Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/10/2013
ISBN-13: 9781451641974
ISBN-10: 1451641974

In this "honest and compassionate" (Kirkus Reviews) examination of end-of-life care, author Katy Butler uses her parents' difficult deaths to argue for a less invasive, more humane approach. Caring for Butler's father -- who after a severe stroke had a pacemaker installed, allowing his heart to pump blood into a deteriorating body and mind -- caused much anguish for Butler's mother, the primary caregiver. When her own end came, she refused treatment. In addition to contemplating whether or not implanting the pacemaker had been the right thing to do, Butler broadens her discussion to the benefits and pitfalls of prolonging life and the political and technological factors that interfere with patient preferences.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/02/2013
ISBN-13: 9781439184387
ISBN-10: 1439184380

Curious about the rise in alcohol consumption that she'd noticed among women, journalist Gabrielle Glaser started looking into the trend. From binge-drinking among college women to "mommy-juice" to happy hour, Glaser documents not only changes in cultural attitudes towards women drinking in public but also the increase in middle-aged women seeking addiction treatment (the number tripled between 1992 and 2007) and its effectiveness for women. Balancing "humor, thoughtfulness and skillful research" (Parents.com), this is a great book for anyone interested in the history (or present) of American women's relationship with alcohol.

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Publisher: Rodale
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/20/2013
ISBN-13: 9781609614911
ISBN-10: 1609614917

Colorado has the lowest obesity rate in the U.S.; it's also among the most active states. In this handy guide, the authors (who run the University of Colorado's Anschutz Health and Wellness Center) outline healthy lifestyle choices that will enable you to lose weight -- and keep it off. Your metabolism is the key, so their strategy starts with reigniting it and boosting it out of the "fat-storing" stage. The plan also balances daily exercise (and there are lots of options) with eating smarter and more healthfully (recipes that mix proteins and carbs are included), and includes a system you can stick with after the initial 16-week plan ends.

Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/27/2013
ISBN-13: 9780307595140
ISBN-10: 0307595145

Like Siddhartha Mukherjee's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Emperor of All Maladies, The Cancer Chronicles is a sweeping and intelligent assessment of the war on cancer, though in this case it was prompted by the author's wife's battle with the disease. Focusing on more recent medical advances, science writer George Johnson explores the nature (and "evolution") of cancer -- including surprising changes in the scientific community's understanding of what cancer is, how it manifests, and what its causes are. "Extraordinary scholarship delivered with an intimate poignancy," says Publishers Weekly.

Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/23/2007
ISBN-13: 9780307353009
ISBN-10: 0307353001

Written by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a patient, this book covers multiple aspects of bipolar disorder, from the latest in medical research to daily coping tips for those suffering from -- or caring for people with -- the disease. Comprehensive and authoritative, it also offers a question-and-answer section, and the three perspectives provide plenty of information for sufferers and their friends and family.

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Publisher: Scribner
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 12/30/2008
ISBN-13: 9781416549710
ISBN-10: 1416549714

This nontraditional approach to mental health argues that physical damage to the body -- from environmental factors, poor diet, or lack of exercise -- is the root cause behind most diagnoses and diseases. In The UltraMind Solution, author Mark Hyman outlines a six-week program for detoxifying the body in order to maximize brain function, increase energy, and reduce (or eliminate) a variety of mood disorders. However, while a healthy diet and regular exercise benefits everyone, you should consult with your doctor before going off any medications.

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Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/01/2007
ISBN-13: 9781572245068
ISBN-10: 1572245069

Chances are, you know someone dealing with a mental disorder (the office of the U.S. Surgeon General estimates that of the 54 million Americans struggling with one in any given year, only eight million actively seek treatment). If so, you may find this guide useful. In addition to helping you identify different forms of mental illness, it explains various treatment options and medications and will guide you through the process of helping your loved ones. "Comprehensive, compassionate and rooted in solid research" (Publishers Weekly), it's a solid reference if you're in need of information.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/03/2012
ISBN-13: 9781439177303
ISBN-10: 1439177309

Writer Daniel Smith can trace his problems with excessive anxiety back to his childhood (his mother, a psychotherapist, also suffered from anxiety), but by the time he was out of college, his anxiety ruled his life. In Monkey Mind, Smith shares his experiences -- in all their painful, embarrassing, sweaty glory -- with humor and honesty. Since it's a memoir, you won't find advice about cures here, but you will get an in-depth exploration of what it's like to never be able to stop worrying. For a memoir that's also part investigative journalism, try Patricia Pearson's A Brief History of Anxiety -- Yours and Mine.

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Publisher: Delacorte Press
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/05/2010
ISBN-13: 9780385343794
ISBN-10: 0385343795

In his first memoir (The Eden Express), written while he was still in his twenties, author Mark Vonnegut (and the son of celebrated writer Kurt Vonnegut) movingly detailed his struggles with bipolar disorder. After coming to terms with his illness, Vonnegut had embarked on a successful career as a doctor before another psychotic breakdown sent him back to the hospital as a patient. In Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So, an inspiring story in its own right, he describes how he balances his struggles with mental illness with his medical career and personal life.

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Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/01/2011
ISBN-13: 9781594484971
ISBN-10: 159448497X

When Judith Warner, author of the bestselling Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety, set out to write about the increasing number of children given drugs to manage conditions such as ADHD, autism, depression, or bipolar disorders, she expected to encounter "normal" kids drugged into good behavior by parents and doctors. Instead, what she found was that, while there are some cases of overdiagnosed and overmedicated children, there are far more who struggle with serious mental illness but who are unable to pursue effective treatment (or any treatment at all) due to exorbitant health care costs and deep-rooted stigma about psychiatric disorders. If this is a concern of yours, check out We've Got Issues.

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