Desperate Remedies

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A Telegraph Book of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Work, and a Times Book of the Year, this compelling narrative is described as “an indisputable masterpiece” by the Wall Street Journal and “compulsively readable” by The Atlantic. It is recommended as essential reading for anyone referred to a psychiatrist, according to The Spectator, and is praised for its meticulous research and engaging writing style, even incorporating humor at times, as noted by The Guardian. This masterful work covers the history of psychiatry, showcasing a diverse array of mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychoanalysts, and neuroscientists, alongside patients and families seeking relief. Andrew Scull, a provocative thinker in the field, examines the rise and fall of state-run mental hospitals, shedding light on why many mentally ill individuals are now homeless and how experimental therapies disproportionately affected women. He also critiques the pharmaceutical industry's expansion and the concealment of drug side effects. This passionate account of America's struggle with mental illness invites readers to reconsider their assumptions about mental health and emotional well-being.