Customer Reviews

Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients, and Providers

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My son is alive and thriving today largely because of Dr. E. Fuller Torrey's books and activities on behalf of the severely mentally ill.

Six years ago, Dr. Torrey's third edition of Surviving Schizophrenia was the first book I read on the subject. Our family was in crisis after my oldest son had his first psychotic break. Dr. Torrey's practical, sound, humane advice was godsent information. I had read Bateson and Satir years before in grad school. Based on their writings, I felt responsible and guilty that my son developed schizophrenia. Dr. Torrey's book allowed me to move beyond misplaced guilt with it's clarity of thought on an illness beset by flakey books and ideas. His practical advice guided us in selecting a multidisciplinary team to work with our son who is doing well even though he requires occasional hospitalization. Dr. Torrey's endnotes guided us into a wide field of research that broadened our understanding. I have since read extensively on the subject: neurology, genetics, and psychiatric texts; legal and medical journals; history; etc. I spend two days a month at the UC Davis Medical School's library researching psychosocial and cognitive-behavioral treatments. I also advocate for sane public policies that are directed toward the severely mentally ill. You cannot beat this book's wise counsel. In one place, you can find information on almost every aspect of the illness. As broadly read in the field as I am, I discovered new and exciting developments in Dr. Torrey's latest edition. This is the first book that I would give anyone who needs to understand schizophrenia. For families, consumers, and providers, Surviving Schizophrenia is the bible on almost every aspect of the disorder. Buy copies for yourself, parents, children, friends, teachers, clergy, ....

I read this book because I agree with many of the things Dr. Torrey says about severe mental illness. I DO NOT agree with everything he says, but much I do agree with. One claim of Dr. Torrey's that he makes in this book that I do not agree with is his claim that "anti-psychotic drugs are extremely safe drugs." While this might be soothing info to a schizophrenic ignorant to the realities of anti-psychotic medication, it is hardly true. It doesnt let off a schizophrenic for taking their neuroleptics however Dr. Torrey could have said something along the lines of "dramatic improvements are needed in developing truly safe anti-psychotic medication."

Furthermore, usage of anti-psychotic medication for non-schizophrenia uses such as mood and anxiety disorders is extremely dangerous and should be dramatically curtailed.

Other than that, I found this book to be comprehensive and good. While I personally am not diagnosed with schizophrenia, I found it fascinating and of high quality nonetheless. For anyone diagnosed with any severe form of mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar, severe depression) I would recommend this book to. Just the chapter on mental health advocacy/lobbying is worth the cost of the book IMO. More people with serious mental illness need to become involved in politics and mental illness lobbying. That is the only way things will ever really improve and Dr. Torrey makes this clear.

More mentally ill individuals need to vote.

What I found most interesting about this book though is the sardonic and derisive description of psychiatry, coming from another psychiatrist who is a specialist in severe mental illness. This is extremely rare and its why I admire Dr. Torrey. He says the things that some people think, but dont have the guts to say in public. His description of the various advocacy and lobbying groups that supposedly represent the severely mentally ill is disheartening. There really isnt a good lobby organisation for the severely mentally ill IMO. NAMI is the best we have so far, but even NAMI has many shortcomings.

Dr. Torrey makes it clear that very few people or organisations could give a hoot about the severely mentally ill. Including psychiatry. And these claims of his, which some might have trouble believing, have matched up exactly with my personal experiences with psychiatry. Private practice psychiatry is not geared towards the care of severely mentally ill individuals. And public psychiatry is of such poor, shoddy quality in most cases that its a disgrace that we as a society treat the worst cases in the public system mostly.

While not mentioned specifically in this book, the thing Dr. Torrey has said elsewhere that most impresses me is something I had figured out on my own long before I ever heard of Dr. E. Fuller Torrey. And that is that at some point, if we are ever to TRULY get serious about severe mental illness, psychiatry is going to have to be formally merged into Neurology. At some point, Neurology is going to have to take a much larger and direct role in treating the severely mentally ill. Psychiatry is too scientifically primitive and too focused on "behavioral control" to deal with true brain based illnesses such as schizophrenia, manic depression and severe depression.

Dr. Torrey is a hero for speaking his mind and telling it like it really is. Other psychiatrists should do the same.

If you are schizophrenic, definitely get this book (take your meds too). If you have another form of severe mental illness get a copy of this book and at least read the chapter on mental health advocacy and lobbying.

