Written in a lively and entertaining style, Facts and Fictions in Mental Health examines common conceptions and misconceptions surrounding mental health and its treatment. Each chapter focuses on a misconception and is followed by a discussion of related findings from scientific research.

Notes on Authors xi Preface xiii Acknowledgments xvii Section 1 Anxiety–Related Disorders 1 Introduction 1 1 Why Do We Panic? 5 2 Does Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Require Trauma? 9 3 Clutter, Clutter, Everywhere: The Problem of Hoarding 14 4 Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for Anxiety: Taking a Closer Look 18 5 The Down Sides of Anti–Anxiety Medication 22 6 Is Mindfulness Good Medicine for Anxiety and Depression? 26 7 Can Herbs Ease Anxiety and Depression? 30 Section 2 Mood Disorders 35 Introduction 35 8 Bipolar Disorders and Creativity: Psychological Truth or Urban Legend? 37 9 Grief Without Tears? 42 10 Is Depression Just Bad Chemistry? 46 11 Four Myths About Suicide 51 12 What Is the Best Treatment for Depression: Drugs, Psychotherapy, or Both? 55 13 Can Antidepressants Cause Suicide? 63 14 The Truth About Shock Therapy 70 Section 3 Child and Adolescent Disorders 75 Introduction 75 15 Are Doctors Diagnosing Too Many Children With ADHD? 79 16 Autism: An Epidemic? 83 17 What Do We Know About Tourette’s Disorder? 88 18 Do Children Get Bipolar Disorder? 93 19 Kid Gloves for Young Offenders? 97 20 Is Divorce Bad for Children? 101 Section 4 Addictions 105 Introduction 105 21 The Truth About Pot 107 22 Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work? 112 23 Self–Help for Addictions 117 24 How Destructive Is Internet Porn? 121 25 Just Say No? 125 Section 5 Externalizing Problems 129 Introduction 129 26 Road Rage: What Is It and What Can We Do About It? 131 27 Once a Sex Offender, Always a Sex Offender: Maybe Not 135 28 Are Men the More Belligerent Sex? 139 Section 6 Personality Disorders 143 Introduction 143 29 A Dose of Narcissism can be Useful 147 30 The Truth About Borderline Personality 151 31 What “Psychopath” Means 155 Section 7 Shattered Selves: Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder 159 Introduction 159 32 Can People Have Multiple Personalities? 161 33 How Violent are People with Mental Illness? 166 34 Can People with Schizophrenia be Helped? 170 Section 8 Popular Myths About the Brain and Behavior 175 Introduction 175 35 Uncovering “Brainscams” 177 36 Is Hypnosis a Distinct Form of Consciousness? 181 37 Memory in Old Age: Not a Lost Cause 185 Section 9 Psychotherapy and Other Approaches to Change 189 Introduction 189 38 Are all Psychotherapies Created Equal? 193 39 Do Self–Help Books Help? 197 40 The “Just Do It!” Trap: Why Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura Won’t Solve Your Problems 201 41 Can Animals Aid Therapy? 205 42 Psychotherapy in the Public Eye 210 43 Why Don’t People Change? 215 Section 10 Other Myths 219 Introduction 219 44 Do Psychological Disorders Differ Across Cultures? 221 45 Can Positive Thinking Be Negative? 226 46 Does a Full Moon Really Trigger Strange Behavior? 230 47 Do the Eyes Have It? Eyewitness Testimony Is Often Inaccurate 235 48 The Insanity Defense on Trial 239 49 How Much Does the Environment Contribute to Obesity? 243 50 When Eating Becomes an Illness 247 51 Self–Harm: The Cutting Edge 251 Postscript: A Reader’s Guide to Baloney Detection 256 Index 260

Since 2006, Hal Arkowitz and Scott Lilienfeld have been debunking myths surrounding mental health and its treatment in their ‘Facts and Fictions’ column for Scientific American Mind. This book compiles their articles, augmented with original content on new trending issues in mental health awareness, in a single volume for the first time. Each chapter focuses on either a myth or a set of interrelated myths concerning mental illness and its treatment, and focuses on the scientific research that helps set the record straight on the reality of these psychological problems. Chapters cover topics that include suicide, pediatric bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder), borderline personality disorder, the treatment of ADHD, and others. The authors provide introductory material throughout the book, and have added references to each column. Facts and Fictions in Mental Health seeks to inform and educate individuals about the research base and the realities of mental health problems and those who live with them.

“With frequent references to popular media, Arkowitz and Lilienfeld cover a wide range of topics ranging from popular myths regarding diagnoses and psychopathology to whether animal-assisted therapies help, what to do about road rage, the use of electroshock therapy today, and whether lunar cycles can trigger odd behaviors … this book does an excellent job at offering easily digestible consumer-oriented information that debunks many popular myths related to mental health.”  PsycCRITIQUES, 62: 40 (2017)