A humane behind-the-scenes account of a week in the life of a psychiatrist at one of Canada’s leading mental health hospitals. How Can I Help? takes us to the frontlines of modern psychiatric care.
How Can I Help? portrays a week in the life of Dr. David Goldbloom as he treats patients, communicates with families, and trains staff at CAMH, the largest psychiatric facility in Canada. This highly readable and touching behind-the-scenes account of his daily encounters with a wide range of psychiatric concerns—from his own patients and their families to Emergency Department arrivals—puts a human face on an often misunderstood area of medical expertise. From schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder to post-traumatic stress syndrome and autism, How Can I Help? investigates a range of mental issues.
What is it like to work as a psychiatrist now? What are the rewards and challenges? What is the impact of the suffering—and the recovery—of people with mental illness on families and the clinicians who treat them? What does the future hold for psychiatric care?
How Can I Help? demystifies a profession that has undergone profound change over the past twenty-five years, a profession that is often misunderstood by the public and the media, and even by doctors themselves. It offers a compassionate, realistic picture of a branch of medicine that is entering a new phase, as increasingly we are able to decode the mysteries of the brain and offer new hope for sufferers of mental illness.
“This book is the education we need as a society to both understand what mental illness is and the crucial role psychiatry plays. With humour and humanity, Drs. Goldbloom and Bryden break down the myths that prevent people from getting treatment and trusting their doctors. This is a fascinating read.”
“Terrific, really wonderful. How Can I Help? gives an excellent view of the genuine practice of psychiatry: its compassion and science, its limits and gifts, its medical and humanistic roots. It is also so well-written that it makes reading a pleasure.”
“One in five Canadians every year suffers from mental illness or addiction. This book is wise, thoughtful, and funny. It will touch your heart and change your mind.”
“Here in the early 21st century, Goldbloom and Bryden show us why mind still matters—and so does Psychiatry. This book is a richly woven account of how a psychiatrist thinks and feels while bringing knowledge and wisdom to the care of his patients. A great read for those whose lives or families have been touched in some way by mental disorders, in other words, for all of us.”
