Product Description
In a world obsessed with appearance, it is not surprising that body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD -- an emotionally painful obsession with perceived flaws in one's appearance -- has manifested itself as a troubling and relatively common problem for many individuals. In The Broken Mirror, the first and most definitive book on BDD, Dr. Katharine A. Phillips provided a comprehensive manual for patients and their physicians by drawing on years of clinical practice, scientific research, and professional evaluations of over 1,000 patients. Now, in Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Essential Guide , the world's leading authority on BDD reaches out to patients, their friends, and their families with this concise and updated handbook.

BDD causes sufferers to be obsessed by perceived flaws in their appearance and may afflict as much as two percent of the population, or nearly five million people. Many sufferers are able to function well in society, but remain secretly obsessed by their "hideous acne" or "horrible nose," sneaking constant peeks at a pocket mirror, or spending hours at a time redoing makeup. Others find their lives disintegrate because of their appearance obsessions. It is not an uncommon disorder, simply a hidden one, since sufferers are often embarrassed to tell even their closest friends about their concerns.

Using stories and interviews to show the many different behaviors and symptoms of BDD, and a quick self-assessment questionnaire, Dr. Phillips guides readers through the basics of the disorder and through the many treatment options that work and don't work. With Understanding Body Dysmorphic Disorder: An Essential Guide, sufferers will find both helpful advice and much needed reassurance in a compact, down-to-earth indispensable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Helpful with a Difficult Issue
I am a Psychologist and work with BDD clients, and this text is most helpful.I have found it useful to share some of the statistics and life stories that are included in the book.It is amazing how helpful it is for clients to discover they are not alone.

Material is complete and presented in an organized and useful way. The understanding enabled for both client and therapist is one of the main traits of this book.And the author is obviously committed to the betterment/healing of her clients.

One thing that I believe can be very useful is to understand that these clients are bothered by the PROCESS (obsessiveness of thoughts) as much as the CONTENT of the thoughts in this disorder.In addition, they are often more concerned with THEIR perceptions of themselves than they are with the perceptions of others (despite the presentation of the problem). ... Read more

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Be Guided by the Evidence...

Somatoform disorders are more common than many clinicians realize and are often underdiagnosed and poorly managed.

This practical guide provides a comprehensive overview of all somatoform disorders. It aims to enable the mental health practitioner to properly diagnose and manage the disorders as well as to provide the appropriate advice to colleagues of other medical disciplines.

Somatoform Disorders offers:
* Detailed coverage of the concepts of each disorder: diagnosis, classification, co-morbidities and course and outcome
* An outline of clinical, biological and psychosocial research in the area
* An overview of clinical management and future perspectives
* The unique series format of systematic reviews followed by commentaries

Somatoform Disorders is the ninth volume of the WPA Series "Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry. The book is an unbiased and reliable reference point for all psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses and policy makers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wesseley and Sharpe are junk scientists
Wesseley and Sharpe, authors of the chapter on ME (CFS), are well known for their antiscience biases that are well on display here. There are over 4,000 articles in peer reviewed medical journals showing frank biological pathology in ME.

somatoform disorder
Many authorities over the world participated in the discussion.
It is not restricted to the US perspective. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a unique treatment manual which looks at the assessment of BDD, offering an treatment model in the form of CBT and pharmacotherapy

• Summarises the current knowledge and theoretical perspectives about BDD
• Covers the practical aspects of assessment, engagement, and therapy
• Uses a number of practical resources, including client handouts

Product Description
Brown Univ., Providence, RI. Offers clinicians a broad synthesis of the current knowledge about somatoform and factitious disorders. Clarifies issues surrounding somatization disorder, hypochondriasis, body dysmorphic disorder, conversion disorder, and factitious disorder. Softcover. DNLM: Somatoform Disorders. ... Read more

