Reading for Mental Health

It is estimated that over 80% of counselors and therapists recommend  reading as an adjunct to talk-therapy. Using reading material as a therapeutic complement is often referred to as bibliotherapy. For people who like to read, bibliotherapy may have its benefits. It certainly doesn’t hurt to learn more about a diagnosed disorder, but the effectiveness of self-help reading is not firmly known. There are relatively few studies done with good scientific controls that give reliable results for problem oriented reading. However, it does seem that some reading is successful for people who have high motivation for change and who have a positive belief in its therapeutic effectiveness.

Antonetta, S. (2005). A mind apart: Travels in a neurodiverse world. New York: Tarcher.

Beck, A. & Alford, B. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment (2nd ed.)  Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Borchard, T.J. (2010). Beyond blue: Surviving depression & anxiety and making the  most of bad genes. New York: Center Street.

Castle, L. (2003). Bipolar disorder demystified. New York: Marlowe & Company.

Castle, L. (2006). Finding your bipolar muse: How to master depressive droughts and  manic floods and access your creative power. New York: Marlow & Company.

Hammerly, M. (2001). Depression, the new integrative approach: How to combine the  best of traditional and alternative therapies. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation.

Herzberg, D. (2009). Happy pills in America: From Miltown to Prozac. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Hornbacher, M. (2008). Madness: A bipolar life. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Jamison, K.R. (1996). An unquiet mind: A memoir of moods and madness. New York: Vintage Books.

Johnson, L., & Johnson, C. (2012). Perfect chaos: A daughter’s journey to survive bipolar, a mother’s struggle to save her. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Joiner, T. (2005). Why people die by suicide. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Jones, P.E. (2008). The up and down life: The truth about bipolar disorder-the  good, the bad, and the funny. New York: Penguin.

Kaiser, T. (2009). A user’s guide to therapy: What to expect and how you can benefit. New York: WW Norton & Company.

Komrad, M.S. (2012). You need help: A step-by-step plan to convince a loved one to get counseling. Center City, MN: Hazelden Foundation.

Mink, S.P. (2006). Clinical depression and bipolar illness: Frequently asked  questions, a handbook for teens. McLean, VA: Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association (DRADA).

Montross, C. ( 2013). Falling into the fire: A psychiatrist’s encounters with the mind in crisis. New York: The Penguin Press.

Null, G. (2000). The food-mood-body connection: Nutrition-based and environmental approaches to mental health and physical wellbeing. New York: Seven Stories Press.

Olfman, S. (Ed.). (2007). Bipolar children: Cutting-edge controversy, insights, and research. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Owen, S. & Saunders, A. (2008). Bipolar disorder – the ultimate guide. Oxford, Eng: Oneworld Publications.

Seligman, M. (1990, 2006). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and your life. New York: Vintage Books.

Seligman, M. (1993, 2007). What you can change and what you can’t: The complete guide to self-improvement. New York: Vintage Books.

Seligman, M. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York: Atria.

Shorter, E. (2013). How everyone became depressed: The rise and fall of the  nervous breakdown. Oxford, Eng: Oxford University Press.

Shouba, T.K. (2013). Conversations about therapy: People tell their stories. St. Charles, IL: Marsh House Books.

Smith, H. (2010). Welcome to the jungle: Everything you ever wanted to know about bipolar but were too freaked out to ask. San Francisco: Conari  Press.

Solomon, A. (2001). The noonday demon: An atlas of depression. New York: Scribner.

Stossel, S. (2013). My age of anxiety: Fear, hope, dread, and the search for  peace of mind. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Terman, M., & McMahan, I. (2012). Chronotherapy: Resetting your inner clock to  boost mood, alertness, and Quality Sleep. New York: Penguin.

The Healing Project (Ed) (2010). Voices of bipolar disorder: The healing companion: Stories for courage, comfort and strength. Brooklyn  NY: LaChance Publishing.

Torrey, E.F. (2014). American psychosis: How the federal government destroyed  the mental illness treatment system. New York: Oxford University Press.

Whitaker, R. (2010). Anatomy of an epidemic: Magic bullets, psychiatric drugs, and the astonishing rise of mental illness in America. New York: Broadway Paperbacks.

Zwolinski, R. M., & Zwolinski, C.R. (2009). Therapy revolution: Find help, get better, and move on without wasting time or money. Deerfield Beach, FL:  Health Communications, Inc.