Seymour Fisher – författare

FROM PLACEBO TO PANACEA With the latest generation of psychoactive drugs, has pharmacologyat last triumphed over mental illness? A close look at worldscientific literature would suggest otherwise. The sobering truthis that many claims about the efficacy of drug therapies foreverything from depression to schizophrenia have been exaggerated.What, then, accounts for the inflated confidence clinicians and thelay public alike often have in the new generation of "wonderdrugs"? Find out in From Placebo to Panacea. From Placebo to Panacea is not an indictment of drug therapy.Rather, it is a reasoned analysis of the efficacy of psychoactivedrugs as compared to other forms of treatment--backed by hardempirical data. Above all, it is meant to function as a therapist'sand patient's guide to making more informed decisions whenconsidering treatment options. The book begins with an in-depth discussion of salient problemswith standard methods of measuring the usefulness of psychoactivedrugs. Next is an exploration of a wide range of factors that canbias test results, both technical (e.g., patients participating indouble-blind trials can usually tell whether they are receiving aninactive placebo or a psychoactive drug) and psychosocial. Alsoconsidered are problems arising from current systems for diagnosingmental disorders, including complications resulting fromcomorbidity. Subsequent chapters focus on drug therapies for specific disordersin both adults and children. The authors cover depression andbipolar disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, borderlinepersonality disorder, attention deficit, and hyperactivity. Eachchapter carefully considers the published findings on the disorderunder discussion, as well as questions of side effects, suicide,and potential long-term benefits. A final chapter synthesizes the findings from previous chaptersinto a comprehensive picture of the current state of psychoactivedrug therapy. Throughout, the book provides valuable suggestionsfor ways of improving and building upon existing knowledge. Offering an empirically based appraisal of the strengths andlimitations of drug-based treatment for psychiatric disorders, FromPlacebo to Panacea is must reading for psychiatrists,psychologists, and other mental health professionals, as well aspsychopharmacologists and drug development researchers andpatients. "The long list of treatment failures, ranging from insulin coma tolobotomy, speaks for itself . . . skepticism should prevail withrespect to all evaluations of research, particularly if theyinvolve the welfare of large numbers of persons."--Seymour Fisherand Roger P. Greenberg Is the new generation of psychoactive "wonder drugs" really aseffective as it is purported to be? And, perhaps most significant,in an age of managed care, what are the dangers of uncritical faithin the usefulness of these drugs? From Placebo to Panacea examinesthese questions. It separates fact from fiction, and injects a noteof healthy questioning into the otherwise unreserved chorus ofpraise for psychotropics. From Placebo to Panacea:* Examines the clinical research into outcomes of common drugtherapies for most major mental disorders in adults and childrenOffers analyses of the effectiveness of most common psychotropicsin both controlled trials and clinical settings* Explores technical and psychosocial factors that frequently biastest results in favor of drug therapies* Provides critical, empirically based appraisal of the strengthsand limitations of drug-based treatment for psychiatric disorders* Compares the relative effectiveness of drug therapy versusnondrug therapies and placebos

It would be impossible to tabulate fully the debt modern psychology owes to Sigmund Freud. Freud's theories of the unconscious, the role of parents in personality development, psychological defense mechanisms, psychosomatic symptoms, body image, and sexual behavior patterns, to name just a few, continue to exert a powerful influence on most contemporary schools of psychological thought. So, too, elements of the original psychoanalytic method have become a fixture in the modern psychotherapeutic armamentarium. But, as the authors of this book point out, Freud's approach was more intuitive than scientific, and his work less a rigorous system than a collection of "mini-theories," some of which have stood the test of time and scientific scrutiny, while others have not. For obvious reasons, then, it is important that Freud's theories and methods be periodically reappraised and revised in light of the latest empirical findings, and that they be closely evaluated for their relevance to the contemporary psychological scene. Freud Scientifically Reappraised represents Seymour Fisher and Roger Greenberg's on-going efforts to do precisely that. Like their landmark work of the 1970s, The Scientific Credibility of Freud's Theories and Therapy, it is based on the authors' critical review of all studies conducted over the past decade that either directly or indirectly tested the validity of Freud's theories of psychopathology, personality types, Oedipal dynamics, and the nature of the dream process, or the efficacy of psychoanalytic therapy. While their research focused mainly on sources in social, clinical, cognitive, developmental, physiological, and other psycho-logical schools of thought, it also extended to the recent literature in anthropology, sociology, psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, and other outside disciplines.OF RELATED INTEREST...PSYCHIATRY AND CRIMINAL CULPABILITY—Ralph SlovenkoIn this book Ralph Slovenko, a professor of law and psychiatry, explores the cases, origins, links, and requirements of legal insanity tests. Dr. Slovenko addresses a wide range of important topical issues such as the distinction between the defenses of not guilty by reason of insanity, guilty but mentally ill, and diminished capacity. He identifies the types of mental illness that fall under criminal responsibility and explores the role of the mental health professional as an expert character witness. This thought-provoking book will help mental health and legal professionals deal with the controversial question of what makes a person criminally responsible or criminally insane. 1994 (0-471-05425-9) 448 pp.A PERILOUS CALLING: The Hazards of Psychotherapy PracticeEdited by Michael B. SussmanThrough a series of compelling first-person narratives, this fascinating book takes a revealing look into the private and professional lives of psychotherapists. This candid approach reveals not only the perils of the job, but the effects that dealing with the emotional and mental sufferings of others may have on the psychotherapist. This book will help professionals learn how to take better care of themselves in their professional and private lives and help their patients, friends, and loved ones gain some insight into the psychotherapists' own concerns and conflicts. 1995PSEUDOSCIENCE IN BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: Blaming the Body—Colin A. Ross and Alvin PamPseudoscience in Biological Psychiatry is a groundbreaking book that explores cutting-edge issues like the historical origins of biological psychiatry, genetics and mental illness, the current state of psychiatric training, psychopharmacology and drug therapy, and more. Instead of limiting the origins of mental illnesses to chemical or physical influences, this book takes into account the possibility of illnesses stemming from outside influences as well. This book alerts the mental health community to the ideological blind spots and conceptual errors in the basic logic and methodology of biological psychiatry and suggests alternative approaches to understanding and treating mental illness. 1994 (0-471-00776-5) 304 pp.As will be apparent to all those versed in Freudian theory, throughout Freud Scientifically Reappraised, the authors scrupulously avoid the common tendency to oversimplify the theories in order to make them easier to test empirically, but instead present them in their full complexity as formulated by Freud. Readers from all backgrounds will appreciate the effort made to relate Freud's concepts and methods to personality and cognitive literature in order to provide a framework for integrating them into contemporary thought and practice.Freud Scientifically Reappraised is must reading for psychologists, psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, and all mental health workers who acknowledge the enduring influence of and debt owed to the "Father of Psychoanalysis."Upon its publication, The Scientific Credibility of Freud's Theories and Therapy was named one of the 10 best books in psychology by Library Journal and one of the "Best Behavioral Science Books" by Psychology Today.