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This book is an in-depth, clinically oriented review of the somatoform disorders and related clinical manifestations (such as chronic fatigue syndrome) and how they appear in a medico-legal setting. People with somatoform disorders present a range of symptoms that typically last for years and can't be traced to a specific physical cause. Such symptoms may range from frequent headaches to gastrointestinal problems. The volume is aimed at clinicians and lawyers who deal with injury claims where these disorders impact much more frequently than generally recognized. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Trimble is a junk scientist
Trimble includes ME (CFS) and Fibromyalgia as somatoform disorders noting that people with ME show "Abnormal Illness Behaviour" like avoiding exercise, remaining bedbound and "often adopting a wheelchair lifestyle and a destiny of dependence."There are over 4,000 articles in peer reviewed medical journals showing frank biological pathology in ME.Numerous researchers since 1986 have found retrovirus infection in ME. Prof. Nancy Klimas, one of the worlds top clinicians and bench scientists in ME and AIDS said recently in the NY Times she would rather have HIV than ME.Trimble's unscientific bias is reprehensible. ... Read more

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Medically unexplained somatic symptoms are problematic in psychiatry, primary care settings, and other clinical areas. The burden they impose on health-care systems constitutes a significant public health problem. At the international symposium "Rethinking Somatoform Disorders," this problem was addressed by specialists working in somatoform disorders, psychiatric nosology, epidemiology, and biological and cross-cultural psychiatry. The meeting was the third of the Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the World Psychiatric Association. ... Read more

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This book provides a step-by-step guide to understanding and treating psychogenic voice disorder by combining speech and language therapy with skills drawn from the field of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).

Beginning with a new classification of psychogenic voice disorder, the authors then provide a description of the CBT model and give helpful and systematic guidelines on using this approach in combination with speech and language therapy skills. They provide invaluable guidance on how to extend the standard voice case history to include a psychosocial assessment, and how to apply symptomatic voice therapy principles and techniques for this patient population.

Later chapters show how to assess and work with patients suffering from symptoms of anxiety and lowered mood, and how to understand and respond to various forms of psychopathology that may present in association with voice disorder. Finally, detailed case studies illustrate how an experienced therapist might respond to individual assessment and treatment challenges. ... Read more

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This volume functions as a road map to the territory that lies at the border between medicine and psychiatry.Dr Asaad lends clarity and balance to an area that does not fit neatly into the established diagnostic and treatment framework. The text is divided into three parts, investigating somatoform disorders, factitious disorders and malingering, and medical conditions affected by psychological factors.Information is presented in a consistent format for easy access, with each disorder broken down into manageable components - from definition and clinical presentation to course and prognosis.Throughout the work, case studies and examples are included. As a result of Dr Asaad's presentation, students as well as new and established mental health practitioners have an essential vehicle for integration into the general health care team. ... Read more

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Sometimes described as the nemesis of the primary care physician, somatoform disorders are frustrating, expensive to treat, and under-investigated. Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders provides a fascinating and practical review of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this category of disease. Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders summarizes the proceedings of a unique international conference that convened experts from across disciplines to review perspectives on somatoform disorders. Organized with the practitioner in mind, the book surveys the latest research on phenomenology; etiology and clinical course; and treatment options. Unlike other literature on the topic, Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders explores the entire range of this category of disorders, including conversion disorder, chronic pain and fatigue, and the multitude of presentations of medically unexplained symptoms. The contributions of international experts provide unique insights into cultural factors affecting the presentation and treatment of somatic disorders globally. In addition to providing an invaluable reference for clinicians in many disciplines, the book identifies specific gaps in the research literature, and addresses issues of nosology in advance of the publication of DSM-V.Comprehensive, thoughtful, and up-to-date, Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders is a must-read for clinicians with somatizing patients. ... Read more

