What are some books you think every psychiatrist should read?

[ksharp33]

(besides the DSM)

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[nexus73]

The Giver

 

[littlefred]

Who sits down to read the DSM?

Honest question.

 

[ksharp33]

Who sits down to read the DSM?

Honest question.

I hope no one. It was more tongue-in-cheek.

 

[littlefred]

On a serious note, I recommend my residents to read this one. I think it's important to know the history of our profession to understand where we are and how we got here.

A History of Psychiatry: From the Era of the Asylum to the Age of Prozac: 9780471245315: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com

A History of Psychiatry: From the Era of the Asylum to the Age of Prozac: 9780471245315: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com

a.co

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

(besides the DSM)

Doing CBT: A Comprehensive Guide to Working With Behaviors, Thoughts and Emotions (David F. Tolin)

 

[clausewitz2]

The Creation of Psychopharmacology (David Healy)

 

[clozareal]

Who sits down to read the DSM?

Honest question.

They made my residency program go through it chapter by chapter each week in our intern year. Their intent was that you can criticize it better if you have read it and understand it.

 

[clozareal]

Nancy McWilliams' Psychoanalytic Diagnoses

 

[allantois]

Mount Misery by one and only Samuel Shem

 

[nexus73]

Mount Misery by one and only Samuel Shem

I agree. All doctors should read house of god, but if you're a psychiatrist and can find a copy, mount misery is worth a read.

 

[Stagg737]

Some interesting selections, I've actually only read House of God, so appreciate other thoughts.

I'd also argue that the Myth of Mental Illness (the actual book, not the abbreviated article) by Schatz is worth reading. Even if you disagree with him, worth it for the alternate perspective. From a more standardized perspective, I also think the PDM/PDM-2 is worth looking over. I'd also advocate for every physician to read The Checklist Manifesto. I'm not much of a Gwande fan, but the book did give me greater appreciation for having standardized interview formats. Also think med school curriculums should include some basic statistics, Paul Meehl and Andy Field have some really nice and straightforward books and resources that are worth it if you're not already decently versed in stats.

Who sits down to read the DSM?

Honest question.

I actually "read" the original DSM and have skimmed 2-4, interesting to see the evolution of diagnoses to the current edition.

 

[clausewitz2]

Some interesting selections, I've actually only read House of God, so appreciate other thoughts.

I'd also argue that the Myth of Mental Illness (the actual book, not the abbreviated article) by Schatz is worth reading. Even if you disagree with him, worth it for the alternate perspective. From a more standardized perspective, I also think the PDM/PDM-2 is worth looking over. I'd also advocate for every physician to read The Checklist Manifesto. I'm not much of a Gwande fan, but the book did give me greater appreciation for having standardized interview formats. Also think med school curriculums should include some basic statistics, Paul Meehl and Andy Field have some really nice and straightforward books and resources that are worth it if you're not already decently versed in stats.


I actually "read" the original DSM and have skimmed 2-4, interesting to see the evolution of diagnoses to the current edition.

*Szasz
*Gawande

Basically all of Paul Meehl's publications are available for free:

All Publications of Paul E. Meehl | Paul E. Meehl

meehl.umn.edu

He spent many decades yelling into the void about the weaknesses of our methods that led to the great replication crises that have been convulsing our field for past decade and change. I would especially recommend his article "Why I do not attend case conferences"

 

[Stagg737]

*Szasz
*Gawande

Basically all of Paul Meehl's publications are available for free:

All Publications of Paul E. Meehl | Paul E. Meehl

meehl.umn.edu

He spent many decades yelling into the void about the weaknesses of our methods that led to the great replication crises that have been convulsing our field for past decade and change. I would especially recommend his article "Why I do not attend case conferences"

I appreciate the editing, had a brainfart on Szasz. I always screw up his name, probably subconsciously associating his name with Schatzberg.

I also appreciate Meehl or anyone that looks at statistics critically as well as anyone who can explain them in simpler terms as I do think stats as a whole is grossly undertaught in residency and med school.

 

[clausewitz2]

I appreciate the editing, had a brainfart on Szasz. I always screw up his name, probably subconsciously associating his name with Schatzberg.

I also appreciate Meehl or anyone that looks at statistics critically as well as anyone who can explain them in simpler terms as I do think stats as a whole is grossly undertaught in residency and med school.

Check our Andrew Gelman's work, he also has a blog that often has highly relevant posts. Definitely eye-opening to the strengths and weaknesses of statistical methods presented with the underlying logic as opposed to 'these are magical incantations that make Science, shut up and calculate'

 

[SeniorWrangler]

Irvin Yalom, the Executioner of Love
I would also recommend reading several Oliver Sacks books, he was a neurologist but his humanity and holistic view of the patient is tremendous.
Also read at least one psychiatry textbook, like the whole thing, so many residents today never read a textbook, just random articles and study materials for the boards, and they never get a good foundation in the field.

 

[Styrene]

The Rise and Fall of the Age of Psychopharmacology. Very interesting book.

 

[the5thelement]

The Devil in the White City

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Protest Psychosis, by Jonathan Metzl.
The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander.
Trauma Stewardship, by Laura van Dernoot

 

[clozareal]

Protest Psychosis, by Jonathan Metzl.
The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander.
Trauma Stewardship, by Laura van Dernoot

Speaking of trauma, I also recommend The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

 

[clausewitz2]

Speaking of trauma, I also recommend The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Do keep in mind that van der Kolk is at this point a controversial figure in clinical psychology and that his ideas are not as rigorously supported by the available evidence as you might like.