Broadly scanning the biologically oriented treatments for psychological disorders in 20th century psychiatry, the authors raise serious questions about the efficacy of the somatic treatments for psychological distress and challenge the widespread preference for biologically based treatments as the treatments of choice. For graduate and undergraduate courses in clinical, social, and health psychology, behavioral medicine, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. psychopharmacology, psychiatry, and clinical social work.

This volume documents how sexual practices and fictions infiltrate and are influenced by a person's feelings about the self and the body. Using paradigms derived from self and body image theory, Fisher combines research from the past several decades dealing with sexual behavior to test major theories concerning diverse sexual phenomena. The book integrates, within a broad conceptual scheme, research findings concerning major aspects of sexual behavior such as the development of sexual competence, orgasm consistence, clitoral versus vaginal preference, and homosexuality.

The major goal of this book is to explore and integrate all that is scientifically known about the utility of magical plans and strategies for coping with life's inevitable absurdities. Make-believe has great adaptive value and helps the average individual to function better in cultures saturated with puzzling contradictions. This book traces the origins of pretending (illusion-construction) and the developmental phases of this skill. Further, it analyzes how parents depend on pretending to secure conformity and self-control from their children. It unravels the ways in which make-believe is utilized to defend against death-anxiety and feelings of fragility. It examines the relationship between pretending and the classical defense mechanisms -- and particularly weighs the evidence bearing on the potential protective power of embracing religious beliefs. Finally, it defines the diverse contributions of make-believe to the construction of the self-concept, the defensive maneuvers typifying psychopathology, and the maintenance of somatic health. In short, this book pulls together a spectrum of scientific information concerning the defensive value of illusory make-believe in coping with those aspects of life -- such as death, loss, suffering, and injustice -- that are experienced as unreasonable and beyond understanding. The volume is unique not only in the breadth of the literature it analyzes but also in demonstrating the contribution of make-believe to both the psychological and somatic aspects of behavior. No previous work has documented in such detail and across so many domains how basic the capacity to engage in make-believe is to human adaptation.

The major goal of this book is to explore and integrate all that is scientifically known about the utility of magical plans and strategies for coping with life's inevitable absurdities. Make-believe has great adaptive value and helps the average individual to function better in cultures saturated with puzzling contradictions. This book traces the origins of pretending (illusion-construction) and the developmental phases of this skill. Further, it analyzes how parents depend on pretending to secure conformity and self-control from their children. It unravels the ways in which make-believe is utilized to defend against death-anxiety and feelings of fragility. It examines the relationship between pretending and the classical defense mechanisms -- and particularly weighs the evidence bearing on the potential protective power of embracing religious beliefs. Finally, it defines the diverse contributions of make-believe to the construction of the self-concept, the defensive maneuvers typifying psychopathology, and the maintenance of somatic health. In short, this book pulls together a spectrum of scientific information concerning the defensive value of illusory make-believe in coping with those aspects of life -- such as death, loss, suffering, and injustice -- that are experienced as unreasonable and beyond understanding. The volume is unique not only in the breadth of the literature it analyzes but also in demonstrating the contribution of make-believe to both the psychological and somatic aspects of behavior. No previous work has documented in such detail and across so many domains how basic the capacity to engage in make-believe is to human adaptation.

This volume documents how sexual practices and fictions infiltrate and are influenced by a person's feelings about the self and the body. Using paradigms derived from self and body image theory, Fisher combines research from the past several decades dealing with sexual behavior to test major theories concerning diverse sexual phenomena. The book integrates, within a broad conceptual scheme, research findings concerning major aspects of sexual behavior such as the development of sexual competence, orgasm consistence, clitoral versus vaginal preference, and homosexuality.

Broadly scanning the biologically oriented treatments for psychological disorders in 20th century psychiatry, the authors raise serious questions about the efficacy of the somatic treatments for psychological distress and challenge the widespread preference for biologically based treatments as the treatments of choice. For graduate and undergraduate courses in clinical, social, and health psychology, behavioral medicine, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. psychopharmacology, psychiatry, and clinical social work.