The Family Guide to Mental Health Care

by Lloyd I. Sederer, Glenn Close (Foreword)

Advice on Helping Your Loved Ones, from the medical director of the country's largest state mental health system and the mental health editor of The Huffington Post More than fifty million people a year are diagnosed with some form of mental illness. It spares no sex, race, age, ethnicity, or income level. And left untreated, mental disorders can devastate our families and communities. Family members and friends are often the first to realize when someone has a problem, but it is hard to know how to help or where to turn. Our mental health “system” can feel like a bewildering and frustrating maze. How can you tell that someone has a mental illness? What are the first and best steps for you to take? Where do you go to find the right care? The Family Guide to Mental Health Care is the first comprehensive print resource for the millions of people who have loved ones suffering from some kind of mental illness. In this book, families can find the answers to their most urgent questions. What medications are helpful and are some as dangerous as I think? Is there a way to navigate privacy laws so I can discuss my adult daughter’s treatment with her doctor? Is my teenager experiencing typical adolescent distress or an illness? From understanding depression, bipolar illness and anxiety to eating and traumatic disorders, schizophrenia, and much more, readers will learn what to do and how to help. Real-life scenarios and authoritative information are written in a compassionate, reader-friendly way, including checklists to bring to a doctor’s appointment so you can ask the right questions. For readers who fear they will never see the light at the end of the tunnel, this book gives hope and a path forward. As one of the nation’s leading voices on quality care in mental health, Dr. Lloyd Sederer has played a singular role in advancing services for those with mental illness. Now, the wealth of his expertise and clear guidance is at your disposal. From the first signs of a problem to sorting through the variety of treatment options, you and your family will be able to walk into a doctor’s office know what to do and what to ask.

Genres: Mental Health, Health, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Parenting

328 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are concerned about a loved one’s mental health and don’t know what to do, read this book!

A great resource for people who don’t have a background in medicine, psychology, or social work. It spells out what mental illness is, how you should talk to loved ones, what you can do, and acknowledges that our current system is messed up. Basically if you have any questions about how to navigate the mental health system in America, read this book. It lays out the outline of what is available, what you can do, what you can say, and how it should work.

It also covers each mental illness with a great summary of symptoms and treatments available.

Chapter 9 is a great summary of insurance and how it works. I wish this chapter was explained to everyone in the healthcare field so succinctly and clearly.

Chapter 10 goes over mental health and the law, including informed consent, advance directives, HIPAA, competency, etc. I also wish this chapter was taught to everyone.

I skimmed this book and read the parts I wanted to learn more about. The rest was pretty basic.

Some of the links don’t work in 2020, which makes sense if this was published in 2013. Just a heads up.

[Juli R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a how-to guide on navigating the murky waters of the mental health services system. If you find yourself wondering what you need to do to ensure your loved one gets a diagnosis and on a treatment plan, get this book. My relationship with my family member changed dramatically after I employed some of Dr. Sederer's advice, and I am much more confident about our journey through the medical community and understanding treatment options.

[Mary Saou · Rating 4 out of 5]

The detailed explanation of going through an ER visit, inpatient placement, medication classes, and so much more were beyond helpful in this resource. Anyone caring for someone with mental illness would benefit from reading this (sooner rather than later).

[Jhon Rey1]

totally good , if anyone have mental care problems than read this book. or Hi, My name is Jhon Rey from The United States. I am an affiliate Marketer. Visit my Website: http://www.neurotonixofficial.us/

[Cloay · Rating 3 out of 5]

- available in SG NLB 616.891 (SK

[Jordan Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a lot of information and is very insightful. I used it as a research book for my senior capstone project and it was a lot of help and let me strengthen my argument.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm finding this to be a thoughtful and compassionately written book that serves as a comprehensive guide to the wide spectrum of mental health care for families whose loved ones are living with a mental health diagnosis. Dr. Sederer's book provides practical information about mental health care services in America, from navigating the system, to finding the best physician for treatment, to what recovery "looks like" for various illnesses, to explaining how families are empowered advocates for loved ones, and to showing how hope, healing, and having productive lives are achievable no matter one's diagnosis. Due to the prevalence of mental illness in the world, I would recommend this book to anyone, whether the person living with the diagnosis is a family member, a friend, a colleague, or self. A general knowledge about the topic and how to be of assistance to those suffering benefits society as a whole. Definitely a resource book for every household.

"Mental illness is part of the human condition and we must have the courage and compassion to educate ourselves about it--to have an informed vocabulary--to say the frightening words often enough so that they no longer invite the toxic fear, shame, or stigma that so many have been struggling with for so tragically long. Help is available." - Glenn Close

*I received this complimentary copy from Goodreads and W. W. Norton & Company in exchange for an honest review.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, comprehensive, highly readable guide to finding the best mental health care for your loved ones (or yourself). Covers everything from questions to ask a mental health professional at your first appointment to how to get affordable mental health care for low-income people, to typical characteristics of various mental illnesses. I thought I was fairly well-informed on this subject but was surprised and delighted to find things I didn't know--and needed to.

Dr. Sederer writes in a way that makes complicated issues easy to understand, with honesty, warmth and compassion.

Highly recommended to anyone dealing with possible or definite mental illness, mild to serious, in a loved one or themselves. Ideal for librarians to recommend to patrons looking for the basics on dealing with anything from substance addiction to depression to narcissistic personality disorder, and perfect for mental-health-care displays.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very thorough overview of what is available out there for mental health care in the USA. While there is a large section that describes the various mental disorders, what symptoms the patient is apt to display, and what therapies (both medications and talk therapies) are useful for those disorders, this is not a self help book – there are no work sheets or exercises for the mentally ill. This is for helping the family (or the patient) find professional aid. This book can help save precious time and money by seeking the correct treatment right off the bat. If you have a family member or friend with a mental illness and they aren’t getting help, this can help guide you.

[Juli R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a comprehensive guide for families with a loved one who is experiencing mental health issues. Dr. Sederer guides readers through understanding what mental illness is, talking with the family member about seeking a diagnosis, understanding how to navigate the not-so-clear waters of finding the right type of professional for treatment, preparing for those first appointments, treatment options, paying for treatment, and so much more. Dr. Sederer's tone is one of compassion and understanding, and he understands the challenges present to families who are beginning this journey with their family member. If you are unsure where to begin seeking mental health care, begin with this book.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to use for reference when you are caught in the maze of doctors and illness.