This excellent book describes, for the educated public, what psychiatrists actually do. It is written by David Goldbloom, a senior psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto (with the assistance of Pier Bryden, a psychiatrist at the Hospital for Sick Children). My enthusiasm for this book is reflected in the blurb I wrote for its back cover.
The older stereotype of a bearded analyst sitting behind a couch, beloved of New Yorker cartoons, still shapes the image of psychiatry for some people. A newer stereotype sees us as chemical magicians, creating powerful psychopharmacological cocktails. But psychiatrists are working in a field where the causes of the illnesses we treat remain obscure and where the claims of neuroscience to fully explain mental disorders are only promising, with clinical applications that remain little but hype. Moreover, treatment in psychiatry is largely empirical and does not specifically address disease mechanisms. One of our most effective interventions, electroconvulsive therapy, discussed here in some detail, is an example. The enormous complexity of mind and brain means that breakthroughs are probably a long way off.
This book explains why contemporary psychiatrists need to be eclectic in practice. They treat the sickest patients who come to the mental health system—as they should. They need to be versed in many disciplines, ranging from neurosciences to social sciences. But above all, what makes psychiatry a unique discipline are well-developed listening skills.
The book also conveys, with the help of clinical examples, the human drama that shapes the practice of psychiatry. And as the authors point out, our field is highly attractive to medical graduates with a prior interest in humanistic studies.
This book has already had large sales and is playing a role in informing families and members of the educated public to understand what our field is about. It should also be read by Canadian psychiatrists.