Cover -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1 What Is Psychiatry? -- Psychiatry Is a Branch of Medicine -- Myths and Realities about Psychiatry -- Psychiatric Disorders and Public Health -- Prevalence and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders -- Take-Home Messages -- 2 What Illnesses Do Psychiatrists Treat? -- A Few Definitions -- Mood Disorders -- Anxiety Disorders -- Psychotic Disorders -- Drug Use Disorders -- Cognitive Disorders -- Personality Disorders -- Adjustment Disorders -- Other Disorders -- Take-Home Messages -- 3 Warning Signs -- Warning Signs of Depressive Disorders -- Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior -- Warning Signs of Anxiety Disorders -- Warning Signs of Psychosis -- Violent Behavior -- Warning Signs of Substance Abuse -- Warning Signs of Personality Disorders -- Warning Signs of Delirium or Dementia -- Take-Home Messages -- 4 Who Are Psychiatrists and What Do They Actually Do? -- Psychiatrists Are Medical Doctors with Specialty Training -- The Psychiatric Examination of Patients -- The Importance of Diagnosis -- Psychiatric Hospitalization -- Preventing the Complications of Psychiatric Disorders -- Take-Home Messages -- 5 Why Are Psychiatric Disorders So Common? -- How Common Are Psychiatric Disorders? -- Are Psychiatric Disorders Over- or Underdiagnosed? -- The Interaction of Genes and Environment -- How Do Complex Genetics Translate into Common Disorders? -- Take-Home Messages -- 6 What Do We Know about the Mechanisms Underlying Psychiatric Disorders? -- "Chemical Imbalance" Means "We Don't Know" -- How the Brain Functions and Malfunctions: Current Science and Theory -- What Brain Systems Contribute to the Human Mind? -- How Are Diverse Brain Systems Coordinated? -- What Are We Learning about the Brain in Psychiatric Disorders? -- Stress and Psychiatric Disorders -- Brain Development and Psychiatry -- Take-Home Messages.

7 How Are Psychiatric Disorders Treated? Basic Principles -- Seven Basic Principles -- Evidence-Based Treatments -- Take-Home Messages -- 8 Medications -- Antidepressants -- Mood Stabilizers -- Antipsychotics -- Antianxiety Medications -- Medications for Alzheimer's Type Dementia -- Sleep Medications -- Stimulants -- Medications for Drug Dependency Disorders -- Over-the-Counter Medications or Herbal Remedies for Psychiatric Disorders -- Take-Home Messages -- 9 Psychotherapies and Lifestyle Interventions -- The Importance of Human Interactions -- Specific Psychotherapies -- The Importance of the Therapist -- The Role of Psychiatrists in Psychotherapy -- Lifestyle Changes and Psychiatry -- Take-Home Messages -- 10 Brain Stimulation Methods -- Electroconvulsive Therapy -- Vagus Nerve Stimulation -- Other Brain Stimulation Methods -- Psychosurgery -- Take-Home Messages -- 11 How Can Patients and Families Help with Treatment? -- The Importance of Educated Consumers -- Treatment Compliance -- The Importance of Lifestyle: A Reprise -- Psychotherapy and Learning -- Social Networks -- Take-Home Messages -- 12 Consumers Beware -- Practitioners Vary Widely in Their Training and Expertise -- The Vagaries of Psychiatric Diagnoses -- Snake Oil and Psychiatric Treatments -- Faddism, Bad Logic, and Psychiatry -- Take-Home Messages -- 13 Case Examples -- Case 1. Is This 20-Year-Old Student Having a Heart Attack? -- Case 2. Is It Normal for a 58-Year-Old Man to Become a Couch Potato after a Heart Attack? -- Case 3. Do Multiple Physical Complaints Necessarily Signal the Presence of Severe Medical Illnesses? -- Case 4. Is Larry's Problem All about His Substance Abuse? -- Case 5. Why Is This 69-Year-Old Man Watching a Soccer Game No One Else Can See? -- Take-Home Messages -- 14 Trends in Psychiatry and Mental Health -- A Brief Overview of Past Trends.

Trends in Diagnosis -- Trends in Treatments -- Trends in the Relationships between Psychiatry and Industry -- Trends in Psychiatric Education -- Trends in Demographics and Health Care Delivery -- Take-Home Messages -- 15 The Future of Psychiatry: Reasons for Optimism -- The Brain Is Plastic -- Neurogenesis and Psychiatry -- Science Will Win -- New Vistas in Diagnosis and Treatment -- Bibliography -- Books for the Consumer -- Textbooks and Manuals -- Selected Books and Articles Organized by Topic -- Psychiatric Diagnosis -- Psychiatric Treatment -- Genetics and Psychiatry -- Brain Mechanisms -- Psychiatry and Public Health -- Trends in Psychiatry -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Z.