| Edition |
First edition. |
| Description |
292 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [255]-279) and index. |
| Contents |
Germ theory redux : the acquisition of mental illness -- The fetus as battleground : early exposure and psychiatric fate -- Growing pains : "catching" anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tourette's -- Gut feelings : the brain in your belly -- Microbial culture : pathogens and the shaping of societies -- Winning at evolutionary chess : strategies to outwit pathogens -- Tropical madness : infection and neglect in the developing world. |
| Summary |
Presents a groundbreaking look at the connection between germs and mental illness, and how these conditions can be prevented and treated. |
|
What causes mental illness? Traditionally, we've blamed bad parenting, stress, trauma, genetics, and brain-chemistry imbalances. But in recent years, a new theory has quietly achieved critical mass. In her astonishing new book, author Harriet Washington reveals that many instances of schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Alzheimer's, Tourette's, bipolar disorder, and anorexia are likely caused by bacteria, parasites, or viruses. That's right--you can "catch" mental illness. Weaving together cutting-edge research and startling case studies, Infectious Madness shows how strep throat can trigger OCD in a formerly healthy teen, how a pregnant woman's contact with cat litter can lead to schizophrenia in her child, and how gut bacteria that leak into the bloodstream may play a role in autism. Thanks in part to the sheer speed of their reproduction, microbes are beating us at a game of evolutionary chess; we must be vigilant if we hope to protect ourselves and our children from mind-altering infections. Washington shares innovative tactics from the front lines of medicine--like worm therapy, phages (viruses that infect bacteria), and the use of one microbe to fight another--and explains the dangers of carelessness, bad environmental policy, and misinformation. Rich in science, tantalizing medical mysteries, and practical advice, Infectious Madness pulls back the curtain on a new paradigm with profound implications for us all.--Adapted from book jacket. |
| Subject |
Mental illness -- Pathophysiology.
|
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Mental illness -- Etiology.
|
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Psychiatric epidemiology.
|
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Germ theory of disease.
|
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Mental illness -- Prevention.
|
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Communicable diseases -- Prevention.
|
| ISBN |
9780316277808 (hardcover) |
|
0316277800 (hardcover) |
|
