Adopting a friendly but critical approach to the talking therapies, this book places psychotherapy in a social and historical context, exploring its relationship to contemporary culture and recommending a different way of thinking about practice.

Joel Paris discusses the over-diagnosis of bipolar disorder and the negative impact of this trend on clinical care. The book opens with a careful review of scientific evidence that verifies that diagnoses of bipolar disorder are often made on dubious grounds.

"Dr. Paris has written an honest, balanced presentation of the ways in which psychiatric drugs are evaluated and prescribed. He highlights the complexity of the task, the limits of what is known and the mixed picture that research often produces. His conclusions are refreshing because they are built from an even-handed, pragmatic assessment of the empirical evidence. The result is a stimulating look at the world of treatments for emotional disorders that acknowledges the usefulness of both biological and psychosocial explanations where appropriate. His recommendations provide helpful roadmaps...

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.