Shadow Syndromes: How to Overcome Mild Forms of Common Psychological Conditions in Order to Reach Your Fullest Potential - Softcover

John J. Ratey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 059304214X ISBN 13: 9780593042144

Publisher: Bantam Press, 1997

Synopsis

People who attribute their daily life problems to bad parenting or low self-esteem are, this work argues, stumbling with the shadow syndrome. The biological stumbling blocks of everyday life, mild forms of serious mental disorders which too often go undetected yet drastically affect the way we see the world and behave within it. This text seeks to show how emotional problems begin in biology. A shadow syndrome may be made worse by a bad parent or a bad relationship, but all syndromes begin in the genes - and until we understand this, we will not be able to take the right steps to escape biology's grip. The authors focus on what kinds of treatment have been effective, from medication and psycotherapy to diet, meditation and exercise. But the most crucial treatment is the recognition of what underlies these treacherous moods and behaviour that can hold us back and take over our lives. It is biology that, just as it has formed us, can be reformed by us once we identify its nature and take certain steps towards change. .

About this title

Review

Freud once said that nobody is "normal," and after reading Shadow Syndromes, you may well be convinced of that. While more than 50 million Americans suffer from full-fledged mental illnesses such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, millions more suffer from milder forms--yet they likely don't realize it. From chronic sadness to low self-esteem to shopping addiction to intermittent rage disorder, compassionate authors John J. Ratey, M.D. and Catherine Johnson, Ph.D. chronicle the often-undiagnosed (yet definitely insidious) "shadow" disorders. One of the most eye-opening points the authors make is that men who "can't commit" to a relationship may in fact be suffering from an unrecognized adult form of attention deficit disorder.

Shadow Syndromes is thorough, but at the same time it simplifies the technical aspects of mental illnesses--no stacks of footnotes or complicated neurotransmitter charts here. The authors use plenty of anecdotes to illustrate how everyday people have recognized and overcome shadow syndromes. They also prevent the book from becoming one big bundle of bad news by stressing that these disorders are treatable with medications such as Prozac, which Johnson took to handle her mild depression. Specific lifestyle changes are also advised, including more sleep, changes in diet, and more exercise. The "Care and Feeding of the Brain" chapter compiles other empowering, healing approaches. This book will be valuable not only for those who believe they're suffering from a shadow syndrome, but for doctors and therapists as well. --Erica Jorgensen

From the Publisher

Identify the hidden timebombs in your personality...featuring proven treatments and strategies that can change your life.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 059304214X
• ISBN 13: 9780593042144
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English