Severe Personality Disorders: Everyday Issues In Clinical Pra

Description:
Originally published in 2007, this book is about understanding and managing patients with severe personality disorders. It covers biological, psychoanalytic and cognitive behavioral approaches and provides a pragmatic guide to best practice. As well as discussing issues of severity, treatability and the range of appropriate management options, the content explores the common elements of effective interventions and covers early prediction, countertransference, disruptions of the therapeutic alliance, suicidal crises and what to do when dealing with dangerous, refractory and stalking patients. The chapters are authored by an international cast of distinguished investigators and innovators from the field. This is a holistic, practical guide to the treatment of patients with a range of these disorders and it should be read by members of the mental health team dealing with this challenging clinical group.

Review:
Review of the hardback: 'This book covers important aspects of personality disorders management. It starts with treatability, methods of treatment, issues in children and adolescence, managing suicidal crisis, management of severe and dangerous cases and discussion of common elements of effective treatment. The cover of these topics is extensive with a detailed, thoughtful and comprehensive survey of the available literature on treatment of personality disorders with meticulous attention to conceptual details. The reader explores the essential ingredients of an effective therapeutic approach for these conditions. This book is addressed to psychology, psychiatry, under postgraduate students, neurologists, psychiatrists and behavioural therapists. It is a good buy for those interested in the topic of personality disorders.' Saudi Medical Journal Review of the hardback: 'By presenting the opinions of renowned experts on a broad range of issues integral to the understanding and treatment of severe personality disorders, the book is certainly a treasure box that contains an interesting mixture of stimulating ideas and useful practical guidelines. ... Severe Personality Disorders can be recommended highly to anyone who want to enhance his or her knowledge of these challenging conditions.' Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Table of Contents:
1. Treatability in severe personality disorders: how far do the science and art of psychotherapy carry us? Michael Stone; 2. The treatment of choice: what method fits whom? John Clarkin; 3. Countertransference: recent developments and technical implications for the treatment of patients with severe personality disorders Otto Kernberg; 4. Beyond management to cure: enhancing the positive dimensions of personality Robert Cloninger; 5. Personality disorders from the perspective of child and adolescent psychiatry Arnold Allertz and Guus van Voorst; 6. Disruptions in the course of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis Salman Akhtar; 7. Managing suicidal crises in patients with severe personality disorders Joel Paris; 8. Borderline personality disorder, day hospitals, and mentalization Anthony Bateman and Peter Fonagy; 9. Pharmacotherapy of severe personality disorders: a critical review Thomas Rinne and Theo Ingenhoven; 10. Severe cases: management of the refractory borderline patient Bert van Luyn; 11. Dangerous cases: when treatment is not an option Reid Meloy and James Reavis; 12. Stalking of therapists Paul Mullen and Rosemary Purcell; 13. Common elements of effective treatments John Livesley.