Overview

Individuals with a mental illnesses-such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression-have a double burden, Otto Wahl writes. Not only must they cope with disabling disorders, but they also must contend with the negative attitudes of the public toward those disorders. To truly understand the full extent of this stigma, we need to hear from the consumers (the term used in this book for people with mental illness) themselves. Telling is Risky Business is the first book to examine what these people have to say about their own experiences of stigma.        The center of Wahl’s research was a nationwide survey in which mental health consumers across the United States were asked, both through questionnaires and interviews, to tell about their experiences of stigma and discrimination. The research comes to life as many of the over 1,300 respondents’ acute observations are reported directly, in their own words.        Telling is Risky Business vividly covers topics such as isolation, rejection, discouragement, and discrimination. Consumers also offer perceptive observations of how our society depicts people with mental illness. The book ends with suggestions for strategies and coping; an invaluable section on resources available for fighting stigma guarantees its place on many bookshelves. As Laura Lee Hall writes, “This book will likely open your eyes to a topic that you probably did not understand.”

Full Product Details

9780813527246

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Reviews

"Dr. Wahl's book gives those who suffer from mental illnesses an eloquent voice. Through their own words, consumers allow us a glimpse of life as they know it, struggling to overcome devastating diseases while withstanding the misconceptions, isolation, and discrimination - the stigma - that society imposes upon them.--Rosalyn Carter ""Former First Lady and Head of the Carter Center Mental Health Program"" These revelations by psychiatric survivors should shatter stereotypes forever. Otto Wahl's book is must-reading for policy makers, media professionals, and all informed Americans.--Jean Arnold ""National Stigma Clearinghouse"""

Author Information

Otto F. Wahl is a professor of psychology at George Mason University. He is the author of Media Madness: Public Images of Mental Illness (Rutgers University Press), which received the 1996 Gustavus Myers Award as an Outstanding Book on Human Rights in North America.

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