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Chapters: Stendhal syndrome, Hypochondriasis, Body dysmorphic disorder, Mass Psychogenic Illness, Conversion disorder, Cyberchondria, Da Costa's syndrome, Somatization disorder, Medical students' disease, Muscle dysmorphia, Dermatillomania, Somatoform disorder, Amplification, Somatosensory amplification, Olfactory Reference Syndrome,. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 93. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) (previously known as dysmorphophobia is sometimes referred to as body dysmorphia or dysmorphic syndrome) is a (psychological) somatoform disorder in which the affected person is excessively concerned about and preoccupied by a perceived defect in his or her physical features (body image). Depending on the individual case, BDD may either be a somatoform disorder or part of an eating disorder or both: BDD always includes a debilitating or excessive fear of judgment by others, as is seen with social anxiety, social phobia and some OCD problems; or, alternately, it may be a part of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and compulsive overeating. The term "body dysmorphic disorder" itself describes only those excessive social-acceptance fears that relate to one's personal body image. Depending on the individual, it may or may not also be part of one of these wider or related syndromes. The sufferer may complain of several specific features or a single feature, or a vague feature or general appearance, causing psychological distress that impairs occupational and/or social functioning, sometimes to the point of severe depression and anxiety, development of other anxiety disorders, social withdrawal or complete social isolation, and more. It is estimated that 1-2% of the world's population meet all the diagnostic criteria for BDD (Psychological ...http://booksllc.net/?id=369730 ... Read more

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The first comprehensive theory of somatoform dissociation. Expanding the definition of dissociation in psychiatry, Ellert R. S. Nijenhuis presents a summary of the somatoform components of dissociation—how sensory and motor functions are affected by dissociative disorders. Founded in the current view of mind-body integration, this book is essential reading for all mental health professionals engaged in the diagnosis, treatment, and study of dissociative disorders, PTSD, and other trauma-related psychiatric disorders. ... Read more

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Combining insights from social psychiatry with recent findings in biological psychiatry, this book provides a new model for common mental disorders. The authors, one a physician, the other trained in the social sciences, survey a wide field to describe the physical basis of common mental disorders and the way in which events in an individual's life can bring about an episode of mental disorder. This is one of the first models to give equal emphasis in determining susceptibility to mental disorder to social and psychological events on the one hand, and to factors affecting physical health on the other. David Goldberg and Peter Huxley expand and develop their earlier book, "Mental Illness in the Community" , (Routledge 1980), to define three important components: "vulnerability" - factors which make some individuals more susceptible than others to episodes of mental disorder; "destabilisation" - the process of beginning to experience symptoms; and, "restitution" - factors which determine how long an episode of illness will last in a particular individual. They describe the physical processes which underlie states of depression and anxiety.This book should be of interest to professionals and students in psychiatry, psychiatric nursing and social work. ... Read more

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Examining mind-body problems in contemporary psychotherapeutic practice, Janet Finell and her colleagues introduce both theoretical perspectives and clinical realities. The opening paper profitably links psychosomatic disorders to alexithymia, the absence or deadening of feeling, the inability to identify or express emotion. Alexithymic individuals are particularly prone to disease as a result of the faulty processing of emotions that leads to cognitive deficit in coping with stressful affects. Animated case reports on specific disorders - anorexia, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, even (speculatively) miscarriage - balance consideration of developmental questions and treatment issues (transference/countertransference) and techniques. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Somatoform disorder also known as Briquet's syndrome is a mental disorder characterized by physical symptoms that mimic physical disease or injury for which there is no identifiable physical cause. The symptoms that result from a somatoform disorder are due to mental factors. In people who have Somatoform disorder, medical test results are either normal or don't explain the person's symptoms. People who have this disorder may undergo several medical evaluations and tests to be sure that they do not have an illness related to a physical cause or central lesion. Patients with this disorder often become very worried about their health because the doctors are unable to find a cause for their health problems. Their symptoms are similar to the symptoms of other illnesses and may last for several years. A diagnosis of a Somatoform disorder implies that mental factors are a large contributor to the symptoms' onset, severity and duration. Somatoform disorders are not the result of conscious malingering or factitious disorders. ... Read more

