The Self In Understanding And Treating Psychological Disorders

A unique exploration of how the 'self' influences psychopathology, psychotherapy, emphasizing the need to integrate self-constructs into evidence-based conceptual models.

The concept of the self has recently gained increasing attention in psychopathology for mainly two reasons: firstly, major mental disorders such as schizophrenia have been related to disturbances on a prereflective or basic level of self-awareness which has largely escaped the present criteriological diagnostic systems; secondly, the level of the social or narrative self, including aspects such as social identity, self-concept, self-image and self-esteem, is key to understanding a variety of disorders such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia or borderline personality disorder. Moreover, the concept is suitable for integrating our attempts at describing the lived experience of mental illness which in the analysis always affects the patients in their self-awareness and self-relation. This special topic issue of Psychopathology brings together 10 papers from psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, phenomenological, neurocognitive and nosological perspectives that advance the understanding of the role of the self in conceptualization, diagnosis and treatment of psychopathology.

Increasing numbers of people are moving beyond psychological therapy to seek alternative spiritual perspectives to medical and mental health care such as yoga and meditation. The Psychospiritual Clinician's Handbook: Alternative Methods for Understanding and Treating Mental Disorders provides leading-edge theoretical perspectives and practical applications by recognized experts in positive and integrative psychotherapy. Readers will find helpful illustrations of body positions used in yoga and meditation plus photographs, tables, figures, and detailed case studies that illustrate the process.

Chapters cover: Effects of trauma: attachment, emotion, consciousness, memory, self and relationships; Trauma-related psychiatric disorders and treatment: posttraumatic stress disorderk dissociative disorders, and anxiety, depressing susbtance abuse, somatization disorder, sexual dysfunction, eating disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Understanding Abnormal Psychology provides a thorough understanding of abnormal psychology with a focus on the integration of psychology, biology and health. It goes beyond a descriptive overview of clinical disorders to provide a critical appreciation of the multifaceted aspects of mental illness. Each disorder is clearly and succinctly explained with the support of case studies. These examples are then used to introduce the debates surrounding current research, the biology of abnormal disorders and standards of treatment. The bridge between the biological elements of brain functioning and the psychological mechanisms that are responsible for coping and adjustment is thoroughly explored. This valuable consideration of the range of elements involved in the diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders will provide you with a broad and critical understanding of this complex and fascinating field. The companion website has a number of useful features for students, including a flipcard glossary of key terms from the textbook and a test bank of interactive self-assessment multiple-choice questions.

The definitive resource for psychological diagnosis, updated with the latest research Adult Psychopathology and Diagnosis offers comprehensive coverage of psychological disorders and presents a balanced integration of empirical data and diagnostic criteria to aid in understanding diagnosis and psychopathology. Designed to support students of clinical psychology, counseling, nursing, and social work, this invaluable resource merges overviews, case studies, and examination of individual disorders in an accessible format that facilitates easy reference. Broad-reaching issues such as interviewing and cross cultural considerations are discussed in detail for their effect on the clinical presentation of every disorder and case studies illustrate how diagnoses are reached and applied in real-world clinical settings. Updated to reflect the latest advances in research, this new 8th Edition includes new coverage of personality disorders, a new chapter on the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDOC), new authors for a number of the chapters, and contributions by leaders in the field to provide students with exceptional insight into psychopathology and diagnosis. Get up to date on the latest research based on DSM-5 categorization Easily locate and retain information with a proven chapter structure Examine a new alternative DSM-5 model for personality disorders Include cross-cultural considerations throughout investigation and diagnosis In clarifying DSM-5 classification and diagnostic guidelines while integrating leading-edge research with a case study approach, this book provides the most complete, most up-to-date reference for graduate students and practitioners alike. Thorough coverage of essential topics such as neurological foundations, dual diagnoses, eating disorders, anxiety, gender issues and more provides both theoretical insight as well as practical understanding, making Adult Psychopathology and Diagnosis once again a top resource for the field.

Does understanding a client's view of self increase a clinician's ability to treat emotional disorder? How can practitioners agree on the essentials of self-representation if various clinical theories implicate different aspects of the self in accounting for psychological distress? These questions form the basis for this unique examination of "the self'' in the development and treatment of a number of emotional disorders. What is most exceptional about this volume is that it explores these issues from cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic approaches, each of which has articulated treatment methods that incorporate a focus on self-based processes. The result is a rare forum in which leading clinicians and theorists from both orientations address a single set of specific topics. The book opens with two chapters that review theories of the self construct in both social cognition and psychoanalysis. The focus then shifts to the specific diagnostic categories of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and borderline personality disorder. For each clinical disorder, separate chapters present the cognitive and psychodynamic perspectives. Then each set of authors provide commentary on the complementary chapter. Allowing for an interaction among cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic authors rarely found in other works, this format engenders comprehensive coverage of each specific disorder, as well as a uniquely informative synthesis of the insights of each approach. The editors' concluding chapter delineates the ways in which the self provides a vantage point for understanding emotional disorder. THE SELF IN EMOTIONAL DISTRESS will interest all professionals of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic orientations. Given its integrative focus, it will also be valuable to those involved with the psychotherapy integration movement, and therapists who describe themselves as eclectic. In addition, the volume serves as a text for upper-level courses in psychotherapy, psychopathology, abnormal psychology, and psychotherapy integration.

This book has been replaced by Handbook of Assessment and Treatment Planning for Psychological Disorders, Third Edition, ISBN 978-1-4625-4488-2.