Why Physicians Die By Suicide

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Why Physicians Die by Suicide

Author : Michael F Myers MD
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780692831878
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (318 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Physicians Die by Suicide by : Michael F Myers MD

Download or read book Why Physicians Die by Suicide written by Michael F Myers MD and published by . This book was released on 2017-02-14 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physicians are known to be a group of professionals who are at risk of taking their own lives. In this easy-to-read book, Dr. Michael Myers, a psychiatrist and specialist in physician health, attempts to explain the mystery of why some doctors, despite their calling and the adoration of their families, patients, students and colleagues, perish by suicide. He combines the powerful and gripping insights of dozens of bereaved people whom he interviewed for this project with disguised stories from his decades long clinical practice to shed some light on this national tragedy. The stigma attached to mental illness in doctors is ubiquitous and pernicious - and, because untreated illness is one of the major drivers to suicide, Dr. Myers argues that stigma must be fought with urgency and might. He makes across-the-board recommendations in an effort to prevent suicide in physicians and concludes that everyone has a role to play in saving a doctor's life. This is a book about heartbreak, loss, prevailing, growth, passion and hope. It's a book for doctors themselves, their families, those who train them, those who treat them and those who care about them.

Why People Die by Suicide

Author : Thomas Joiner
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674970616
Total Pages : 207 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (749 download)

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Book Synopsis Why People Die by Suicide by : Thomas Joiner

Download or read book Why People Die by Suicide written by Thomas Joiner and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-01 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the wake of a suicide, the most troubling questions are invariably the most difficult to answer: How could we have known? What could we have done? And always, unremittingly: Why? Written by a clinical psychologist whose own life has been touched by suicide, this book offers the clearest account ever given of why some people choose to die. Drawing on extensive clinical and epidemiological evidence, as well as personal experience, Thomas Joiner brings a comprehensive understanding to seemingly incomprehensible behavior. Among the many people who have considered, attempted, or died by suicide, he finds three factors that mark those most at risk of death: the feeling of being a burden on loved ones; the sense of isolation; and, chillingly, the learned ability to hurt oneself. Joiner tests his theory against diverse facts taken from clinical anecdotes, history, literature, popular culture, anthropology, epidemiology, genetics, and neurobiology--facts about suicide rates among men and women; white and African-American men; anorexics, athletes, prostitutes, and physicians; members of cults, sports fans, and citizens of nations in crisis. The result is the most coherent and persuasive explanation ever given of why and how people overcome life's strongest instinct, self-preservation. Joiner's is a work that makes sense of the bewildering array of statistics and stories surrounding suicidal behavior; at the same time, it offers insight, guidance, and essential information to clinicians, scientists, and health practitioners, and to anyone whose life has been affected by suicide.

Physician Suicide

Author : Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, M.D.
Publisher : American Psychiatric Pub
ISBN 13 : 1615371699
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (153 download)

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Book Synopsis Physician Suicide by : Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, M.D.

Download or read book Physician Suicide written by Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, M.D. and published by American Psychiatric Pub. This book was released on 2018-06-25 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book examines how the related disorders of burnout, anxiety, depression, and addiction, can lead to suicide and explores the influence of gender, culture, aging, and personal resilience on outcomes. In addition, it investigates ways to mitigate the impact of these factors to improve physician health and well-being.

Physician Suicide Letters Answered

Author : Pamela Wible M D
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780985710323
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Physician Suicide Letters Answered by : Pamela Wible M D

Download or read book Physician Suicide Letters Answered written by Pamela Wible M D and published by . This book was released on 2016-01-11 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Physician Suicide Letters-Answered, Dr. Wible exposes the pervasive and largely hidden medical culture of bullying, hazing, and abuse that claims the lives of countless medical students, doctors, and patients. Now-for the first time released to the public-here are private letters and last words from our doctors who could no longer bear the pain of an abusive medical system. What you don't know about medical training and culture can kill you. Dr. Wible takes you behind the white coat and into the mind, heart, and soul of our doctors-and provides answers.

