Review of Give and Take: a Roadmap to Understanding a Psychiatrist

[Christabel Uzoamaka]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Give and Take: a Roadmap to Understanding a Psychiatrist" by Stephanie H. Mullany, MD, MAR.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When people receive a recommendation to see a psychiatrist, they often recoil and respond negatively. But this should not be so. Stephanie H. Mullany, MD, MAR, has given a cursory but detailed explanation of what psychiatry involves. As a professional, she shares insight on what the practice means to her and how she goes about her practice in the most meaningful way possible, centering the patient and giving them full control regarding their treatment plan. In Give and Take: A Roadmap to Understanding a Psychiatrist, she shows that psychiatry should not be feared. She describes the processes involved in the profession and how transformative modern psychiatric medicine can be for people struggling with their mental health.

Mullany did a brilliant job with this book. I do not usually enjoy short books because they can seem disjointed and incomplete. But Mullany dispelled that notion for me. This book is only a little more than eighty pages. But somehow, she managed to be detailed, which opened my eyes to the benefits of psychiatry and what dedicated psychiatrists may be going through in their practices. The author has a 40-year career in psychiatry, during which she has served in a hospital, a major Air Force base, and her private practice. So she has the professional authority to write about the profession, and she provided additional references, which increased the book’s credibility. While she acknowledged that this book is only a primer, she did a good job at making it as detailed as possible while remaining concise.

Another thing I loved about this book is how the author’s tone was kind but remained professional. She stressed that treatments must place the patient in control of their treatment because “sometimes the patient knows best.” She gave prime examples of real-life patients while protecting their identities. The case of the patient who told her that they only respond to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) passed across the message that the patient can know what works for them better than a professional can (in some cases). Likewise, the case of the girl whose unexplained mental health challenge she traced to a history of measles shows how important medical history can be in a diagnosis and treatment plan. I appreciated all the examples the author provided.

Mullany talked about the strides that psychiatric medicine has made. In modern times, there are several types of anti-depressants and treatments for different mental issues. Now, PET scans can show the biological changes in the brains of affected people. Consequently, there is no longer a one-size-fits-all treatment plan. Instead, psychiatrists must tailor treatments to each patient. The easy and direct way Mullany explained how many treatment methods work made me understand everything clearly and eliminated my prejudices about psychiatry.

The author mentioned that her goal is to help more people understand that psychiatry does not have to be scary and that affected people should seek professional help with ease while working closely with their healthcare providers to achieve optimum health. She achieved her goal excellently. Readers who want to educate themselves on the direction of modern psychiatry should read this book. This book received exceptional editing, and I found nothing to dislike about it, so my rating is 4 out of 4.

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Give and Take: a Roadmap to Understanding a Psychiatrist
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[Sopulu Ezidimma]

I never knew this about physicist. Great review.

[Jen Nghishitende]

I love this review, and I already love the book without even reading it, so thank you! I like how she emphasises that the patient be actively involved in their treatment as sometimes they know best!

[Mary reader]

I agree that patients sometimes know what is better for them.Thank you.

[WriteOn]

I enjoyed reading your review Christieee, your appreciation of the book was clear.
''The author mentioned that her goal is to help more people understand that psychiatry does not have to be scary and that affected people should seek professional help with ease while working closely with their healthcare providers to achieve optimum health.'' It's good to know that this psychiatrist is helping to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues and encourage people to access services.
Thank you.

[Uwe Neufeld]

Understanding a psychiatrist? I thought a psychiatrist should understand the patient. But I too have been at a psychiatrist and have some notion of their treatment. Looks like a fine read?

[Ifesi]

This review sounds interesting. The author did a nice job in presenting the book to be interesting and easy to understand. Thanks for a wonderful and intriguing review. Looking forward to reading this book.