychiatric Diagnoses are Meaningful 6 The Fundamental Error of Psychiatry: The Myth that Psychiatric Disorders are Genetic Diseases7 Brains, Minds and Psychosis: The Myth that Mental Illnesses are Brain Diseases Part Three: Medicine for Madness8 Science, Pro?t and Politics in the Conduct of Clinical Trials 9 Less is Probably Better: The Bene?ts and Costs of Antipsychotics10 The Virtue of Kindness: Is Psychotherapy Effective for Severe Mental Illness? 11 What Kind of Psychiatry Do You Want? Notes Index

"For those disposed to Bentall's point of view, I believe this book is important because it deals carefully with the evidence...They may or may not end up agreeing with it, but they should be aware of the position it advocates." -PsycCRITIQUES "In this cogent, convincing and compassionate book, Bentall argues for a new approach to severe mental illness, one which, rather than labelling patients as having 'irrecoverable' conditions manageable only by long term drug regimes, instead advocates the sparing, short-term and episodic use of antipsychotic drugs in conjunction with cognitive and behavioural therapy (though not with psychoanalysis, which Bentall views as unhelpful)." -The Telegraph "This controversial book makes an important contribution to the broader health-care debate regarding mental health and the role of the pharmaceutical industry." -Publisher's Weekly "Bentall's call for using only evidence-based treatment, and for allowing patients to play a pivotal role in their own recovery, is right on target... An important read for anyone interested in reforming mental health care so as to help people with mental illness recover and find their place in the home community." -Timothy Kelly,former Commissioner of Virginia's Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services "Bentall raises important questions about whether current therapies for psychological problems are effective--and whether the patient is being well served. His critique of psychiatric care is balanced, insightful, and challenging." -CHOICE "Doctoring the Mind paints a stark picture of a mental health system riddled with corruption and incompetence, in which shrinks live it up on pharmaceutical company cash while patients are disrespected, dehumanised and drugged to the eyeballs." -The Times "Bentall's are revolutionary ideas, aimed at a profession in thrall to the products of the collective of companies known as Big Pharma." -The Sunday Times "This is a provocative but an engaging book that argues that the impact of 'modern medicines' in reducing the burden of mental illness, most particularly schizophrenia and other psychoses, has been exagerated by advocates of biological psychiatry and the potential role of psychological therapies underutilised... The book is scholoarly and well researched yet readable."-Phillipa Hay,Metascience "A thoughtful, provocative book... As we strive to rethink the nature of serious mental illnesses from the bottom up, Bentall brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, tempered by a rare and genuine sense of humility in the face of this daunting task. His thinking on the subject will be of interest and benefit to graduate students, health professionals, and service user and family groups alike." -Larry Davidson,Director, Program for Recovery and Community Health, School of Medicine and Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University "Doctoring the Mind is a very accessible and well-organized book, but what makes it most engaging is the glimpse inside the world of mental illness that Bentall's patient stories provide." -Scientific American Mind Magazine "Doctoring the Mind is a very accessible and well-organized book, but what makes it most engaging is the glimpse inside the world of mental illness that Bentall's patient stories provide. His accounts illustrate the point that a conventional approach often leaves doctors stumbling blindly in the dark." -Scientific American "Psychoanalysis was popularly called the talking cure, but a better name is the listening one, because to be listened to properly inspires, or can inspire, hope. As Bentall starkly says: 'Without hope, the struggle for survival seems pointless.' At a time when dialogue in the presence of other human beings is becoming less and less available, this brave book gives a sense of why this could be disastrous." -The Observer "This controversial book makes an important contribution to the broader health-care debate regarding mental health and the role of the pharmaceutical industry." -Publishers Weekly