Depression, Burnout and Suicide in Physicians

Author : Luigi Grassi
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030847853
Total Pages : 185 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (38 download)

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Book Synopsis Depression, Burnout and Suicide in Physicians by : Luigi Grassi

Download or read book Depression, Burnout and Suicide in Physicians written by Luigi Grassi and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-11-30 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a reference and contextual basis for depression, burnout and suicide among oncology and other medical professionals. Oncology as a medical subspecialty is at a unique apex of this crisis. While the same pressures in medicine certainly apply to oncologists, oncology is particularly stressful as a changing field with diverse patient and societal expectations for outcomes. In addition to experiencing the stress of caring for patients that could succumb to their cancer diagnoses, these professionals are regularly confronted with an onslaught of new medical information and a landscape that is changing at a breakneck pace. These are just a few factors involved in the increasing rates of burnout among oncologists as well as other medcial professionals. By addressing a gap in identifying mental health problems among health care professionals, this book sheds light on mental health problems and suicide among physicians. Importantly, this book is a call to action of the professional and administrative organizations to work on improving mental health of physicians. Anxiety and depression affect not only the individual doctor but also patient care. Given the increasing attention to these issues along with limited yet applicable data regarding how to address these issues, the text aims to bring the latest data face to face with consensus opinion and can be used to ultimately enhance oncologic and psychiatric practices. Written by experts in the field, Depression, Burnout and Suicide in Physicians: Insights from Oncology and Other Medical Professions aims to significantly increase awareness and contribute to understanding the necessity of preventive measures on individual, family, and care givers levels.

Physician-Assisted Suicide

Author : Robert F. Weir
Publisher : Indiana University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780253112910
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (129 download)

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Book Synopsis Physician-Assisted Suicide by : Robert F. Weir

Download or read book Physician-Assisted Suicide written by Robert F. Weir and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 1997-05-22 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The book is extremely well balanced: in each section there is usually an argument for and against the positions raised. It is a useful and well-thought-out text. It will make people think and discuss the problems raised, which I think is the editor's main purpose." -- Journal of Medical Ethics "... a volume that is to be commended for the clarity of its contributions, and for the depth it gains from its narrow focus. In places, this is a deeply moving, as well as closely argued, book." -- Times Literary Supplement "This work is an excellent historical and philosophical resource on a very difficult subject." -- Choice "This collection of well-written and carefully argued essays should be interesting, illuminating, and thought provoking for students, clinicians, and scholars." -- New England Journal of Medicine "This book is highly recommended..." -- Pharmacy Book Review "This is a well-balanced collection and the essays are of uniformly good quality.... very readable.... should be useful to anyone interested in this topic." -- Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Home Page "Physician-Assisted Suicide continues in the fine tradition of the Medical Ethics series published by Indiana University Press. Chapters are authored by outstanding scholars from both sides of the debate, providing a balanced, in-depth exploration of physician-assisted suicide along clinical, ethical, historical, and public policy dimensions. It is important reading for those who want to better understand the complex, multilayered issues that underlie this emotionally-laden topic." -- Timothy Quill, M.D. "Robert Weir has produced the finest collection of essays on physician assisted dying yet assembled in one volume. Physician assisted dying involves ethical and legal issues of enormous complexity. The deep strength of this anthology is its multi-disciplinary approach, which insightfully brings to bear interpretations from history, moral philosophy, religion, clinical practice, and law. This is a subject, much like abortion, that has divided America. This volume provides balanced scholarship that will help inform opinions from the hospital and hospice bedside to the halls of federal and state legislatures and courtrooms." -- Lawrence O. Gostin, Co-Director, Georgetown/Johns Hopkins Program on Law and Public Health "This book is a timely and valuable contribution to the debate. Highly recommended for academic collections." -- Library Journal These essays shed light and perspective on today's hotly contested issue of physician-assisted suicide. The authors were selected not only because of their experience and scholarship, but also because they provide readers with differing points of view on this complex subject -- and a potential moral quandary for us all.

Physician-Assisted Death

Author : James M. Humber
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1592594484
Total Pages : 159 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (925 download)

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Book Synopsis Physician-Assisted Death by : James M. Humber

Download or read book Physician-Assisted Death written by James M. Humber and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1994-02-04 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physician-Assisted Death is the eleventh volume of Biomedical Ethics Reviews. We, the editors, are pleased with the response to the series over the years and, as a result, are happy to continue into a second decade with the same general purpose and zeal. As in the past, contributors to projected volumes have been asked to summarize the nature of the literature, the prevailing attitudes and arguments, and then to advance the discussion in some way by staking out and arguing forcefully for some basic position on the topic targeted for discussion. For the present volume on Physician-Assisted Death, we felt it wise to enlist the services of a guest editor, Dr. Gregg A. Kasting, a practicing physician with extensive clinical knowledge of the various problems and issues encountered in discussing physician assisted death. Dr. Kasting is also our student and just completing a graduate degree in philosophy with a specialty in biomedical ethics here at Georgia State University. Apart from a keen interest in the topic, Dr. Kasting has published good work in the area and has, in our opinion, done an excellent job in taking on the lion's share of editing this well-balanced and probing set of essays. We hope you will agree that this volume significantly advances the level of discussion on physician-assisted euthanasia. Incidentally, we wish to note that the essays in this volume were all finished and committed to press by January 1993.

