Great for the layman

I flipped through this book extensively at the bookstore, as I am in the process of getting a full diagnosis of my own mental "disorders". This book is an excellent reference tool for either a patient or family/friend of the newly diagnosed. As a layman, I did not find it condescending at all (and I'm easily offended!). It basically covers many (50) of the terms you regularly hear in the "psyciatric world" such as 'compulsions', 'paranoia', etc. It's laid out in alphabetical order, and each definition is several pages long, including examples of what a person with that "sign" might experience.

This book does NOT go into specific disorders or labels, such as bipolar disorder, paranoid personality disorder, etc, other than perhaps mentioning which disorders each sign is most commonly associated with (example: the part on 'delusions' might mention schizophrenia). It also does not cover much for treatment, but new treatments come out so quickly that even the newest publication will be out of date by the time it hits the shelves.

This book is probably too simple for anyone who has been walking down the psyciatric road for a while. Even a new layman will quickly want to move on to a more extensive book after seeing this, and possibly just use this as a reminder reference to keep from confusing different "signs".

Another draw back to actually purchasing this is you can easily find all the same information on the internet.

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A tremendously helpful book

If you are interested in this book, be sure to skip down to all of the reviews. Don't be put off by the two simultaneously posted negative reviews.

If you want more information, go to www.fiftysigns.com where you will find the complete introduction to the book, excerpts from each of the 50 chapters, reviews from The Washington Post, Library Journal and The Baltimore Sun, and a helpful page of mental health links.

The following is from the author's newsletter on his web site: "Nearly everyone has experienced depression, anxiety, stress, trouble sleeping and other symptoms of mental illness. But almost everyone thinks of these as personal failings or existential problems rather than as health issues with potential treatments... But effective treatments exist, and you can feel much better after a simple trip to a doctor or counselor. We should be able to recognize the signs of mental stress in our lives in the same way that we monitor our blood pressure and cholesterol."

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Review of 50 signs of mental illness

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AT ALL. IT IS ONE OF THE WORST BOOKS (IF NOT THE WORST BOOK) ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS I HAVE READ. HE SHOULD JUST STICK WITH TRYING TO TREAT THE MENTALLY ILL AND NOT WRITE ABOUT THEM. YALE UNIVERSITY SHOULD BE EMBARASSED FOR GIVING HICKS HIS "MEDICAL DEGREE".

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