The Writer's Guide to Psychology: How to Write Accurately about Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment and Human Behavior

This book provides an impressive overview of the most basic psychological disorders. I've done research into Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and Borderline Personality Disorder, and they can be very confusing, especially with conflicting information available online, and with many TV shows and movies portraying the disorders inaccurately. For the most part, the author is right on the money. She provides a clear, concise description of what each disorder is and what it is not, including several other disorders that I didn't mention, such as Autism and ADD/ADHD. She talks about what therapy is really like and the criteria for getting yourself committed to a mental hospital.The only thing I found that I disagreed with was in the opening "True or False" questions, where it says: "Schizophrenia and multiple personalities are completely different problems, with different causes and different symptoms." This is actually true, but the answer is given as false. They are in fact quite different disorders, with the only similarity being the hearing of voices--but even that is different, in that schizophrenics hear auditory hallucinations, as if someone is talking or whispering to them from outside their head, but people with multiple personalities hear voices *inside* their head, not as hallucinations, but as actual thoughts that are coming from walled off portions of their brain. The actual descriptions given of schizophrenia and DID seem to be accurate, so it's possible this "True or False" question was accidentally placed in the "False" section.Overall, I found this book very useful. It helped me to identify the psychological disorder that one of the main characters in my novel-in-progress suffers from. I knew he had psychological issues, but I wasn't sure which disorder, exactly, or how to go about deciding, but after reading the descriptions of each personality disorder, I quickly identified him as having Antisocial Personality Disorder. It matches his symptoms and history perfectly, so I was able to incorporate that into the novel, making his behavior more realistic.If you're writing a psychological thriller, you'll likely want to do more in-depth research into the disorders you're portraying, but for the average novel, this book is perfect. At the least, it will give you a jumping-off point to start from. It even points out common mistakes, as found in famous movies and TV shows, so that you know what *not* to do. (Like comparing schizophrenia with multiple personalities. Not the same. Not even close!)Five stars and highly recommended.

I have gotten so much out of this book (I bought the Kindle version). In fact, I am going to order a print version so I can physically take notes inside it--that's how helpful it's been. I'm writing a book about being hospitalized for depression in the mid-'90s, in a state hospital. If your book also takes place in a similar time, keep in mind that some of the particulars in the book stated as fact only apply to modern hospitals (and who knows? Maybe there are exceptions for those, too). For instance, she states that straitjackets are no longer used; in 1994, a patient could request the straitjacket rather than restraints.She also describes the seclusion room as always having a gurney, which is then removed when a patient is put in there and the mattress and sheet left behind. In the seclusion room I saw in '94, there was a thin mat on the padded floor and nothing else.She explains that "in some wards, a hidden whiteboard" in the nurses' station shows patients' privileges. In this hospital, the board was visible to all patients (which obviously was highly unethical in retrospect).I loved it when she cited the movie "Devil's Advocate" as being wholly wrong in showing Charlize Theron's character locking herself in a room on the psych ward, breaking glass, and slitting her wrists. I love that film, but that scene ALWAYS gets to me because it's ridiculously inaccurate. Sadly, this is true of many, many film and literary depictions of mental illness and treatments, and the author frequently provides sidebars with examples of such inaccuracies--a wonderful feature.Her descriptions of how the staff handle a patient freaking out is accurate, as is the daily schedule (for the most part). Her descriptions of the psychiatric disorders is vastly helpful if sometimes oversimplified, and they can spark a lot of ideas. In short, I highly recommend this but caution any writers writing about a psychiatric hospital--especially a state hospital or one not entirely modernized--to supplement their research with other sources.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to make their characters seem more realistic. It's a must-read for the serious writer.

If you write a genre that includes situations to affect your characters mental health, then this is a must have!Writing paramilitary fiction, my characters are subjected to traumatic experiences as a matter of course. I have tried numerous books about psychology in an effort to understand how these experiences would affect them, as well as how those trying to help them would act, and came away more confused than ever. Usually because the books were obviously written for those either in the psychology field or studying it--using jargon that made it impossible to know how to use the information without danger of sounding like the non-professional I am.The Writer's Guide to Psychology, however, is written as obviously for the author dealing with these situations as those other books were written for psychology professionals. It not only gives clear information on what characters suffering from various psychological problems will feel but it also gives useful information on writing the therapist helping those characters.A wonderful resource for an author who needs to write about a psychology professional/situation without having to go to medical school!

I've got to add a disclaimer to this one and say I've spoken to Dr. Kaufman regard my work.But... this is an excellent addition to speaking to her. You've got everything in here to help you work out your character complexity when it comes to disorders.Highly, highly recommended. And then some.

Good buy, good value.

As a writer who was working on a a manuscript where mental illness became a central element to the story, this book was invaluable in pushing me in the right direction

Well written exquisite and inspirational book.

Ever tried to look up the difference between psychopaths and sociopaths, wasting hours on the internet and at the end not even being sure you got the right answer? Well, this book is the answer! It explains psychological disorders and lists all the symptoms you, as a writer, would want to know about to make your characters act accordingly because it was written specifically for writers! I'll never have to read another book on psychological disorders again because it's all here, prepared for writers! The author even includes good and bad examples from books and movies.Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!