Psychic or Psychotic? Memoirs of a Happy Medium is the true, frequently funny story of the author's struggle since childhood to appear "normal" while being bombarded with psychic information. She shares her dramatic near-death experience foretold in a dre

Essentially clinical in its approach, Psychic Retreats discusses the problem of patients who are 'stuck' and with whom it is difficult to make meaningful contact. John Steiner, an experienced psychoanalyst, uses new developments in Kleinian theory to explain how this happens. He examines the way object relationships and defences can be organized into complex structures which lead to a personality and an analysis becoming rigid and stuck, with little opportunity for development or change. These systems of defences are pathological organisations of the personality: John Steiner describes them as 'psychic retreats', into which the patient can withdraw to avoid contact both with the analyst and with reality. To provide a background to these original and controversial concepts, the author builds on more established ideas such as Klein's distinction between the paranoid-schizoid and depressive positions, and briefly reviews previous work on pathological organizations of the personality. He illustrates his discussion with detailed clinical material, with examples of the way psychic retreats operate to provide a respite from both paranoid-schizoid and depressive anxieties. He looks at the way such organizations function as a defence against unbearable guilt and describes the mechanism by which fragmentation of the personality can be reversed so the lost parts of the self can be regained and reintegrated in to the personality. Psychic Retreats is written with the practising psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in mind. The emphasis is therefore clinical throughout the book, which concludes with a chapter on the technical problems which arise in the treatment of such severely ill patients.

The new edition of this successful text builds on the very latest research to present an original and unique exploration of the psychology of both spirituality and psychosis. The editor brings together fascinating perspectives from a broad range of distinguished contributors. This new edition covers the most recent body of research, both qualitative and quantitative, in its exploration of the interface between psychosis and spirituality, and investigation into anomalous experiences Ten new chapters added and the remaining text completely updated New to this edition is an expanded clinical section, relevant to clinicians working with psychosis Offers a fundamental rethink of the concept of psychosis, and proposes new insights into spirituality Includes feature chapters from a distinguished list of contributors across a broad range of disciplines, including Peter Fenwick, Peter Chadwick, David Kingdon, Gordon Claridge, Neil Douglas Klotz and David Lukoff

Dealing with intense intuitive growth spurts wasn't something taught in fourth grade health class for Araelia. Laugh and learn as Araelia shares her hindsight so that others may see their intuition as a gift and not a burden. Araelia offers various wellness workshops and private appointments. Check out her web site at http://web.mac.com/spiritspa

Mirrors of Madness depicts the social-psychological processes and institutional consequences of psychiatric staffs experience of ""closet insanity"" (private worries about theirown social and psychological competence) and ""reverse role modeling"" (identification with their labeled psychotic clients' public behavior).The book shows how, in attempting to ward off the threat involved in these processes, staffs tend to be more vigilant of their own behavior while redirecting their insecurities toward their clients in the form of derogatory humor in psychiatric evaluations. These and other activities are shown to be inhibiting factors in the rehabilitative function of social control agencies.

This manual attempts to provide simple, adequate and evidence-based information to health care professionals in primary health care especially in low- and middle-income countries to be able to provide pharmacological treatment to persons with mental disorders. The manual contains basic principles of prescribing followed by chapters on medicines used in psychotic disorders; depressive disorders; bipolar disorders; generalized anxiety and sleep disorders; obsessive compulsive disorders and panic attacks; and alcohol and opioid dependence. The annexes provide information on evidence retrieval, assessment and synthesis and the peer view process.

It was January 2009 in Wellington, New Zealand. I was 43 and overloaded with emotionally charged court cases as a sole family law barrister. I was missing my late grandmother. In my mind I called to her many times for her to visit me. She didn't but she did visit my mother in her dreams. My mother said that she was calm and serene. I began a path of psychic experimentation. I searched the internet for ways for me to increase my psychic awareness. I progressed to buying a crystal ball and images would unfold in front of me and then words started appearing. Soon I no longer needed the crystal ball, because full sentences were appearing before me on the ground. It was Wes my spirit guide communicating with me. He had been talking to me all along. When Wes started speaking to me in my head, he told me that he was my husband and he said: 'I love you to bits'. I was soon surrounded by spirits such as Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Heath Ledger and Albert Einstein. We were doing everything together. I no longer needed anyone from the real world But unbeknownst to me, there were dark forces that were awaiting me, where all my worst fears would be realised. I would experience demons, the afterlife and the darkness of hell.