Physician Assisted Suicide

Author : Margaret P. Battin
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317795318
Total Pages : 478 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (177 download)

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Book Synopsis Physician Assisted Suicide by : Margaret P. Battin

Download or read book Physician Assisted Suicide written by Margaret P. Battin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-10-15 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physician Assisted Suicide is a cross-disciplinary collection of essays from philosophers, physicians, theologians, social scientists, lawyers and economists. As the first book to consider the implications of the Supreme Court decisions in Washington v. Glucksburg and Vacco v. Quill concerning physician-assisted suicide from a variety of perspectives, this collection advances informed, reflective, vigorous public debate.

Doctor, Please Help Me Die

Author : Tom Preston MD
Publisher : iUniverse
ISBN 13 : 1475963793
Total Pages : 201 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (759 download)

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Book Synopsis Doctor, Please Help Me Die by : Tom Preston MD

Download or read book Doctor, Please Help Me Die written by Tom Preston MD and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2013 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Death comes for us all, and the desire to ease into that death is as ancient as humankind. The idea that sometimes it is better to die quickly and in control of that death—rather than linger in pain and misery once impending death is certain—has troubled yet comforted humankind. In Doctor, Please Help Me Die, author Tom Preston, MD, presents a thorough overview and discussion of end-of-life issues and physician-assisted death in America. Doctor, Please Help Me Die traces the history of patients seeking relief from suffering at the end of life and discusses how cultural and professional customs have inhibited many doctors from helping their patients at the end. Preston shows how most doctors fail their patients by not discussing dying with them and by refusing to consider legal physician aid in dying—ultimately deceiving the public in their refusal to help patients die. He discusses the religious, political, and legal battles in this part of the culture war and gives advice to patients on how to gain peaceful dying. Preston presents a strong argument for why every citizen who is dying ought to be extended an inalienable right to die peacefully, and why every physician has an ethical obligation to assist patients who want to exercise this right safely, securely, and painlessly.

Regulating how We Die

Author : Linda L. Emanuel
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780674666542
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (665 download)

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Book Synopsis Regulating how We Die by : Linda L. Emanuel

Download or read book Regulating how We Die written by Linda L. Emanuel and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addressing the subject of euthanasia, medical ethicist Dr. Linda Emanuel assembles testimony from leading experts to provide not only a clear account of the arguments for and against physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia--but also historical, empirical, and legal perspectives on this complex and often heart-rending issue.

Burnout for Experts

Author : Sabine Bährer-Kohler
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1461443911
Total Pages : 261 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (614 download)

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Book Synopsis Burnout for Experts by : Sabine Bährer-Kohler

Download or read book Burnout for Experts written by Sabine Bährer-Kohler and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-11-11 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wherever people are working, there is some type of stress—and where there is stress, there is the risk of burnout. It is widespread, the subject of numerous studies in the U.S. and abroad. It is also costly, both to individuals in the form of sick days, lost wages, and emotional exhaustion, and to the workplace in terms of the bottom line. But as we are now beginning to understand, burnout is also preventable. Burnout for Experts brings multifaceted analysis to a multilayered problem, offering comprehensive discussion of contributing factors, classic and less widely perceived markers of burnout, coping strategies, and treatment methods. International perspectives consider phase models of burnout and differentiate between burnout and related physical and mental health conditions. By focusing on specific job and life variables including workplace culture and gender aspects, contributors give professionals ample means for recognizing burnout as well as its warning signs. Chapters on prevention and intervention detail effective programs that can be implemented at the individual and organizational levels. Included in the coverage: · History of burnout: a phenomenon. · Personal and external factors contributing to burnout. · Depression and burnout · Assessment tools and methods. · The role of communication in burnout prevention. · Active coping and other intervention strategies. Skillfully balancing scholarship and accessibility, Burnout for Experts is a go-to resource for health psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and organizational, industrial, and clinical psychologists.

