Why Freud was wrong

Rating: ★★★★★

Why Freud Was Wrong: Sin, Science and Psychoanalysis

Freud, according to this 1995 book, dispensed psychoanalysis “as if it was a science, when it seems more akin to a faith or a cult, with Freud as a modern ‘Messiah'”. It is an explanation of the human condition firmly rooted in Darwinian evolutionary theories. That Freud was able to do so may well be down to the 20th century spiritual vacuum, the failure of the churches post world war, and their little, if any, moral authority. It is in this respect that Freudian psychoanalysis bears comparison with Darwinian evolution. Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical  theory remains a popular psychiatric approach. Its use, however, has been chiefly in the United States. Thus New York, with nine million inhabitants (1980) had almost a thousand psychoanalysts, whereas Tokyo, with eleven million people, had but three!

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You Carry the Cure In Your Own Heart

Emotional abuse: What it is, what it does to children, what can be done about it

Emotional abuse of children can lead, in adulthood, to addiction, rage, a severely damaged sense of self and an inability to truly bond with others. But—if it happened to you—there is a way out.

Depressed GirlAndrew Vachss is a lawyer with an unusual specialty. His clients are all children—damaged, hurting children who have been sexually assaulted, physically abused, starved, ignored, abandoned and every other lousy thing one human can do to another. People who know what he does always ask: “What is the worst case you ever handled?” When you’re in a business where a baby who dies early may be the most fortunate child in the family, there’s no easy answer. . His answer is that, of all the many forms of child abuse, emotional abuse may be the cruellest and longest-lasting of all.

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Manage Your Mind: The Mental Fitness Guide

 

Rating: ★★★★★

Manage Your Mind: The Mental Fitness Guide

When I bought this book I was skeptical, because with all the self-help books and magazines now available, I tend to steer away from the ones that try to cover too much ground. ‘Manage your mind’ has sections on relationships, anxiety and depression, breaking free from bad habits, and how to study and improve your memory.

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Dealing with Difficult People: Proven Strategies for Handling Stressful Situations and Defusing Tensions

Rating: ★★★★★

Dealing with Difficult People: Proven Strategies for Handling Stressful Situations and Defusing Tensions

When I initially picked up this book, I bought it on the strengh of the subjects it covers. In brief these are: Dealing with manipulators, Dealing with difficult clients, supervisors,co-workers,and subordinates. It can be seen that it emphasises workplace tensions. When you consider that we often work with people we may never normally choose to..

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From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice

Rating: ★★★★★

It is true that nursing as a profession has changed rapidly over the last 25 years, and of course, as with all students, nurses have to prioritise on the latest written information. However, this 1984 publication, well respected as a reflective text, really reaches the heart of what nursing is all about, what motivates people to become nurses, what is expected of nurses in practice, how to address the fears we have as nurses, and how you can go the extra mile and develop the art of expert nursing practice. And as importantly, how people instinctively know the difference between an expert nurse, and the few for whom it is just a job.
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