New Book Rethinks What It Means To Be Crazy

I recently received a copy of a very interesting book, Rethinking Madness: Towards A Paradigm Shift in Our Understanding and Treatment of Psychosis, written by Paris Williams, PH.D.

Though he earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Williams learned firsthand about psychotic disorders when, as a world champion hang glider, he found himself struggling with mental illness. This bout led him to embark on a journey of healing, discovery, and an exploration of how those with a mental disease struggle to live meaningful lives.

The fruits of his labor led him to write his book, which explores new research that shows recovery from schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders is possible. His publisher’s press release sums up the book as follows:

“he then disentangles the complex web of research on schizophrenia, illuminating how it is that mainstream understanding of schizophrenia has become as profoundly misguided  and then goes on to craft a new vision of madness – one that is based on the findings of his own pioneering research and that  draws from both Western and Eastern conceptions of mind and consciousness. As this new vision unfolds, we find that we arrive at both some unsettling realizations and some very helpful possibilities. On one hand, we are forced to recognize that our current mainstream paradigm of care may be causing  significantly more harm than benefit, both for those so diagnosed and also for their friends, family members, and society at large. On the other hand, we discover that those who find themselves struggling with these challenging disorders have a very high likelihood of moving on to meaningful and productive lives.”

His book is an interesting beginning point for society and the psycho-medical community to begin a dialogue on this most important subject.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect (www.media-connect.com) the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person.