Reddy, Ravinder D., MD

Understanding Schizophrenia: A Practical Guide for Patients, Families, and Health Care Professionals Reddy, Ravinder D., MD

Commendation Quotes: "For persons suffering from schizophrenia, knowledge of the disease and active participation in treatment are vital to achieve recovery. This book provides the solid groundwork necessary for understanding the many facets of schizophrenia. Complicated but important concepts are explained and made easy to grasp, and the writing is engaging. This guide is a very useful resource that must be read by patients, their families, and the mental health professionals who work with them."Commendation Quotes: "The essential guide to schizophrenia for patients, their families, and care teams. Clear, concise, and thoroughly understandable information about what schizophrenia is, what it means, and what can be done about it. I wish I'd had it by my side years ago!"Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Publisher Marketing: Schizophrenia is a devastating illness that affects more than two million Americans. Written to help anyone who is faced with managing schizophrenia, whether as a patient, friend, or family member, this accessible book is an ideal first stop for practical, up-to-date information. It includes an overview of schizophrenic disorder and provides answers to common questions that arise at different phases of the illness. The brief, to-the-point guide addresses concerns expressed at initial diagnosis, as well as those about the likely course of the illness and its management. Prognosis is covered, as are medication and psychotherapeutic treatments (new and older), side effects and their solutions, neurobiology and causes of the disorder, and coping skills for family members. The work also addresses matters often overlooked at mental health clinics, such as the risk that siblings or offspring will develop schizophrenia, loneliness, positive and negative effects of socialization, and the struggle to cope with negative emotions. The end goal is to help patients and their loved ones understand the psychosis, accept it, minimize stress, and get the best treatment.

Contributor Bio:  Keshavan, Matcheri S Matcheri S. Keshavan is Vice Chair of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massaachusetts, USA.