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In this major new work on body-oriented psychotherapy, Marianna Eckberg makes the case for somatic treatment for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In describing this therapeutic approach, she incorporates events of historical or national significance, including work with Vietnam vets (the first to be diagnosed with the disorder) and the Chowchilla kidnapping victims. Case studies from her professional efforts include work with victims of torture in El Salvador and her own experience as a victim of sexual and medical abuse. Victims of Cruelty offers a stinging rebuke of electroshock therapy, a political story of international medicine in Central America, and the demonstration of an increasingly influential form of treatment for PTSD. Included are an appendix of somatic interventions and a bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Brilliant Body-Centered Perspective
Total Healing to the Limits of Living: A Sourcebook for Awakening and Engaging the Healing Energies of the Tree of Life

I bought this book because I was so impressed with Maryanna Eckberg after a conversation I had with her twenty years ago. She seemed quiet, knowing, and in tune with the people she was working with. When I finally bought the book, I was more than impressed. She has written a brilliant review of her healing methods. She makes it quite obvious that in most cases, the only way to treat trauma is through bringing awareness back into a numbed consciousness. Her approach is respectful, allowing the client to follow their own unfolding as they are ready. The story of Maryanna's own trauma is heartbreaking, but encouraging in that she eventually found her way out of it through bioenergetics and other body-centered approaches.

Bestbook on the subject
This book is the best book I have read regarding complex PTSD.I work with survivors of trauma,torture--mostly with trauma suffered in childhood. This book validated the work I do and continue to do.Ms. Eckberg's mentor, Peter Levine, Phd, is the best expert in the field of trauma and I highly recommend his books and work as well.It is a pity that Maryanna has passed away.I would have loved to meet her.

One of the Two Best PTSD Books I Ever Read!
I have a vast collection of PTSD books on my shelves and I have to say this is one of the two best books on PTSD I have ever read.(The other one is Rebuilding Shattered Lives: The Responsible Treatment of Complex Post-Traumatic and Dissociative Disorders, by James A. Chu).Maryanna's story is the closest I have ever come to reading my own story!I related to so much of it that I underlined or highlighted more than half of her story.It was incredibly validating to find out that someone else had experienced the same things as me, including all of the dissociation.And it was inspiring to hear that she had found ways to recover.I highly recommend this book to anyone who has endured severe trauma and wonders if anyone else has ever experienced anything close to what they have experienced.You just might find yourself relating to her story, too!

great book, highly recommended
This is the best book on PTSD I have read.
I found the spiritual and psychological insights uplifting.It is a powerful read.
As the previous critic stated, it is not a "technical" book with exact somatic therapy techniques listed.
I did not find it extremely upsetting that the Author and one of her most important clients had passed away, death is an inevitable part of life.
Although I appreciated how the Author explained her own experience of recovery -- this was at first overwhelming to me.It took longer to integrate thisfor me.

For This reason I would not necessarily recommend it to a recovering client of PTSD.

However,I think the examples she used to demonstrate her experience with clients were fine because although you might not relate to their exact situation this is helpful to distance yourself yet still be conscious of how tragedy can strike anyone.

Not for clients of the therapy
I read "Victims of Cruelty" as both a client and a student of Somatic Experiencing™, at the recommendation of my SE therapist. Eckberg gives some clear and fascinating insights into the value of somatic therapies for sufferers of PTSD, with a particular emphasis on her own specialty, victims of political and other forms of torture. The explicit conclusions she draws are hopeful and uplifting. The implicit conclusion, however, is not.

As a student of the work, I found the book less technical than I would have hoped--it seems aimed at a lay audience, and yet the emphasis on fairly unusual and extreme forms of trauma makes it too specialized for general interest or "self-help." Eckberg mentions but does not elaborate on the specifics of her clinical methods.

