Overview

"""Amputated Souls"" explores the subject of the assault upon human rights and human freedom by psychiatrists and the clinical methods they use. The book traces the history of lobotomy and ECT from their invention in southern Europe in the 1930s, under fascist and authoritarian regimes, to the present day. The alarming growth in the use of antipsychotic drugs, which often have devastating side effects, is also surveyed. This book combines personal accounts of the author's encounters with psychiatrists and mental illness with a thoroughgoing history of the use of various treatments (such as lobotomy and electroconvulsive therapy) by mental health professionals. There is also a chapter dedicated to the portrayal of the psychiatric profession in fiction, autobiography and film, which aims to illustrate how psychiatry has penetrated popular culture and just how deeply its transgressions have affected those subjected to its methods."

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9781845404505

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'Anthony James uses clear language to lay out the story of the inhumane treatments that have blighted the reputation of modern psychiatry. He tells the story of its horrible history and draws parallels between its use in the totalitarian regimes of the Twentieth Century and its use as a method of control in Western societies for those who 'do not fit in'. There can be no greater attack on liberty than the assault perpetrated on the human brain by those that govern us, or those into whose care we entrust our health. It is this vital liberty, Anthony James argues, that has been systematically removed from the most vulnerable of patients that have passed into the care of our psychiatric hospitals. This book should be read by anyone who is setting out on a career in psychiatry and has been given the standard texts to study. It will also be of invaluable help to those who were the patients, who so often feel isolated and alone in their experience.' - James Maw, author and journalist. Think of this book as a kind of expose, of the sort the Sunday papers used to do. Think 'thalidomide' or maybe 'Torture in Iraq'. The story concerns one of the most shocking and disgraceful episodes - still unfolding today - of the abuse of power and responsibility by those who claim to be looking after us... Anthony James makes a powerful case that today, the psychiatric assault on the most vulnerable members of the community is allowed to continue, through the massive prescription of antipsychotic drugs and even through electro-convulsive therapy. - Martin Cohen, The Philosopher James packs a great deal of carefully gathered and clearly expressed information in the 60 or so pages of the book proper. Times Higher Education

'Anthony James uses clear language to lay out the story of the inhumane treatments that have blighted the reputation of modern psychiatry. He tells the story of its horrible history and draws parallels between its use in the totalitarian regimes of the Twentieth Century and its use as a method of control in Western societies for those who 'do not fit in'. There can be no greater attack on liberty than the assault perpetrated on the human brain by those that govern us, or those into whose care we entrust our health. It is this vital liberty, Anthony James argues, that has been systematically removed from the most vulnerable of patients that have passed into the care of our psychiatric hospitals. This book should be read by anyone who is setting out on a career in psychiatry and has been given the standard texts to study. It will also be of invaluable help to those who were the patients, who so often feel isolated and alone in their experience.' - James Maw, author and journalist.

Author Information

Anthony James was born in 1956 and graduated as a mature student in English at University College Swansea in 1991. His poems, short stories, reviews and essays have been published in a large number of journals, and his book The Happy Passion: A Personal View of Jacob Bronowski was published by Imprint Academic in 2011.

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