Eric

EFT seems to assume that people with schizophrenia must modify their expectations about how far they will go in the area of life they choose to live in, explore, master, love. But with the new medicines, and psychosocial therapies like Cognitive Enhancement Therapy, developed at Pittsburgh's Western Psych, I believe that cERtain victims of this illness can go as far, if not further, than normal people, for they have a perspective, the perspective of madness/sickness, which is impossible for a normal to know, no matter how much description, no matter how true, he has access to, because there is a filter between inside your mind and your external expression, which subjective experiences can never pass through.

This is a subtle point, because first EFT says that after having the illness, people's ability to test for intelligence is hurt, while their iNNATe, aCTUAl intelligence remains as potent as ever. Then he goes on and speaks as if all of us with the illness have to be treated like babies so we won't relapse. Have i misread him? Please email me if so.

My son was diagnosed this past January(2004)with "Acute Schizophrenia". I immediately began my research at the local library. Inundated and very naive, I checked-out any/everything related to "Schziophrenia". When I got to Dr. Torrey's book, I felt a sense of "understanding". He writes about the "common" everyday encounters one can have, as well the, "not so pleasant" issues in dealing with schizophrenia. I feel his book is consumer/user friendly and easy to read. My journey is far from over, but Dr. Torrey's knowledge and insight has made the "light at the end of my tunnel" seem much brighter and hopeful! My "Heartfelt" love, truly goes out to all who are dealing with mental illness.

As the adult daughter and only survivor of a mother/brother team of schizophrenics, let me say this: While the info is welcome, Torrey's plea to families to be understanding and compassionate made me want to get up and start shrieking in the subway. If you happen to be upper-middleclass and everyone involved is smart and educated this is a great book. I feel that thanks to this book and other stories like "Beautiful Mind" and "Proof" everyone can now safely assume that schizophrenia is a disease of brilliant white men. You can not sacrifice one group to save another. What I mean is that by cleaning up this disease and getting the good PR and all that, there is another group that is being disenfranchised - the children of schizophrenics. Yeah, it's a delicate issue, I'll admit, but what I don't need in this lifetime is another doctor telling me I should be compassionate. You tell that to some other little girl who's mother believes in Demons, ok Doc? And look in her eyes while you say that.

This is the most useful book that has been written about schizophrenia. I wish the families of all people who develop this brain disorder could be handed a copy along with the diagnosis. If families could get this book early on, so much suffering and confusion could be avoided and people would understand the next steps they need to take. They would also be less likely to be misled by the increasingly widespread rhetoric that tells us to avoid treating this illness with a medical approach. Powerful groups often persuade vulnerable people that anti-psychotic medications are useless; research demonstrates otherwise.
Fuller Torrey's book gave me the strength and information that I needed to offer my daughter the best possible help.
Susan Inman
author
After Her Brain Broke: Helping My Daughter Recover Her Sanity

While there's a plethora of fiction and/or memoir type books on mental illness (think "A Beautiful Mind" or "The Bark of the Dogwood") there's a lack of those which strive to help the average person or family member of someone with this illness. This insightful book was first published some twenty years ago, and it's STILL as useful today as it was back then--more so, probably. Schizophrenia IS treatable and needs to be understood. This is a great place to start.

SURVIVING SCHIZOPHRENIA has to be one of the most helpful books ever written. When I first read an earlier edition in the 1990's until this latest edition, I have found many suggestions that benefit my life, the life of my friends, and the life of my family. Fuller Torrey makes clear that there are many illnesses that resemble true schizophrenia, but will later be diagnosed otherwise. As patients and families begin their journeys with the medical profession, it is good to have a copy of SURVIVING SCHIZOPHRENIA in their pockets.

I have to say that, when it comes to describing schizophrenia and it's repercussions, this is one of the best! I've only run into one other book that shows the disease in a thorough and accurate light.

This book covers everything from description to diagnosis to treatment to suicide and other behaviors. Easy to read and fascinating, this book would be a welcome addition to anyone's psychology library. HIGHLY recommended! :o)

This is an excellent, comprehensive book about schizophrenia that is a must read for anyone interested in the illness. Dr. Torrey is very good at writing about complex scientific subjects and this book is no exception. The book is also organized in an intuitive, straightforward manner. It will be equally useful for the afflicted, their family members, and caretakers (including doctors and therapists). Highly recommended. Avery Z. Conner, author of "Fevers of the Mind".