Taming the Dragon

This is a book unlike any other because the author has been a psychiatrist and a mental patient and writes candidly about both experiences. Chapters include “How to Talk so your Provider will Listen” and “How to Make a Geographic Move without Running Out of your Medication(s).Dr. Clark discusses the fine points of how to cope when you have only a 10-minute visit and you have medication side effects to complain about and a form your provider must fill out. There is also a chapter on how to save money. Psychiatric patients and their families will all benefit from this book, whether they are newly diagnosed, wrestling with recovery, or contemplating a transcontinental move. There is also a chapter specifically written for families about how to talk with a mentally ill family member. The book is full of stories about what happened to others, as well as stories from Dr. Clark’s own life as a patient.