Books on Mental Health

If your child's anxiety has you feeling worried and anxious, too, this book may just be a cure for the both of you. Written by a family of therapists, it walks you through an easy version of cognitive behavioral therapy to do with your child, which starts with visualizing that anxiety as a scary dragon and learning, with the help of an inner wizard, how to make it shrink and shrivel away. Though the dragon may come back, you and your child will know how to vanquish it. 5 Stars

The classic book on early-onset bipolar disorder has added more than 22,000 words for its third edition, encompassing new treatments, new research, and new laws. Remaining the same is the reassuring, non-alarmist tone and practical advice about an often alarming and befuddling disorder. If you're looking to learn everything you can, it's a lifesaving resource. 5 Stars

In many ways, teenagers are naturally bipolar, swinging from manic excitement to depression just as a normal expression of adolescent hormonal chaos. But if your teen swings more sharply and disastrously, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder may be appropriate. This comprehensive, accessible, and somehow upbeat book tells you how to get one and what to do with it -- at home, in the doctor's office, and at school. 5 Stars

Not a parenting book so much as a book for parents to read with their children, Don't Feed the Monster helps kids understand negative self-talk by picturing a nasty green monster who lives in your head and says mean things. With colorful cartoons and kid-friendly language, the book offers explanations for those bad feelings and ways to overcome them. 4.5 Stars

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder fools kids into thinking it's a fearsome monster, but this enthusiastic self-help book recommends giving that monster a funny name and talking trash about him. With a detailed program of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, child psychiatrist John S. March gives children and families tools to recognize obsessions and compulsions as "mental hiccups" that can be stopped with a little courage and creativity. 4.5 Stars

Looking for a hard and fast answer to the question of whether psychiatric medications will be safe, effective, and necessary for your child? Too bad, you won't find it here. You will find an evenhanded look at the pros and cons, from a psychiatrist who is cautiously pro-medication but entirely mindful of its pitfalls. Whichever side of the fence you're on, or even if you're straddling it, you'll find some validation for your point of view here. Some food for thought, too. 4.5 Stars

It's natural for parents to worry about their kids. But when the kids are worrying more than the parents, that's cause for real concern. Stress is becoming more and more of a problem for our overworked, overbooked kids. When does stress become anxiety, and anxiety become a disorder? This book can help you figure that out, and give you an idea of what to do next. 4 Stars

Teens who cut, burn, pick, or otherwise harm themselves are a source of concern, distress, and bafflement to their parents. Hollander, a psychotherapist who specializes in helping self-injuring adolescents, offers moms and dads a clue on why their kid does that, a therapy that can make it stop, and suggestions on how to parent in the meantime. 4 Stars

Parents may not be concerned when very young children have invisible friends, but as kids get older concerns may grow. Does a school-age child with a pretend pal need psychological help? A preteen? A teen? Do imaginary companions ever occur in adulthood, and what do they mean? This book offers research on pretend playmates -- and reassuring conclusions. 4 Stars