The Making Of A Psychiatrist

by David Viscott

This book is by a psychiatrist not afraid to reveal himself, to question the shibboleths of his profession while remaining a respected member within it. In his remarkable narrative, David S. Viscott gives a totally personal account of his training, from medical school through his own analysis, a provocative appraisal of traditional attitudes and techniques, and an insight into the human principles guiding his own practice and philosophy of psychiatry.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychiatry, Psychology, Medicine, Biography, Memoir

416 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 1904

About the author

In 1980 Viscott began presenting his own full-time show on talk radio, and was notably one of the first psychiatrists to do so (talk station KABC). He screened telephone calls and gave considerable amount of free psychological counselling to his on-air "patients."

In 1987 Viscott briefly had his own live syndicated TV show, Getting in Touch with Dr. David Viscott, providing much the same service as his radio show. In fact, the shows ran concurrently. In the early 1990s he had a weekly call-in therapy television program on KNBC in Los Angeles early Sunday morning after Saturday Night Live, titled Night Talk with Dr. David Viscott.

Viscott's signature style was to attempt to isolate an individual's source of emotional problems in a very short amount of time.[citation needed] Many of his books were of a self-help nature, written to assist the individual with his/her own examination of life. His autobiography, The Making of a Psychiatrist, was a best-seller, a Book of the Month Club Main Selection, and nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Along with psychiatric advice, he would fall back on his medical knowledge to regularly devote entire segments of radio to answering medical questions. During these segments he would give medical advice. Many of the questions answered had to do with pharmacological advice. This was unique in the world of talk radio.

Viscott's popularity peaked in the early 1990s, and then fell sharply. A separation from his wife, followed by declining health, occurred at about the same time that he left the air waves. He died in 1996 of heart failure complicated by a diabetic condition. At the time, he was living alone in Los Angeles. He is survived by his four children, Elizabeth, Penelope, Jonathan, and Melanie.

Reviews

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, easy, and informative read, though a bit outdated now.

[Daryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this man. He was very special and we shared a moment I will never forget. I learned so much from him.

[Helenhig · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books. I've read it several times. Honest and heartwarming

[Dazey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed seeing a psychiatrist perspective in a non-clinical view, it had undertones of humor and irony about health care and people working as someone who judges another person based on their movements and what they say, or even what that don't say. It is fallible that a person with their own preconceived notions and feelings must put them aside and not let them interfere with something that is a deeply emotional job where people tell you the worst about themselves. Though it is outdated (we shut down many rehabilitation centers for those struggling with mental illness, but also reformed children institutions) the overall feeling of derision for psychiatry but also knowing we can only do what we've learned is still evident in health care, but every once in a while you find someone born to help people and even if they don't know what they're doing, it matters that they want to try.


Spoilers****
The man who was in the institution for ever because he was not "fit to stand trial" and then his papers being changed because of the Dr. himself having psychosis and then he finally got a chance to maybe go to trial but the collective of people in charge just wasn't trying and "lost" his papers really sums up the general healthcare system when you do not have insurance or any once else to bat for you. And then him dying of a heart attack and never even getting to be a person really killed me. The general not caring is also prevalent in the justice system of then and today.

[David Bowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I red this book like 7 months ago so I’m a little forgetful on the details but I liked the book. It was highly interesting to hear about the politics and bias that happen within a field like psychiatry. Because it is told from a first person perspective the author never really discusses his own bias, Which is one of my man issues with the book. He is incredibly biased towards women and it is apparent in the way he describes them. He seems them as hyper sexual and dorm almost like a villian out of a movie. So now I wonder if I can even trust his assessment on the things around him.
Still over all great book on the issues of 1960’s psychiatry.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biographical novel of a psychiatrist-in-training is both illuminating and interesting! The author gives a great deal of detail in explaining how a psychiatrist in the 1970's (or so) was educated. The author practices in an outpatient clinic, in juvenile hall, in a state hospital, and in an acute hospital psychiatric ward. He explains a lot about psychiatry in a way laypeople can understand easily, but professionals will not find boring.

[Greg Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read for me. I've often wondered how someone is trained to understand what the patient is NOT saying. What it also revealed is how to become a bad psychiatrist. There were more than a few he either trained or worked with that even he felt were sub-par. I think if I ever need therapy, I may want to see a summary from the psychiatrist psychiatrist.

[Rick Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is fairly entertaining and informative for those interested in psychiatry in the House of God era. The author’s blatant narcissism is everywhere, which can be annoying, but also entertaining