Summary of Xavier Amador's I Am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help!

Everest Media

Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
Sample Book Insights:
#1 There are about six million people in the United States with serious mental illnesses, and about 50 percent of them don’t believe they're ill, so they refuse to take the medications that have been prescribed for them.
#2 In the past twenty years, there has been an explosion of research on the problem of poor insight. In a study of more than 400 patients with psychotic disorders, nearly 60 percent were unaware of being ill.
#3 I met 26-year-old Matt when he was in the Schizophrenia Research Ward at Columbia University in New York City. He had been hearing voices and delusions for six years, and had been hospitalized four times. He had stopped taking his medications six weeks before his mother called 911.
#4 Matt was extremely unemotional about his hospitalization, and he believed that the police had taken him there at the request of his mother simply because she had more seniority than he did. He also believed that an emergency room physician had admitted him to a psychiatric ward for a month.

Informations

• Publié par: Everest Media LLC
• Date de parution: 28 mars 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669368137
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Insights on Xavier Amador's I Am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help!
Contents Insights from Chapter 1 Insights from Chapter 2 Insights from Chapter 3 Insights from Chapter 4 Insights from Chapter 5 Insights from Chapter 6 Insights from Chapter 7 Insights from Chapter 8 Insights from Chapter 9 Insights from Chapter 10 Insights from Chapter 11 Insights from Chapter 12 Insights from Chapter 13 Insights from Chapter 14 Insights from Chapter 15 Insights from Chapter 16 Insights from Chapter 17 Insights from Chapter 18 Insights from Chapter 19 Insights from Chapter 20 Insights from Chapter 21 Insights from Chapter 22
Insights from Chapter 1

#1

There are about six million people in the United States with serious mental illnesses, and about 50 percent of them don’t believe they're ill, so they refuse to take the medications that have been prescribed for them.

#2

In the past twenty years, there has been an explosion of research on the problem of poor insight. In a study of more than 400 patients with psychotic disorders, nearly 60 percent were unaware of being ill.

#3

I met 26-year-old Matt when he was in the Schizophrenia Research Ward at Columbia University in New York City. He had been hearing voices and delusions for six years, and had been hospitalized four times. He had stopped taking his medications six weeks before his mother called 911.

#4

Matt was extremely unemotional about his hospitalization, and he believed that the police had taken him there at the request of his mother simply because she had more seniority than he did. He also believed that an emergency room physician had admitted him to a psychiatric ward for a month.

#5

The way we respond to our hallucinations is very variable. Some people worry when they hallucinate, while others don’t. There may be some other explanation.

#6

Matt’s bizarre explanations for why he was in a psychiatric hospital and his failure to realize that he was ill were not stemming from denial or pridefulness. His poor insight into having an illness and the benefits of treatment was another symptom of the disorder itself.
Insights from Chapter 2

#1

It is always easier to pretend the situation is not as bad as it seems, because facing the reality of the illness can be intimidating and hopeless. It is easy to ignore the problems of poor insight and medication adherence when things are going well.

#2

The positive effects of early and consistent treatment on the course of the illness and the hope of recovery have been clear for a long time. However, it has been clear for a while that focusing on improving particular aspects of insight while ignoring others is vital.

#3

The new research shows that when someone with serious mental illness has another episode, the long-term prognosis worsens. The idea is that brain cells are altered or die during and immediately following an episode of psychosis.

#4

Dr. Torrey argues that homelessness, incarceration, and violence are not necessary because we know what to do, but we hesitate to do it because of economic, legal, and ideological reasons.

#5

The three studies described above show that when we ignore the problem, it not only doesn’t go away, but it gets worse. We must address the twin problems of poor insight and medication refusal if we want our loved one to have the best possible chance of recovery.

#6

The most common myth is that having poor insight is a good thing. However, the new research shows that insight is usually a very good thing, but only in moderation. In other words, insight into some aspects of the illness is usually beneficial, while other types of insight can sometimes be detrimental.

#7

Insight is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon. Some people have complete insight into every aspect of their illness, while others have only a glimmer.

#8

The more aware a seriously mentally ill person is of his illness and the benefits of treatment, the better his prognosis. Patients with better insight have shorter periods in a hospital and fewer hospitalizations overall.

#9

The idea that insight into having a mental illness leads to demoralization, depression, and suicidal thoughts is a myth.