Physician-Assisted Death

Author : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 030947695X
Total Pages : 179 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Physician-Assisted Death by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Physician-Assisted Death written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2018-09-29 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The question of whether and under what circumstances terminally ill patients should be able to access life-ending medications with the aid of a physician is receiving increasing attention as a matter of public opinion and of public policy. Ethicists, clinicians, patients, and their families debate whether physician-assisted death ought to be a legal option for patients. While public opinion is divided and public policy debates include moral, ethical, and policy considerations, a demand for physician-assisted death persists among some patients, and the inconsistent legal terrain leaves a number of questions and challenges for health care providers to navigate when presented with patients considering or requesting physician-assisted death. To discuss what is known and not known empirically about the practice of physician-assisted death, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a 2-day workshop in Washington, DC, on February 12â€"13, 2018. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Becoming a Doctors' Doctor

Author : Michael F Myers, MD
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (637 download)

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Book Synopsis Becoming a Doctors' Doctor by : Michael F Myers, MD

Download or read book Becoming a Doctors' Doctor written by Michael F Myers, MD and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-07 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Becoming a Doctors' Doctor is author and psychiatrist Michael F. Myers' revelation of the fascinating and sometimes tragic encounters with doctors as patients. Physicians are expected to be resilient and to carry the burdens of others. But all too often, the on-the-job stresses can result in mental illness. Beginning with his roommate's suicide in the first year of medical school, Myers found himself craving to learn more about physicians and their vulnerabilities. In this memoir of his thirty-five year career, Myers shares vignettes of treating doctors for depression, alcoholism, burnout, and more. He reveals the stigma physicians face when asking for help and the struggles they endure while keeping others healthy and safe. A psychiatrist with a passion for helping physicians, Myers highlights the importance of mental health treatment for doctors and the social and emotional costs of serving the community. Beautifully written, Becoming a Doctors' Doctor heralds the many patients to whom he has devoted his practice and career.

The Physician as Patient

Author : Michael F. Myers
Publisher : American Psychiatric Pub
ISBN 13 : 1585628786
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (856 download)

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Book Synopsis The Physician as Patient by : Michael F. Myers

Download or read book The Physician as Patient written by Michael F. Myers and published by American Psychiatric Pub. This book was released on 2009-02-20 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Because physicians are shaped by the expectations and responsibilities of their profession and are especially susceptible to stress and illness, professionals treating them need to be attuned to a host of demands and considerations not applicable to other patients. The Physician as Patient meets that need by combining the perspectives of two seasoned psychiatrists who have been assessing and treating physicians for more than 30 years. Drs. Myers and Gabbard pool their career-long dedication to physician health, counseling, and risk management to demonstrate that, through accurate diagnosis and state-of-the-art treatment, most impaired physicians can recover and return to practice. As the most current sourcebook available on this subject, The Physician as Patient not only discusses common illnesses and problems seen in doctors but also outlines the many biopsychosocial treatments that are indicated -- always with an emphasis on integrated care. It considers such issues as the reluctance of physicians to assume the role of patient and the uniqueness of the physician's psychological makeup that facilitates or impedes diagnosis and treatment. It describes the most common medical and psychiatric illnesses in physicians -- including addictions -- and addresses personality disorders and the increasingly important subject of boundary violations. And it helps readers determine what can be done about doctors behaving badly or out-of-character, or what strategies are useful in treating physicians to assure accuracy while also diminishing morbidity and relieving suffering. Among other key issues raised are: The importance of considering sociocultural customs and values when treating the increasing number of minority and International Medical Graduate physicians Addressing the many clinical, humanistic, ethical, and legal dimensions of the psychiatric evaluation of physicians Distinguishing between long-standing patterns of personality disorders that manifest as disruptive behaviors and those patterns that lead to burnout and depression Assessing amenability to rehabilitation in cases of sexual boundary violation, including an awareness of alcohol or drug abuse as contributing factors Utilizing a physician's predisposition as a learner and pragmatist to enter into cognitive behavior therapy The success of early diagnosis and treatment in lowering the occurrence of suicide, for which physicians are notoriously at risk Brimming with case examples, The Physician as Patient adopts a reader-friendly style that facilitates quick grasp of concepts, while an extensive list of references and websites provides an entrée for additional support. This book is an indispensable resource for all mental health professionals who take caregivers into their care.

