Many good books provide help for parents and families in distress.
Below is an annotated listing of the books I have found readable and reliable.
If you know books or tapes that are especially helpful, e-mail me at dchall@wolfenet.com
Cognitive therapy -- dealing with fears and negative self-talk
Child and Adolescent Development -- what's normal, what's not
Adult Development -- finding love and self
Recovery from Sexual and other Traumas
Divorce -- how to cope, helping your children
Parenting -- ideas, references
Books Written Especially for Children and Adolescents
Negotiating -- crucial skills for healthy families
Mental Illness -- diagnosis and specific resources
Fun reading -- well-written books to entertain you
Cognitive therapy -- dealing with fears and negative self-talk
David D. Burns MD, The Feeling Good Handbook, Penguin Books USA, New York, 1989.
*** This is a classic handbook, full of wisdom, clear directions, and charts galore.
Mary Ellen Copeland MS, and Matthew McKay PhD, The Depression Workbook: A Guide for Living with Depression and Manic Depression, New Harbinger Publications, Oakland, 1992.
*** An easy to use guide to cognitive strategies for conquering depression and containing manic depression.
Matthew McKay PhD, Martha David PhD, Patrick Fanning, Thoughts & Feelings: Taking Control of Your Moods and Your Life, New Harbinger Publications, Oakland, 1997.
*** This is a workbook for using cognitive-behavioral techniques to improve wellbeing.
Child and Adolescent Development -- what's normal, what's not
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, David Pruitt editor,
Your Child: Emotional, Behavioral and Cognitive Development from Infancy to Preadolescence: What's Normal, What's Not, and When to Seek Help, HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 1998.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, David Pruitt editor,
Your Adolescent: Emotional, Behavioral and Cognitive Development from Early Adolescence through the Teen Years: What's Normal, What's Not, and When to Seek Help, HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 1999.
*** These are two state of the art books on normal child and adolescent development, common problems, and ways to solve them.
Robin Karr-Morse and Meredith Wiley (intro by Dr. T Berry Brazelton),
Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence, The Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 1997.
*** Toxic chemicals and abusive emotions in utero and during the first three years of life can permanently impair a child’s ability to bond with others, leading to lives burdened with disability and disinhibited aggression.
Adult Development -- finding love and self
M. Scott Peck MD, The Road Less Travelled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1978.
*** Ten million readers can’t be all wrong.
Recovery from Sexual and other Traumas
Ellen Bass and Laura Davis, The Courage to Heal, Harper&Row, New York, 1988.
*** Still one of the best guides to dealing successfully with sexual trauma. Caution here: feeling touched by this book become easily overwhelming. Pace yourself. Get professional help if your feelings start flooding your awareness.
Patricia Evans, The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to recognize it and how to respond, 2nd ed, Adams Media Corporation, Holbrook, MA, 1996.
*** Provides a framework for dealing with abuse of all kinds.
Divorce -- how to cope, helping your children
Elissa Benedek MD and Catherine Brown, How to Help Your Child Overcome Your Divorce, American Psychiatric Press, Inc, Washington, DC, 1995.
*** Dr. Benedek writes with simplicity and gentle wisdom about how to help children of all ages deal with the many feelings loosed by divorce.
Parenting -- ideas, references
Gerald R. Patterson, Families: Applications of Social Learning to Family Life (Revised edition), Research Press, Champaign, IL, 1975.
*** Chapters include Social Reinforcers, Accidental Training, Behavior Management Skills, Behavior Change Techniques, and help with specific problems like tantrums, bedwetting, lying and aggression. Highly readable.
Ruth Peters, Don't Be Afraid to Discipline: The Commonsense Program for Low-Stress Parenting, St Martins Griffin Press, 1997
*** A readable, more current book building on Patterson's work.
Jean Illsley Clarke, Self-Esteem: A Family Affair, HarperSanFrancisce, 1978.
*** Another classic. "…a buffet table of options" for struggling parents or parents who simply want to improve their ability to raise confident, caring children.
Karen Renshaw Joslin, Positive Parenting From A to Z, Ballantine Books, New York, 1994.
*** Positive encouragement and practical tips for a wide range of childrearing topics arranged as a reference guide. A loving, effective mom sharing her wisdom.
Books Written Especially for Children and Adolescents
Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden, Staying Out of Trouble in a Troubled Family, Twenty-First Century Books, Brookfield, Connecticut, 1998, 112 pages.
*** Two veteran children's authors give brief vignettes on dealing with divorce, childabuse, alcoholish, disability adoption, alternate family configurations, sibling problems, and where to turn for help.
Negotiating -- crucial skills for healthy families
William Ury, Getting Past No: Negotiating Your Way From Confrontation To Cooperation, Revised ed, Bantam Books, New York, 1993.
Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Penguin Books USA, New York, 1991.
*** Two great books for dealing successfully with conflicts ranging from a schoolyard fight to the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, based on ideas developed by the Harvard Negotiation Project. Start with Getting Past No.
Mental Illness -- diagnosis and specific resources
American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 4th Edition (DSM-IV), APA Press, Washington, DC, 1994. *** The official diagnostic manual for psychiatry and most of medicine in the United States and around the world.
Diane T. Marsh, PhD and Rex Dickens, How to Cope with Mental Illness in your Family: a self-care guide for siblings, offspring, and parents, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York, 1997, 208 pages.
*** Written with support from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and its Sibling and Adult Children Network, this book guides guides the reader through the developmental impasses created by the stresses surrounding a family member who is chronically mentally ill.
The Madison Institute of Medicine publishes a series of booklets, which are easy to read and authoritative. $5.95 each plus S/H. (Go to their online fax order form at www.miminc.org/guidebookmain.html)
Depression and Antidepressants: A Guide, 1998, 48 pages.
Lithium and Manic Depression: A Guide, 1999, 31 pages.
Divalproex and Manic Depression: A Guide, 1996, 31 pages.
Fearful Flyers Guide, 1996, 66 pages.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Guide, 2000, 65 pages.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorderin Children and Adolescents: A Guide, 1997, 58 pages.
Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia: A Guide, 1993, 58 pages.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children: A Medication Guide 1997, 41 pages.
Electroconvulsive Therapy: A Guide, 1998, 19 pages.
Antipsychotic Medications and Schizophrenia: A Guide, 1998, 39 pages
Fun reading -- a few of my well-written favorites
Fannie Flagg, Daisy Mae and the Miracle Man (originally titled: Coming Attractions), Warner Books, New York, 1981. Stay with it. It picks up speed right to the end.
Peter Matthiessen, The Snow Leopard, Bantam Books, New York, 1978. A beautifully written journey through the Himalayas in search of the evanescent snow leopard.
Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Signet Books, New York, 1962
Farley Mowat, The Boat Who Wouldn't Float,
Ursula K. LeGuin, The Earthsea Trilogy: A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Bantam Books, New York, 1968. Wonderful family reading.
Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible (1998) and High Tide in Tucson (1965)