As a client of the work, I found the book distressing and even frightening: one of Eckberg's most haunting and memorable client cases, and then Eckberg herself, developed cancer at the successful conclusion of trauma therapy, and both eventually died of it. The book, published after Eckberg's death, seems to say that a natural outgrowth of recovery from a lifetime of PTSD is to find peace and then die. This would NOT be a message I'd want to give clients struggling to recover from trauma.

"Victims of Cruelty," therefore, stands as an interesting narrative of one woman's journey as a trauma victim and a healer, but failed to teach me much as a healer and actually detracted from my work as a client. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed., brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2322 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.The third edition of this authoritative, comprehensive, in-depth medical guide features information on medical topics in language accessible to adult laypersons. Disease/disorder articles typically cover definition; description; causes and symptoms; diagnosis; treatments; prevention; and more. Test/treatment articles typically cover definition; purposes; precautions; preparation; risks; normal and abnormal results; and much more. ... Read more

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The article is excerpted fromGale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health.
This 5-vol. set provides more than 850 entries covering topics innursing and allied health written for students and professionals in thefield. Alphabetically arranged entries cover topics in body systems andfunctions, conditions and common diseases, issues and theories,techniques and practices, and devices and equipment. The Encyclopediacovers all major health professions, including nursing, physicaltherapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, medical labtechnology, emergency medical technology, dental assistance,pharmacology and nutrition. In addition, the set features approximately400 photographs and illustrations; appendices of related organizations,agencies and associations; and a general index.

Published/Released: November 2001

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The article is excerpted fromGale Encyclopedia of Medicine.

Consultthe second edition of this authoritative, comprehensive, in-depthmedical guide for information on more than 1,700 medical topics inlanguage accessible to adult laypersons. Presented in a singlealphabetical sequence, articles range in length from one or twoparagraphs for minor topics, to several pages or more for major topics.Disease/disorder articles typically cover definition; description;causes and symptoms; diagnosis; treatments; prevention; and more.Test/treatment articles typically cover definition; purposes;precautions; preparation; risks; normal and abnormal results; and muchmore. This second edition includes more than 200 new entries, 300updated entries, approximately 650 color images and illustrations, anda comprehensive subject index. New features include biographical andhistorical sidebars throughout the text.

Disease/disorder articles contain some or all of the following sections:

• Definitions -- brief dictionary-style definition of the disorder
• Descriptions -- overview of the disorder; who gets it and why
• Causes & symptoms -- process, substance or organism thatproduces the condition; any risk factors that increase susceptibilityto the condition; signs and symptoms of the disease
• Diagnosis -- overview of procedures and tests used todiagnose the condition; how the test is done; who should be tested andwhen; time required; cost; whether it's typically covered by insurance
• Treatments -- overview of conventional methods of care ormanagement of the condition, such as drugs, surgeries, physicaltherapy, etc.
• Alternative treatments -- overview of alternative/complementary therapies that may be used to treat the condition
• Prognosis -- probable outcome of the disease
• Preventions -- what actions can be taken to prevent the condition from occurring

Test/treatment articles contain some or all of the following sections:

• Definitions -- brief dictionary-style definition of the test/treatment
• Purposes -- why and when this test/treatment is prescribed
• Precautions -- when this test/treatment should not be prescribed
• Descriptions -- overview of the test/treatment including cost,length of time required, procedures followed, whether typically coveredby insurance
• Preparation -- pre-test treatment procedures, if any
• Aftercare -- post-test treatment procedures, if any
• Risks -- any complications/side effects commonly associated with the test/treatment
• Normal results -- for tests, describes the normal values; for treatments, describes the anticipated outcomes
• Abnormal results -- defines abnormal test values

Published/Released: December 2001

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The “Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health” is an alphabetically arranged five-volume set of more than 850 entries written for students and professionals in the field. Topics include body systems and functions, conditions and common diseases, issues and theories, techniques and practices, and devices and equipment. The Encyclopedia covers all major health professions, including nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, medical lab technology, emergency medical technology, dental assistance, pharmacology and nutrition, and features appendices of related organizations, agencies and associations.