The 20 Best Books about Schizophrenia – Broke by Books

When I was first diagnosed with Bipolar Schizoaffective Disorder, I searched for the best books on schizophrenia to help me learn what my new normal would look like with my new diagnosis. Ever the nerd, I researched the best books on schizophrenia that would help me see my condition from a spectrum of perspectives. This list contains 20 books on schizophrenia that reflect a wide range of topics and experiences, including books on understanding schizophrenia for families and loved ones and a multitude of memoirs on schizophrenia. I hope it will be a resource for understanding schizophrenia that patients, families, and mental health professionals can use for help, healing, and hope.

You may also be interested in my list of the 20 best books on bipolar disorder…

You are reading: Best books on schizophrenia

and now to the best books on schizophrenia…

This post contains affiliate links.

the center can’t hold for elyn r. saks

perhaps one of the most important books on schizophrenia, elyn r. Saks’, The Center Can’t Stand: My Journey Through Madness is, without a doubt, a groundbreaking book for breaking the stigma of schizophrenia. Recounting her journey with schizophrenia, Saks law professor championed transparency as she wrote a riveting autobiography that opened up the experience of schizophrenia for all to see.

how to read it: buy the center can not contain on amazon

cognitive therapy of schizophrenia by david g. kingdon and douglas turkington

When I was 18, I saw a student intern at Penn Cognitive Therapy Center for outpatient therapy. I was exhibiting some of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia (particularly delusions), but these were overlooked as I was treated primarily for depression and anxiety. the result was that my cognitive therapy treatment was not adapted to the psychosis. Now, however, we have books like David G. Kingdon and Douglas Turkington’s Cognitive Therapy of Schizophrenia. This essential book is one of the best books on schizophrenia for patients, allies, and mental health professionals alike. we finally have a treatment option to alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia beyond medication. Through chapters on topics such as psychoeducation and normalization, intervention with delusions and hallucinations, and negative symptoms, this comprehensive book on understanding schizophrenia fills the gap in knowledge about how to treat schizophrenia with psychotherapy.

In short, this book gives me something I craved and needed so badly when I was younger: hope.

how to read it: buy cognitive therapy for schizophrenia on amazon

schizophrenias compiled by esmé weijun wang

While there is much written about schizophrenia, there is less about schizoaffective disorder, the condition I suffer from. In The Collected Schizophrenias, Esmé Weijun Wang pulls back the curtain on this comparatively rare diagnosis. With essays covering topics such as fashion, “high functioning,” and specific delusions, such as the Capgras delusion that loved ones have been replaced by an identical impostor, The Collected Schizophrenias is an essential book on schizophrenia and one of the best books on schizoaffective disorder.

how to read it: buy the collected schizophrenia on amazon

the complete family guide to schizophrenia by kim t. mueser and susan gingerich

It can be difficult to watch your loved one deal with schizophrenia and, at the same time, it is equally difficult to face this illness without the support of your family. Get into the complete family guide to schizophrenia by kim t. Mueser, PhD, and Susan Gingerich, MSW. one of the best books for schizophrenia patients, this book covers topics such as an overview of the illness, special problems for specific family members (such as a patient’s mother, sister, or brother, etc.), relapse prevention, treating specific symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, and helping your loved one improve their quality of life. If you’re looking for a complete guide to schizophrenia from a family point of view, it doesn’t get much better than this book.

how to read it: buy the complete family guide to schizophrenia on amazon

the day the voices stopped by ken steele

See Also: Announcing the 2015 Tournament of Books – The Morning News

See also  The Best Books on Beatrix Potter - Five Books Expert Recommendations

Among the many best books on schizophrenia, the memoir The Day the Voices Stop is one of the oldest (published in 2001) and one of the most highly regarded. This harrowing story follows Ken Steele’s lifelong struggle with schizophrenia, particularly commando hallucinations and paranoid delusions, and the eventual move toward healing with the help of psychiatric medicine. Steele’s vivid prose, written with Claire Berman, brings his nightmare and eventual recovery to life in this memoir that ranks among the best books on schizophrenia.

how to read it: shop the day the voices stopped on amazon

desperate remedies: psychiatry’s turbulent quest to cure mental illness by andrew scull

There is no history of schizophrenia with no history of psychiatry. And in Desperate Remedies, narrative medical scholar Andrew Scull offers a comprehensive history of the field of psychiatry. The author of the acclaimed history of mental illness, Madness in Civilization, Scull has here written an account of psychiatry that is equally readable, educational, thought-provoking, fascinating, and challenging. anyone who wants to learn more about schizophrenia within the context of the psychiatric field will want to read this one.

how to read it: buy desperate remedies on amazon

the dialectical behavior therapy skills workbook for psychosis by maggie mullen, lcsw

