Research Catalog
Infectious madness : the surprising science of how we "catch" mental illness
- Title
- Infectious madness : the surprising science of how we "catch" mental illness / Harriet A. Washington.
- Author
- Washington, Harriet A.
- Publication
- New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2015.
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| Status | Format | Access | Call Number | Item Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Schwarzman Building to submit a request in person. | Text | Use in library | JFE 16-8247 | Schwarzman Building - Main Reading Room 315 |
Details
- Description
- 292 pages : illustrations; 24 cm
- Summary
- 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.
- Subjects
- Bibliography (note)
- 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.
- Call Number
- JFE 16-8247
- ISBN
- 9780316277808
- 0316277800
- LCCN
- 2015935999
- OCLC
- 900011975
- Author
- Washington, Harriet A., author.
- Title
- Infectious madness : the surprising science of how we "catch" mental illness / Harriet A. Washington.
- Publisher
- New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2015.
- Edition
- First Edition.
- Type of Content
- text
- Type of Medium
- unmediated
- Type of Carrier
- volume
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-279) and index.
- Research Call Number
- JFE 16-8247