Description
Discover the profound exploration of psychiatry in the thought-provoking book, *Mind Fixers*. Written by Anne Harrington, acclaimed author of *The Cure Within*, this compelling narrative takes you through the history of psychiatry's attempts to reconcile mental disorders with biological explanations. Spanning 384 pages, *Mind Fixers* delves into how past struggles shaped today's crisis in mental health treatment. Harrington analyzes the shifting tides of psychiatry, detailing how early twentieth-century hurdles left room for Freudian and social perspectives to thrive. However, as these ideologies began to falter, a 'biological revolution' emerged—one that ultimately fell short in delivering real breakthroughs. The book intricately examines the interplay of science and social factors that have continually influenced psychiatric practices, such as immigration, warfare, and grassroots activism. These elements have all contributed to the treatment of mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder. *Mind Fixers* is more than just a historical account; it highlights the human experience of those seeking relief from mental suffering. This fascinating read is essential for anyone interested in the evolution of psychiatry and its impact on society. Available now, with free shipping. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780393358063
Year: 2020
Publisher: W W Norton & Company
Pages: 384
Description:
In Mind Fixers, Anne Harrington, author of The Cure Within, explores psychiatry's repeatedly frustrated struggle to understand mental disorder in biomedical terms. She shows how the stalling of early twentieth century efforts in this direction allowed Freudians and social scientists to insist, with some justification, that they had better ways of analyzing and fixing minds.
But when the Freudians overreached, they drove psychiatry into a state of crisis that a new śbiological revolutionť was meant to alleviate. Harrington shows how little that biological revolution had to do with breakthroughs in science, and why the field has fallen into a state of crisis in our own time.
Mind Fixers makes clear that psychiatry's waxing and waning biological enthusiasms have been shaped not just by developments in the clinic and lab, but also by a surprising range of social factors, including immigration, warfare, grassroots activism, and assumptions about race and gender. Government programs designed to empty the state mental hospitals, acrid rivalries between different factions in the field, industry profit mongering, consumerism, and an uncritical media have all contributed to the story as well.
In focusing particularly on the search for the biological roots of schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder, Harrington underscores the high human stakes for the millions of people who have sought medical answers for their mental suffering. This is not just a story about doctors and scientists, but about countless ordinary people and their loved ones.
A clear-eyed, evenhanded, and yet pas
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780393358063
Year: 2020
Publisher: W W Norton & Company
Pages: 384
Description:
In Mind Fixers, Anne Harrington, author of The Cure Within, explores psychiatry's repeatedly frustrated struggle to understand mental disorder in biomedical terms. She shows how the stalling of early twentieth century efforts in this direction allowed Freudians and social scientists to insist, with some justification, that they had better ways of analyzing and fixing minds.
But when the Freudians overreached, they drove psychiatry into a state of crisis that a new śbiological revolutionť was meant to alleviate. Harrington shows how little that biological revolution had to do with breakthroughs in science, and why the field has fallen into a state of crisis in our own time.
Mind Fixers makes clear that psychiatry's waxing and waning biological enthusiasms have been shaped not just by developments in the clinic and lab, but also by a surprising range of social factors, including immigration, warfare, grassroots activism, and assumptions about race and gender. Government programs designed to empty the state mental hospitals, acrid rivalries between different factions in the field, industry profit mongering, consumerism, and an uncritical media have all contributed to the story as well.
In focusing particularly on the search for the biological roots of schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder, Harrington underscores the high human stakes for the millions of people who have sought medical answers for their mental suffering. This is not just a story about doctors and scientists, but about countless ordinary people and their loved ones.
A clear-eyed, evenhanded, and yet pas