Mad in America
Subtitle: bad science, bad medicine, and the enduring mistreatment of the mentally ill
By: Robert Whitaker
Edition: Rev. pbk.
Publisher: Basic Books
Published: 2010
Place of publication: New York, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 348
ISBN-13: 9780465020140
Subjects: Schizophrenia; Mentally ill; History; Treatment; Care
Description: A social history of the treatment of the mentally ill in America, this survey reveals the various methods of treatment from the 17th century to today: spinning, chilling, lobotomizing, and electroshock therapy, to name a few. Whitaker's position is skeptical when he compares the treatment of the mentally ill in America to those affected in other countries.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 293-336) and index.
Table of contents: title: Preface to the revised edition; title: The original Bedlam (1750-1900). Bedlam in medicine ; The healing hand of kindness; title: The darkest era (1900-1950). Unfit to breed ; Too much intelligence ; Brain damage as miracle therapy; title: Back to Bedlam (1950-1990s). Modern-day alchemy ; The patient's reality ; The story we told ourselves ; Shame of a nation ; The Nuremberg Code doesn't apply here; title: Mad medicine today (1990s-present). Not so atypical ; Epilogue; title: Afterword to the revised edition.