As a schizophrenic, I always wished there were more therapy options to treat my illness, especially my symptoms of psychosis. Sure, there are medications, but how do you treat the condition outside of medication? Enter the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook for Psychosis. Among the best books for schizophrenia patients, Maggie Mullen’s Workbook fills the gap in therapy books on schizophrenia, offering the opportunity to build resilience skills, learn coping skills, and devise methods for treating psychosis outside of the medication. I love that this book is an interactive workbook that you can do at your own pace or with the help of a mental health professional. The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills for Psychosis Workbook is truly a beacon of hope in the treatment of psychosis.

how to read it: buy the dialectical behavior therapy skills workbook for psychosis on amazon

divided minds by pamela spiro wagner and carolyn s. spiro, md

Many of the best books on schizophrenia are written by loved ones. that is certainly the case with divided minds. Co-written by twin sisters Pamela Spiro Wagner and Carolyn S. Spiro, Divided Minds details the experience they both had as Pamela developed schizophrenia and Carolyn thrived. As Pamela’s condition deteriorated, Carolyn emerged as a medical student and eventually a psychiatrist, but still the sisters remained close. Together and told in alternate voices, Pamela and Carolyn have here written a crucial book in the schizophrenia memoir literature.

how to read it: buy divided minds on amazon

the edge of each day by marin sardy

When it comes to the best books on schizophrenia, Marin Sardy’s The Edge of Every Day definitely deserves a spot on that list. Sardy grew up with a schizophrenic mother in Anchorage, Alaska. Sardy’s mother refused treatment, leading to a difficult childhood for Sardy. Sardy’s brother later developed the same condition and eventually committed suicide. At the edge of each day, at the top of any list of the best books on schizophrenia, Sardy collects his essays on the experience of being a loved one who bears witness to this indomitable disease. sardy’s voice is an important contribution to books on schizophrenia from the perspective of a family member.

how to read it: buy everyday brim on amazon

hidden valley road by robert kolker

Robert Kolker’s Hidden Valley Path: Inside the Mind of an American Family was named one of the top five nonfiction books published in 2020, and it’s not hard to see why. This fascinating read tells the devastating story of the Galvin family. Of their twelve children, six of Don and Mimi Galvin’s children developed schizophrenia. What follows is a fascinating account of how the Galvins contributed to scientific research on the genetic nature of mental illness. The Galvins were among the first families studied by the National Institute of Mental Health. Although their lives were marked by the tragedy and hardship of mental illness, the Galvins persevered, and their story runs parallel to the evolving practices of psychiatry, psychotherapy, and psychopharmacology. It’s definitely on the list of the best books on schizophrenia.

See also  How Much Do Kindle Books Cost? [With Data Proof!] - TheBookBuff.com

how to read it: buy the hidden valley road on amazon

a kind of miraculous paradise by sandy allen

This interesting hybrid memoir deserves a place on any list of the best books on schizophrenia. Bob, Sandy Allen’s eccentric uncle, was supposedly “insane” and had lived out of society in a series of mental institutions during parts of the 1960s and 1970s. But they were not actually in a relationship. Until Uncle Bob sends Allen his autobiography in 2009, asking them to help get it published. The result, a kind of miraculous paradise, is a hybrid memoir that includes Allen’s narration and Uncle Bob’s autobiography as translated by Allen. This remarkable memoir is one of the most important books on schizophrenia because it truly tells Bob’s story to the world, an important narrative medicine record of patients’ experiences.

how to read it: buy a kind of miraculous paradise on amazon

Like Crazy: Life With My Mom And Her Invisible Friends by Dan Mathews

when dan mathews saw that his eccentric seventy-eight-year-old mother couldn’t live independently, he traveled across the country to stay with her in virginia. As she does so, a trip to the emergency room reveals that Mathews’ mother had lived her entire adult life as an undiagnosed schizophrenic. uplifting and hopeful, count like crazy is among the best memoirs about schizophrenia.

how to read it: shop like crazy on amazon

mind fixers: psychiatry’s troubled quest for the biology of mental illness by anne harrington

One of the ways we understand mental illness is through biology. but even biology has its limits in explaining how mental illness forms and how it is treated. In Fixers of the Mind, Harvard history professor Anne Harrington explores the flawed science of how psychiatry, neurology, and biology fail to give us easy answers or even answers at all for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Harrington devotes an entire chapter to the intricacies of the science behind schizophrenia. If she wants to understand how to think about schizophrenia in biological terms, check out this book.

