Juxtaposed Darkness
Poems of depression, self-injury, and hope?
These poems chronicle the journeys through depression, self-injury, and the possibility of hope.
The poems are heavy on the darkness with hints of hope sprinkled here and there. Juxtaposed
Darkness is emotions spilled onto paper. There are tears and blood drops between the lines.
The journey leads to the acceptance that maybe, just maybe there is hope. What does one do
when their worst enemy is inside of their head?
Shrouded in myth and mystery, distorted by sensationalist films like The Three Faces of Eve and mistakenly confused with multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, the authors argue, is one of the least understood mental disorders in the world. It affects 1% of the U.S. population, and this book, primarily targeted at those with the disease, marks an important entry in the mental health genre, particularly since it is coauthored by a group of 35 patients (from a New York treatment program) and has first-person accounts of diagnosis, delusional states and recovery. Miller and Mason, social workers who specialize in the issue, note that while it's still not clear if there is a cure for schizophrenia, many people can successfully manage the condition through a combination of structured routines, medication and therapy. Readers with short attention spans will be able to handle the short chapters, which offer straightforward, nonjudgmental advice on handling a variety of symptoms. Of particular interest are the sections addressing how much information to give co-workers and employers. The authors assume no prior knowledge or background on the subject, and their book is far easier to understand than the classic title for schizophrenics and their families, E. Fuller Torrey's Surviving Schizophrenia.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is an extremely debilitating condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal. In The PTSD Workbook, readers determine the type of trauma they experienced, identify their physical, mental, and emotional symptoms, and learn effective techniques and interventions to overcome them. They start with the exercise best suited to relieve their worst symptom then progress to less troubling symptoms, picking up key information about PTSD along the way.
Eating disorders are frequently written about but rarely with such immediacy and candor. Hornbacher was only 23 years old when she wrote this book so there is no sense of her having distanced herself from the disease or its lingering effects on her. This, combined with her talent for writing, gives readers a real sense of the horror of anorexia and bulimia and their power to dominate an individual's life. The author was bulimic as a fourth grader and anorexic at age 15. She was hospitalized several times and institutionalized once. By 1993 she was attending college and working as a journalist. Her weight had dropped to 52 pounds and doctors in the emergency room gave her only a week to live. She left the hospital, decided she wanted to live, then walked back and signed herself in for treatment. This is not a quick or an easy read. Hornbacher talks about possible causes for the illnesses and describes feeling isolated, being in complete denial, and not wanting to change or fearing change, until she nearly died. Young people will connect with this compelling and authentic story.
With compassion and encouragement, this book helps us to begin and strengthen our recovery from our addictions and emotional or psychiatric illnesses. A gentle, spiritual and supportive approach to bolster our recovery, The Twelve Steps and Dual Disorders provides an adaptation and discussion of each of the Twelve Steps of Dual Recovery Anonymous.
The Twelve Steps And Dual Disorders: A Framework Of Recovery For Those Of Us With Addiction & An Emotional Or Psychiatric Illness (Tim Hamilton, Pat Samples) in Popular Culture - Books and Reference Media/Workbooks published by Gabrielle 4 years ago ()
Myths about Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(ADD/ADHD) abound. This disorder frequently goes unrecognized, and even when diagnosed may be inadequately treated. In this up-to-date and clearly written book, a leading expert offers a new way of understanding ADD. Drawing on recent findings in neuroscience and a rich variety of case histories from his own clinical practice, Dr. Thomas E. Brown describes what ADD syndrome is, how it can be recognized at different ages, and how it can best be treated.
This is the first book to address the perplexing question about ADD: how can individuals, some very bright, be chronically unable to "pay attention," yet be able to focus very well on specific tasks that strongly interest them? Dr. Brown disputes the "willpower" explanation and explains how inherited malfunctions of the brain's management system prevent some people from being able to deal adequately with challenging tasks of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. His book is an authoritative and practical guide for physicians and psychologists, parents and teachers, and the 7 to 9 percent of persons who suffer from ADD/ADHD.
Much of anxiety therapy is designed as quick, focused intervention, treating a specific syndrome without looking at the possibility of long- term healing. However, true recovery requires something more: understanding the meaning of anxiety symptoms and going deeper to face their underlying sources in a holistic and life-changing way. Beyond Anxiety and Phobia provides an array of alternative strategies for entering this long-term healing mode; describes alternative therapies such as herbs, yoga, massage, acupuncture, and homeopathy; and addresses the impact of perfectionism and other personality issues.
Hard on the heels of Fuller Torrey and Michael B. Knable's excellent Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families and Providers (LJ 1/02) comes another strong title. Both books cover the origins, symptoms, and treatments for bipolar disorder, with emphasis on current medications. The main difference between the two books is that the current title by Miklowitz (psychology, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) is intended for patients. It spends a good deal of time on issues exclusive to the sufferer how to come to terms with the diagnosis, whom to confide in, and how to recognize one's own mood swings. More concise in its treatment of the issues just mentioned, Torrey and Knable's title is addressed to a more general audience, spends more time reviewing the scientific evidence concerning the origins of the disease, and has a much more useful resource list. On the whole, Surviving Manic Depression would be the first choice for most libraries, with Miklowitz's book recommended for patient education libraries and medium and large public libraries
For Dr. Wes Burgess, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder means hope-hope for the estimated ten million people who will develop the disorder during their lifetimes, and hope for the families and friends of people who suffer from it. Drawing upon the real questions asked by patients and families during his nearly twenty years as a bipolar specialist, The Bipolar Handbook comprehensively tackles every area of the disorder, from its causes to medical treatment and psychotherapy, to strategies for creating a healthy lifestyle, to the prevention of, coping with, and treatment of bipolar episodes. From the more than five hundred questions and answers, you'll learn: - what to expect when pursuing a diagnosis - how to choose the right doctor or specialist - how to get the disorder under control - what treatments and medication protocols are best for you - how to reduce stress to prevent manic and depressive episodes - what family members and friends can do to support you, and more Dr. Burgess also addresses unique lifestyle concerns facing bipolar individuals. Special chapters on practical strategies for career success, building healthy relationships, issues that specifically affect bipolar women, and coping techniques for families and friends further explore the impact of the disorder on daily life. The Bipolar Handbook's easy-to-access format and full chapter of resources, as well as diagnostic criteria from the American Psychiatric Association and the National Institute for Mental Health, make this a versatile guide-perfect for quick reference and in-depth discovery. Read more »
My name is Gabrielle and I am twenty-eight years old. I began to self-injure at age fifteen -- so nearly thirteen years minus a two year period. This website is one about self-injury (self-harm), made to let self-injurers know that they are not alone and to help their friends and family learn more about self-injury and how it affects their loved one.
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