Beating Depression and Bipolar Disorder Without Drugs: A Memoir of Survival in a Male-Dominated World

by Julia A. Sherman

Overview

Sherman, a nationally recognized psychologist, shares experiences that women have been keeping secret: sexual assault, #MeToo, depression, sexual pleasure. At last someone who not only writes frankly, but brings science to the personal. Driven from her profession for testifying against a psychiatrist who had sexually abused a patient, she survived, conquering her depression and bipolar disorder. Medicated to near oblivion, she was sustained by her determination to uncover the origin of bipolar disorder. The theory she developed offers an alternative to the heavily prescribed medications that do more harm than help-an alternative she personally tested at the risk of her own sanity.

Meticulously researched and documented, Sherman's cutting-edge knowledge can be used to manage depression and bipolar disorder without drugs, as she demonstrates from her personal experience of being drug-free and healthy for twenty years. Written by a woman, for women, the book has nonetheless been warmly embraced by men.

At a time when truth is in short supply, Sherman challenges the medical establishment for their greed, fraud, and the moral bankruptcy of their treatment of the mentally ill, especially women. Sherman is in that brave tradition of women's marches demanding justice, equality, and political change. With the courage and pioneering spirit that characterized her life, Sherman leaves posterity an unforgettable story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780989998772
Publisher:	Persephone Publications
Publication date:	05/06/2019
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.58(d)

About the Author

Born in 1934 in Akron, Ohio, Julia A. Sherman received her PhD from the State University of Iowa in 1957. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science and has been honored for her pioneering work in the scientific study of the psychology of women. In 1971, she published On the Psychology of Women: A Survey of Empirical Studies, and, later, her research on women and mathematics was recognized by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics as one of the most important contributions of the twentieth century.

She served on the APA Committee on Women and as Associate Editor of the nascent Psychology of Women Quarterly. Involved in the issue of therapist sexual misconduct as a member of an APA task force, she suffered the whistle blower’s fate when she testified against a powerful psychiatrist. Subsequently, recovered from a bout of depression and severe impairment from psychiatric drugs, she used her knowledge to pioneer a new non-drug treatment for depression and bipolar disorder based on chronobiology. One of her most significant contributions is a provocative new theory successfully predicting that genes for depression and mood swings come from Neanderthal.

Editorial Reviews

This engaging, honest tale was written by a distinguished clinical psychologist who did seminal work in the psychology of women and contributed with her impressive evolutionary theory on the origins of bipolar disorder, both of which were intertwined with her personal life....Sherman's autobiographical story stands out for its ability to weave together the professional and scientific with the personal.

University of Texas at San Antonio, author of "The Dopaminergic Mind in Human Evolution and History" - Fred Previc, PhD

Sherman creates a new kind of memoir, one that brings research studies to bear on her own personal and professional experiences as a daughter, a graduate student, and a working professional. She reveals the extent to which she and most of us were subjected to misogynist contempt by our teachers and to outright sexual harrassment and assault. This work documents an era that, alas, has not entirely passed.

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies at City University of New York - Phyllis Chesler, PhD

This is an outstanding memoir by a brilliant clinical psychologist. It is beautifully written, scientifically sound, and easily understood by the thoughtful reader. I recommend this book to everyone interested in learning how to overcome life's obstacles successfully.

Distinguished Research Professor, Pace University, New York, Former Pressident of American Psychological Association - Florence L. Denmark, PhD

Julia Sherman is an illustrious psychologist and important foremother in feminist psychology. This is her story, a tale of survival and resilience in her battle with depression in the context of a male-dominated, medicalized mental health profession. The description of her battles--with illness and with dismissive medical providers --is a cautionary tale. Her call for women to work together and use their combined political power is timely; I hope this book will serve as a call for action.

Regents Professor of Psychology and Women and Gender StudiesEmeritus, Arizona State University - Nancy Russo, PhD