What do you think?
Rate this book
Healing the Mind through the Power of Story: The Promise of Narrative Psychiatry
Psychiatry that recognizes the essential role of community in creating a new story of mental health • Provides a critique of conventional psychiatry and a look at what mental health care could be • Includes stories used in the author’s healing practice that draw from traditional cultures around the world Conventional psychiatry is not working. The pharmaceutical industry promises it has cures for everything that ails us, yet a recent study on antidepressants showed there is no difference of success in prescribed pharmaceuticals from placebos when all FDA-reported trials are considered instead of just the trials published in journals. Up to 80 percent of patients with bipolar depression remain symptomatic despite conventional treatment, and 10 to 20 percent of these patients commit suicide. In Healing the Mind through the Power of Story, Dr. Mehl-Madrona shows what mental health care could be. He explains that within a narrative psychiatry model of mental illness, people are not defective, requiring drugs to “fix” them. What needs “fixing” is the ineffective stories they have internalized and succumbed to about how they should live in the world. Drawing on traditional stories from cultures around the world, Dr. Mehl-Madrona helps his patients re-story their lives. He shows how this innovative approach is actually more compatible with what we are learning about the biology of the brain and genetics than the conventional model of psychiatry. Drawing on wisdom both ancient and new, he demonstrates the power and success of narrative psychiatry to bring forth change and lasting transformation.
518 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2010
27 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Lewis Mehl-Madrona
18 books40 followersLewis graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine and trained in family medicine, psychiatry, and clinical psychology. He completed his residencies in family medicine and in psychiatry at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has been on the faculties of several medical schools, most recently as associate professor of family medicine at the University of New England. He continues to work with aboriginal communities to develop uniquely aboriginal styles of healing and health care for use in those communities. He is interested in the relation of healing through dialogue in community and psychosis. He is the author of Coyote Medicine, Coyote Healing, and Coyote Wisdom, a trilogy of books on what Native culture has to offer the modern world. He has also written Narrative Medicine, Healing the Mind through the Power of Story: the Promise of Narrative Psychiatry, and, his most recent book with Barbara Mainguy, Remapping Your Mind: the Neuroscience of Self-Transformation through Story.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 15, 2020
The ‘Aha!’ for me in this book is that stories shape the brain – literally. Molecular geneticists are discovering that ‘social experience modifies our genes’ and ‘reshapes our DNA moment by moment.’ (Social experience being primarily the exchange and enactment of stories.)
In fact, Dr. Melh-Madrona suggests, “On the whole, social relationships and experience are perhaps more powerful in changing our brains than drugs.”* Certainly, a number of so called ‘antidepressants’ out on the market prove no more effective than placebos.
There are positive and negative consequences to this story. One of the downsides is that often times a person experiencing illness enters the traditional healthcare system and is given a story: bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, clinical depression, ALS, MS, chronic pain such as fybromyalgia, etc.
Sadly, what often happens next is that when the individual is institutionalized to receive ‘care’, the entire medical team and support staff’s focus centers around empowering the story rather than the person. Healthcare turns to health-scare and instead of healing, the condition is often prolonged and/or exacerbated.
The upside here is that through narrative psychiatry and community/group storytelling, through collaborative interaction, empowering stories, or counter narratives, can be developed for dis-empowering the bad stories and empowering the person (vs. patient) to heal.
Dr. Melh-Madrona is asserting that many genetically linked diseases can, over time, be better managed, mitigated, and even transformed into healing success stories through the power of storytelling in conjunction with medical treatment, especially through collaborative community interaction.
In his book, he gives example after example of empowering stories he’s shared with clients suffering from various illnesses and their positive transformation from enacting these stories and attending community healing circles.
The great thing about healing circles is that anyone can start one up in their own community, consisting of a small group of people who are dedicated to each other’s healing. The group meets regularly in a circle. Each member shares their story by holding a ‘talking stick’ which is passed around the group. The stick is passed only when one feels heard and they’ve fully expressed what they have to say.
Nobody else can speak when a group member is holding the stick, which reinforces active listening among all members and activates group healing through narrative expression. Also, when a group member expresses a challenge, the rest of the group can pitch in by sharing whatever they feel they can offer: prayers, massages, reiki, advice, stories of overcoming similar challenges, etc.
A good takeaway from this book, is that if you find yourself in a rut, be it personal or professional, examine yourself and start replacing your negative stories with empowering ones, and consider joining a support group to express your stories in a nurturing environment. One of the reasons why Weight Watchers and Alcoholics Anonymous have been so consistently successful is the group sharing and camaraderie in community that occurs on a regular basis.
I highly recommend this book for all helping professionals and anyone searching for stories to heal the mind.
* One caveat the author notes is that “people taking psychiatric medications should never stop taking them abruptly, as serious withdrawal symptoms can occur.” Also, the advice given here and in the book should not be used to treat a serious ailment without consulting a qualified medical professional first.
In fact, Dr. Melh-Madrona suggests, “On the whole, social relationships and experience are perhaps more powerful in changing our brains than drugs.”* Certainly, a number of so called ‘antidepressants’ out on the market prove no more effective than placebos.
There are positive and negative consequences to this story. One of the downsides is that often times a person experiencing illness enters the traditional healthcare system and is given a story: bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, clinical depression, ALS, MS, chronic pain such as fybromyalgia, etc.
Sadly, what often happens next is that when the individual is institutionalized to receive ‘care’, the entire medical team and support staff’s focus centers around empowering the story rather than the person. Healthcare turns to health-scare and instead of healing, the condition is often prolonged and/or exacerbated.
The upside here is that through narrative psychiatry and community/group storytelling, through collaborative interaction, empowering stories, or counter narratives, can be developed for dis-empowering the bad stories and empowering the person (vs. patient) to heal.
Dr. Melh-Madrona is asserting that many genetically linked diseases can, over time, be better managed, mitigated, and even transformed into healing success stories through the power of storytelling in conjunction with medical treatment, especially through collaborative community interaction.
In his book, he gives example after example of empowering stories he’s shared with clients suffering from various illnesses and their positive transformation from enacting these stories and attending community healing circles.
The great thing about healing circles is that anyone can start one up in their own community, consisting of a small group of people who are dedicated to each other’s healing. The group meets regularly in a circle. Each member shares their story by holding a ‘talking stick’ which is passed around the group. The stick is passed only when one feels heard and they’ve fully expressed what they have to say.
Nobody else can speak when a group member is holding the stick, which reinforces active listening among all members and activates group healing through narrative expression. Also, when a group member expresses a challenge, the rest of the group can pitch in by sharing whatever they feel they can offer: prayers, massages, reiki, advice, stories of overcoming similar challenges, etc.
A good takeaway from this book, is that if you find yourself in a rut, be it personal or professional, examine yourself and start replacing your negative stories with empowering ones, and consider joining a support group to express your stories in a nurturing environment. One of the reasons why Weight Watchers and Alcoholics Anonymous have been so consistently successful is the group sharing and camaraderie in community that occurs on a regular basis.
I highly recommend this book for all helping professionals and anyone searching for stories to heal the mind.
* One caveat the author notes is that “people taking psychiatric medications should never stop taking them abruptly, as serious withdrawal symptoms can occur.” Also, the advice given here and in the book should not be used to treat a serious ailment without consulting a qualified medical professional first.
January 28, 2011
This guy is amazing. More people need to read his books.
July 26, 2016
Interesting stuff but the last half, dealing with spiritualism, is a stretch for practical-minded folks out there. But, well-written and worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews