Book Description

Become your own mental health expert Mental illness is too often portrayed with a sense of despair, as if it’s a life sentence. Nothing could be further from the truth. Virtually everyone improves with help, and most of the help is relatively easy to access. How do we define mental illness? What does a diagnosis mean? What should you ask your doctor before you begin treatment? Are there alternatives to medication? What does the research show actually works? Practitioner and professor of psychiatry Dr Steve Ellen and popular comedian Catherine Deveny combine forces to demystify the world of mental health. Sharing their personal experiences of mental illness and an insider perspective on psychiatry, they unpack the current knowledge about conditions and treatments. Punctuated with anecdotes and real-life stories, Mental covers everything from depression and anxiety to schizophrenia, personality disorders and substance abuse. This updated edition includes a new chapter on coping with the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic, as well as updates on new drugs and therapies. Whether you have a mental illness or support someone who does, Mental offers clear practical help, empowering you with an arsenal of tips and techniques to help build your resilience Dr Steve Ellen is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and the Director of Psychosocial Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He is a broadcaster on 3RRR, a weekly regular on ABC Melbourne and has written for medical journals, textbooks and print media. Catherine Deveny is a writer, commentator and comedian. She is the author of eight books, including Use Your Words, The Happiness Show, Free to a Good Home, Say When and It’s Not My Fault They Print Them.