Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by American Psychiatric Association (2000, Paperback)

While this book was written by and for mental health professionals, I would highly recommend it for any one in either the social service or legal service professions as a valuable guide to better understanding certain of their clients, and their behavior(s). A review of the symtoms/actions of those with a probable mental health problem could indicate a need for professional intervention, and how critically needed such intervention might be.

It could also be useful to the families of many of those with addiction disorders as well, giving them a better understanding of not only what it is that they are dealing with, but also what to look for in the way of both good or bad signs. I hold that anything that helps the care-givers get a better understanding of their 'patient' is conducive to a higher probability of positive results.

The third group I would recommend this reference book to are those people actually suffering for the various anxiety or depression disorders that their mental health professionals believe could actually benefit from a deeper knowledge of the how and why of their condition. Not all would be able to "handle" this knowledge, but many would.

I, myself, fall into that last group, having been diagnosed with "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder", and having had this book recommended to me by my psychiatric social worker. The few pages that I copied off the web gave me a much clearer view of what had happened inside my head, and more importantly, gave me an understanding of the whys and wherefores of my treatment and prognosis. Therefore, I decided to add this volumn to my personal library.

This book is essential for anyone studying or in the field of psychology or psychiatry. More importantly, this book offers clear and detailed background material, descriptions of mental disorders as well as diagnosis requirements containing the most up-to-date information. As most definitions and requirement criteria of mental disorders change over time, this revision provides therapists, psychologists and psychiatric doctors currently working in the field with the most accurate and reliable information. Definately A Must Have!!!

I have wanted a new copy of the DSM IV-TR for a long time. I really would rather have had it in paperback or spiral-bound, but this will do for now. I believe all of the pages are here, but it is just basically copied from the actual book. There are smears of other pages from where it was scanned. Again, all of the information is there, so I am not too worried about it. I will wait to purchase the new DSM in a few years.

Very fast response with the file. . .

This is a fairly comprehensive guide for diagnosing mental disorders. However, for a clinician, it is important to note that not all real-life situations will ever be this black and white. There are always exceptions. The DSM IV-TR is a good starting point as a foundation, but you will need to use outside resources as well.

The book was in very good condition, and was as described.
i would recoomend it to all psychology or counselling students, as it gives an excellent and descriptive overview of almost all mental disorders, and illnessnes as well as the symptoms and tools for diagnosis.
It is faily simple to understand, and very useful for looking at the medical perspective of illness.
As with all leading texts there are many problems with this manual, in question of ethics and categorization, which is currently under investigation, however this is the most well rounded manual and tool availible for diagnosis, and student reference.