Eating Disorders

Schaefer, Jenni. Life Without Ed, New York: McGraw Hill, 2004

Ms. Schaefer shares her personal story of recovery in a book that has become the most recommended book for patients and their families wanting to learn about eating disorders.

Cash, Thomas. The Body Image Workbook, Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2008                                                                                                                             

The author takes the reader through an eight-step program for learning to like one’s looks.  I would not recommend the book during the very early stages of recovery as it could be triggering.  During later stages (after hospitalization) it could be very helpful in dealing with body image distortions.

Siegel, Michele, and Judith Brisman. Surviving an Eating Disorder: Strategies for Family and Friends, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009                                  

I always recommend this book to families to help them understand what their loved one is going through.

Anderson, Arnold, Leigh Cohn, and Thomas Holbrook. Making Weight: Men’s Conflicts with Food, Weight, Shape and Appearance, Carlsbad, CA: Gurze Books, 2000

Even now, there is not a great deal written exclusively for men with eating disorders.  Eating disorders are not a “female illness.”  Up to 20 percent  of the eating disorder population is male.  Even though this book is a bit old, it still has useful information for men.  Also, it is always interesting when a professional discusses their personal recovery.  Dr. Holbrook does just that.

Anxiety

Davis, Martha, Elizabeth Eshelman, and Matthew McKay. The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook, Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2008

This is absolutely the Go-To book to learn relaxation techniques.  It is full of different tools to teach you how to relax.  Start off with the chapter on breathing.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Hyman, Bruce, and Cherlene Pedrich. The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2010

Workbook in style, it takes you through the exercises of exposure therapy and response prevention to deal with the symptoms of OCD.

Schwartz, Jeffrey. Brainlock: Free yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior, New York: HarperCollins Publications, 1997

A very popular book.  Many of my patients with OCD have read it and found it helpful to both understand what this misunderstood illness is all about and what to do about it.

Mood Disorders

Jamison, Kay Redfield. An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Mood and Madness, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1995

A unique window into bipolar disorder as the author is a psychiatrist who is an expert in bipolar disorder and has bipolar disorder herself.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Cuban, Brian. Shattered Image: My Triumph over Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Pasadena: Net Minds Corporation, 2013

Mr. Cuban, brother of Mark Cuban, is a successful attorney, activist and talk-show host and tells the story of how he overcame body dysmorphic disorder which was very severe and greatly affected his childhood and adolescence.

Phillips, Katherine. The Broken Mirror: Understanding and Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996

Dr. Phillips, a pioneering researcher on BDD, and having evaluated over 7000 patients with BDD, gives a wealth of information on how to understand BDD and how to treat it.

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder

Hallowell, Edward. Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder, New York: Anchor Books, 2011

Dr. Hallowell is an expert in ADHD and has ADHD himself.  This gives him a unique perspective which he shares with his readers.

General

Johnson, Spencer. Who moved my Cheese?, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2002

A quick, easy book that is funny but delivers a most serious message: How to recognize approaching changes and how to deal with them and even benefit from them.  Required reading for Fortune 500 executives, it applies to not only business but to personal life events as well.

Lerner, Harriet. The Dance of Anger: A Woman’s Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2014

The idea is, that in any close relationship feelings of anger will, at times, be there.  The goal is not to avoid it, but to recognize its source and to deal with it in a way that will make the relationship stronger.

Gottman, John, et al. A Couple’s Guide to Communication, Champaign, Il: Research Press, 1979

Offers age old advice on how to talk to each other more effectively, for if we can communicate, we can solve anything.

Dr. Suess. Oh, the Place’s You’ll Go!, New York: Random House, 1990

Don’t laugh! Everything you need to know about life is in this book.  I’m not kidding!

Schmich, Mary. Wear Sunscreen: A Primer for Real Life, Kansas City, MS: Andrew McMeel Publishing, 1998

She wrote it as a mock graduation speech for her regular column in the Chicago Tribune.  From there it went viral and became a best selling book.  A short, quick read (like 10 minutes) but powerful advice that can benefit us all.