 

[allantois]

Irvin Yalom, the Executioner of Love
I would also recommend reading several Oliver Sacks books, he was a neurologist but his humanity and holistic view of the patient is tremendous.
Also read at least one psychiatry textbook, like the whole thing, so many residents today never read a textbook, just random articles and study materials for the boards, and they never get a good foundation in the field.

I’d add The Gift of Therapy by Yalom. It’s good to see that there are a lot of readers on these forums

 

[splik]

Do keep in mind that van der Kolk is at this point a controversial figure in clinical psychology and that his ideas are not as rigorously supported by the available evidence as you might like.

or Van der quack as I like to call him. His prior expert testimony going back many years is what has been most concerning.

 

[allantois]

Do keep in mind that van der Kolk is at this point a controversial figure in clinical psychology and that his ideas are not as rigorously supported by the available evidence as you might like.

I know his book but I didn't know anything about him. Just wanted to say that he is a psychiatrist not a psychologist by training

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

I know his book but I didn't know anything about him. Just wanted to say that he is a psychiatrist not a psychologist by training

Those two statements are not mutually exclusive. He can be a psychiatrist and be a controversial figure in clinical psychology. He was a big problem in the whole "repressed memories" controversy.

Doesn't make The Body Keeps the Score a bad book but you can also see him getting pretty hyped up about techniques/ideas that have pretty flimsy evidence in that book as well.

 

[DOswag]

I've got to read some of these. Loved House of God as I think most do. What are some book recommendations people give to their patients? I had someone ask me recently and I could only think off the top of my head "I Hate You Don't Leave Me" and "The Body Keeps the Score" but I know those are specific for BPD and trauma.

Sorry this isn't me trying to hijack the thread, just wanted some more book ideas.

 

[clausewitz2]

What Psychiatry Left Out of the DSM by Edward Shorter. Probably the most accessible bit of history of psychiatry out there by an actual historian of science.

 

[SubzDoc]

Individual Psychotherapy and the Science of Psychodynamics by David Malan

Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard

 

[splik]

Not sure I have a list of "every psychiatrist must read" books but some books that were influential for me and I enjoyed reading:

The Politics of Experience R.D. Laing
The Divided Self R.D. Laing
The Illness Narratives Arthur Kleinman
Rethinking Psychiatry: From Cultural Category to Personal Experience Arthur Kleinman
Recovery From Schizophrenia: Psychiatry and Political Economy Richard Warner
Critical Psychiatry David Ingleby (Ed.)
The Psychopharmacologists David Healy (multi-volume)
Toxic Psychiatry Peter Breggin (he's a nut but this book totally transformed my thinking about psychiatry as a med student)
Why Love Matters Sue Gerhardt
A Secure Base John Bowlby
Hystories: Historical Epidemics and Modern Culture Elaine Showalter
Crazy Like Us Ethan Watters
Therapy Culture Frank Furedi
The Cognitive Neuropsychology of Schizophrenia Chris Frith
Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health Ivan Illich
Of Two Minds Tanya Luhrmann
Mistakes Were Made (but Not By Me) Carol Tavris and Ellion Aronson
Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us Robert Hare
Uncommon Therapy Jay Haley
My Voice Will Go With You Sidney Rosen
Models of Madness: Psychological, Social and Biological Approaches to Psychosis John Read et al (Eds)

I also did like The Ned Shorter history of psychiatry book mentioned above though you have to account for his highly revisionist account of the history of psychiatry where he sees the half century where American Psychiatry was psychoanalytically oriented as a period of time where psychiatry took leave of its senses before returning to its biological roots. He crowned biological psychiatry "a smashing success" though has notably been more critical of contemporary psychiatry since while peddling discredited ideas such as that we should divide depression up into melancholia and "nerves".

 

[littlefred]

What Psychiatry Left Out of the DSM by Edward Shorter. Probably the most accessible bit of history of psychiatry out there by an actual historian of science.

I also endorsed another Edward Shorter book in this thread. His writing and research is quite fascinating.

 

[SeniorWrangler]

Speaking of trauma, I also recommend The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Man do yoga people love this book. Like really love it.

 

[Stagg737]

Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us Robert Hare

I'll also second Hare, he's got a couple of books worth reading and his stuff definitely changed how I approached a certain subset of Cluster B patients.

I'd also throw Kent Keihl's books in as well for those specifically interested in psychopathy. Studying the HiToP model at the same time I read The Psychopath Whisperer was an interesting marriage of neurobiology and nosology of certain disorders.

 

[Coupd'Cat]

Speaking of trauma, I also recommend The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

or Van der quack as I like to call him. His prior expert testimony going back many years is what has been most concerning.

What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo and Complex PTSD by Pete Walker are well-written alternatives.

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Tr…

A searing memoir of reckoning and healing by acclaimed …

www.goodreads.com

Pete Walker, M.A. Psychotherapy

Pete Walker M.A., MFT Therapy for and recovery from childhood trauma, abuse and/or neglect, in the East Bay

www.pete-walker.com