Help from books

[I Love Bagpipes]

Spinning off the depression/possession thread, I wonder if it might be helpful to start a thread where folks can list books that have helped them work through chronic and/or mental illness?

And if not ... .... oh well ....

I'd be interested in knowing what books have helped folks.

For what it's worth, here are some books that I have found helpful:

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Daniel Amen

(Excellent read imo, helpful, easy to understand, practical. Dr. Amen divides the brain into 6(?) regions and list problems/case studies that stem from these regions. Each region then has a chapter on "prescriptions" to help in those problem areas. He also has pictures of brain scans for different problems. Explains some about how changing neural patterning can change biology.)

Molecules of Emotion by Candace Pert

(Another top of list book on explaining receptors/lignans/neurotransmitters and how the biology of emotions works. Explains some about how changing neural patterning can change biology. Learn about her story as a woman scientist in the 60's at the NIH. Pert helped term the word psychoneuroimmunology and helped discover the opiate receptor.)

The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns

(Thick book, but filled with journaling exercises to help change cognitive patterns. Good list of pharmaceuticals and side effects of the same for mental illnesses.)

Women's Moods by Sichel and Driscoll

(Not an easy book to read but very in depth. Covers a woman's cycle from the onset of menses through menopause and beyond. Many case studies. List helpful suggestions for self care. I called and talked with the one of the authors who has a clinic in Maryland.)

Total Relaxation by John Harvey

(Helps to identify distorted thoughts and how to change them. Comes with a cd with 4 10 to 20 minute meditation exercises.)

The Anatomy of an Illness and Head First both by Norman Cousins

(Both of these are at the top of my list. Explains what it is like to suffer with chronic illness and the stigma attached with it. Goes into mind/body medicine, how the placebo effect works, how the body is its own pharmacy, the importance of the doctor/patient relationship. Learn Norman Cousins own struggles and what he applied to overcome.)

The Heartmath Solution by Doc Childres

(Excellent, excellent, excellent. smile.gif Explains how the brain within the heart communicates with our bodies. Describes exercises to be in touch with one's emotional state and how to change that, how to reach neutral without suppression. Goes into electormagnetic field communications. Cutting edge research in this field.)

New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder by Fawcett, Golden, and Rosenfeld

(I've referred to this one a lot over the past 6 years. Case studies of well known people who have suffered mental illness and how they manage(d) their lives. Explains what it is like for a relative who does NOT suffer with mental illness copes with a family member who does. Covers much about stigma and how to handle it.)

Healing Back Pain By John Sarno

(This may sound like it has no connection to mental illness, but it does. It goes into how suppressed emotion can cause physical symptoms/illnesses. Spring boarding from this book, I was able to rid spasms of a herniated disc and it led me into insight regarding other illnesses I was dealing with.)

The Natural Medicine Guide to Bipolar Disorder by Stephanie Marohn

(Somewhat helpful in explaining avenues outside accepted medical protocols that have helped some people with bipolar. Good for possibility thinking.)

The Heart's Code by Paul Pearsall

(About the role cellular memory plays in health.)

The Healing Power of the Christian Mind by William Backus

(Goes into mind/body medicine from a Christian perspective.)

Margin by Richard Swenson

(Excellent read on how modern lifestyle are exhausting people resulting in many illnesses. Written from a biblical perspective, yet unconventional. Practical keys. Great bibliography.)

Time Management from the Inside Out

(Not about depression, but takes into account mental/physical illness in time management.)

Cry of the Soul by Allender and Longman

(Describes how our emotions are given from God for a reason. Why it is important to hear them and not just brush them off.)