Reducing Suicide

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309169437
Total Pages : 512 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Reducing Suicide by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Reducing Suicide written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-10-01 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every year, about 30,000 people die by suicide in the U.S., and some 650,000 receive emergency treatment after a suicide attempt. Often, those most at risk are the least able to access professional help. Reducing Suicide provides a blueprint for addressing this tragic and costly problem: how we can build an appropriate infrastructure, conduct needed research, and improve our ability to recognize suicide risk and effectively intervene. Rich in data, the book also strikes an intensely personal chord, featuring compelling quotes about people's experience with suicide. The book explores the factors that raise a person's risk of suicide: psychological and biological factors including substance abuse, the link between childhood trauma and later suicide, and the impact of family life, economic status, religion, and other social and cultural conditions. The authors review the effectiveness of existing interventions, including mental health practitioners' ability to assess suicide risk among patients. They present lessons learned from the Air Force suicide prevention program and other prevention initiatives. And they identify barriers to effective research and treatment. This new volume will be of special interest to policy makers, administrators, researchers, practitioners, and journalists working in the field of mental health.

Physician-assisted Death

Author : L. W. Sumner
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190490187
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Physician-assisted Death by : L. W. Sumner

Download or read book Physician-assisted Death written by L. W. Sumner and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The issue of physician-assisted death is now firmly on the American public agenda. Already legal in five states, it is the subject of intense public opinion battles across the country. Driven by an increasingly aging population, and a baby boom generation just starting to enter its senior years, the issue is not going to go away anytime soon. In Physician-Assisted Death, L.W. Sumner equips readers with everything they need to know to take a reasoned and informed position in this important debate. The book provides needed context for the debate by situating physician-assisted death within the wider framework of end-of-life care and explaining why the movement to legalize it now enjoys such strong public support. It also reviews that movement's successes to date, beginning in Oregon in 1994 and now extending to eleven jurisdictions across three continents. Like abortion, physician-assisted death is ethically controversial and the subject of passionately held opinions. The central chapters of the book review the main arguments utilized by both sides of the controversy: on the one hand, appeals to patient autonomy and the relief of suffering, on the other the claim that taking active steps to hasten death inevitably violates the sanctity of life. The book then explores both the case in favor of legalization and the case against, focusing in the latter instance on the risk of abuse and the possibility of slippery slopes. In this context the experience of jurisdictions that have already taken the step of legalization is carefully reviewed to see what lessons might be extracted from it. It then identifies some further issues that lie beyond the boundaries of the current debate but will have to be faced sometime down the road: euthanasia for patients who are permanently unconscious or have become seriously demented and for severely compromised newborns. The book concludes by considering the various possible routes to legalization, both political and judicial. Readers will then be prepared to decide for themselves just where they stand when they confront the issue both in their own jurisdiction and in their own lives.

Thomas Szasz

Author : C. V. Haldipur
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0192543229
Total Pages : 350 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (925 download)

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Book Synopsis Thomas Szasz by : C. V. Haldipur

Download or read book Thomas Szasz written by C. V. Haldipur and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-24 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thomas Szasz wrote over thirty books and several hundred articles, replete with mordant criticism of psychiatry, in both scientific and popular periodicals. His works made him arguably one of the world's most recognized psychiatrists, albeit one of the most controversial. These writings have been translated into several languages and have earned him a worldwide following. Szasz was a man of towering intellect, sweeping historical knowledge, and deep-rooted, mostly libertarian, philosophical beliefs. He wrote with a lucid and acerbic wit, but usually in a way that is accessible to general readers. His books cautioned against the indiscriminate power of psychiatry in courts and in society, and against the apparent rush to medicalize all human folly. They have spawned an eponymous ideology that has influenced, to various degrees, laws relating to mental health in several countries and states. This book critically examines the legacy of Thomas Szasz - a man who challenged the very concept of mental illness and questioned several practices of psychiatrists. The book surveys his many contributions including those in psychoanalysis, which are very often overlooked by his critics. While admiring his seminal contribution to the debate, the book will also point to some of his assertions that merit closer scrutiny. Contributors to the book are drawn from various disciplines, including Psychiatry, Philosophy and Law; and are from various countries including the United States, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Some contributors knew Thomas Szasz personally and spent many hours with him discussing issues he raised in his books and articles. The book will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in matters of mental health, human rights, and ethics.