how to read it: buy mind fixers on amazon

no one cares about rum’s crazy powers

See Also: The 10 Best Nonprofit Books Every Nonprofit Founder Must Read [2022]

ron powers, the new york times bestselling author, presents a scathing indictment of the way the mentally ill are treated in the united states. the title of this book says it all: “no one cares about crazy people”. Powers has first-hand experience as both of his children have schizophrenia. one died by suicide while the other lives but still struggles with his illness. While trying to be a good ally, Powers embarked on a journey down the rabbit hole of mental health that ultimately led him to realize just how messed up the system is against the mentally ill and their loved ones. This is a challenging book to read because the results powers find are unsettling and unsettling, but this is a must-read for anyone looking to understand schizophrenia.

how to read it: buy nobody cares about the crazy people on amazon

the perfect other: memories of my sister by kyleigh leddy

A newer title on this list of the best books on schizophrenia, the other perfect is a must read. Kait Leddy was thrilled to have a younger sister, Kyleigh, the author of these memoirs. But as Kait became a teenager, cracks began to appear: she was emotionally and physically volatile, her personality changed, and she began to lose her grip on reality. the result was a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Kyleigh eventually lost her sister to schizophrenia. First, Kait disappeared, and then security cameras saw her heading to a bridge from which it was concluded that she jumped, although her body was never recovered. memories about schizophrenia cannot be more raw and real than this.

See also  Molly Harper - Book Series In Order

how to read it: buy the perfect other on amazon

the quiet room: a journey out of the torment of madness by lori schiller and amanda bennett

The Quiet Room is a visceral reading experience as it chronicles Lori Schiller’s journey into madness. As a teenager, Schiller had a seemingly perfect life. Six years later, she attempted suicide and then wandered the streets of New York talking to unseen voices. And so she began a lifelong battle with schizophrenia, one that took her through hospitals and halfway houses, as she struggled with comorbid addiction. The Quiet Room is Schiller’s account of living with schizophrenia in a story that ends on a hopeful and uplifting note.

how to read it: buy the quiet room on amazon

a way back from schizophrenia by arnhild lauveng

arnhild lauveng’s captivating memoir, a way back from schizophrenia, has no drawbacks and ranks among the best books on schizophrenia. In his autobiography, Lauveng offers a glimpse of his experience with the disease, including months or, in one case, a year spent inside psychiatric units and psychiatric hospitals, and more about what it really feels like to have the condition. With strong prose and unrelenting detail, Lauveng offers a candid and honest look at living with schizophrenia.

how to read it: buy a way back from schizophrenia on amazon

schizophrenia: a brief introduction by christopher frith and eve c. johnstone

schizophrenia is as complex as it is complicated. there is a confusing set of symptoms that often lead to misdiagnosis, a plethora of conflicting medications and treatment options, and still many mysteries in the fields of medicine and science that struggle to understand the origins and outcomes of schizophrenia. For an accessible and informative introduction to the illness, choose Schizophrenia: A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Frith and Eve C. Johnstone, among the best books on schizophrenia. In just over 200 pages in a small book, the authors manage to demystify schizophrenia in this simple introduction to this devastating mental illness.

how to read it: buy schizophrenia: a brief introduction on amazon

surviving schizophrenia: a family handbook by e. fuller torrey, maryland

Now in its seventh edition, Surviving Schizophrenia: A Family Handbook remains one of the best books for patients with schizophrenia. understanding schizophrenia is easier when you have this book as your guide. For family, allies, and loved ones, Surviving Schizophrenia helps those who care for a person with schizophrenia better understand the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of this often misunderstood illness. You will find that this book covers topics such as the causes of schizophrenia, treating schizophrenia with medication and other options, and the onset, course, and prognosis of schizophrenia. Together, this book provides a roadmap through the stormy waters of schizophrenia and earns its stripes as one of the great books on schizophrenia.

how to read it: shop surviving schizophrenia on amazon

when the sun goes up: the enigma of schizophrenia by christopher bollas

We’re ending this list of the best books on schizophrenia on a hopeful note. Acclaimed psychoanalyst Christopher Bollas argues that patients with schizophrenia can be helped with milder treatment than the psychopharmacology, incarceration, dehumanization, and isolation that characterize so many schizophrenic experiences. Drawing on his fifty-year career, Bollas asserts that psychotherapy, and in particular psychoanalysis, can help restore stability to schizophrenic patients. Given that this list of the best books on schizophrenia also includes cognitive therapy and dialectical behavior therapy as treatment options, we have reason to hope that talk therapy and its variants could make a significant difference in the lives of people with schizophrenia. and their family and loved ones. some.

how to read it: buy when the sun goes up on amazon

Which of these best books on schizophrenia have you read? leave a comment below.

See Also: Closure of Fifth Avenue Books in Hillcrest part of changing industry – The San Diego Union-Tribune

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *