David Joseph Schwartz is the creator of the TV show, ‘Man with the Mind’. This is an award winning show that has run for five seasons on FX. The show follows the character of Dr. David Grey, who comes from the science fiction world into a reality TV show in which he teams up with other mental professionals. It is a brilliant take on the idea of mental therapy, with a futuristic setting and many familiar elements. In this book, you will get to know Dr. Grey as he practices his trade in a very modern world. Here is an extract from the book, ‘The Man Who Thought About Everything’, written by David Joseph Schwartz.
This is a wonderful book about mental health and mental therapy. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it highly to any psychiatrist or psychologist. What sets it apart is its unique blending of humor and serious psychiatric discussions. When you read this book, you get to laugh at the ridiculous things therapists do during therapy sessions, but at the same time, you also get to learn about the incredible power of the human mind.
The first chapter of the book has a very interesting set of anecdotes, some surprising but true. I particularly liked the one about a therapist who explained how the patient – a Vietnam War vet – was so obsessed with the war that he had turned to alcohol and drugs to forget it all. The funny thing is that he was under medication for depression! Schwartz does an excellent job of conveying the absurdity of such behaviors.
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Some of the more absurd subjects that David Joseph Schwartz covers are such matters as the possibility of people having multiple lives, the power of suggestion, and the ability of dreams to manifest. All of these subjects are extremely interesting and make for entertaining reading. What is not fun is reading how therapists generally respond to such topics. The majority of therapists will rationalize away the behavior of their patients, often quoting the work of Sigmund Freud.
This book also contains a great deal of practical advice. Schwartz teaches how to diagnose problems in your own life and how to make mental health and mental illness treatment choices that work. I especially like the section on what to look for in a potential physical doctor or therapist. It would have been interesting to have discussions like this between myself and my doctor about whether or not I needed any additional testing.
Some people might be offended by the fact that this book discusses mental illness and mental disorders. In actuality, Schwartz does not focus on how negative or positive a patient’s thoughts or perceptions are. He focuses on treating the actual physical symptoms of the illness. I found that while some of his methods are unorthodox, they are ones that I agree with and would actually feel comfortable implementing, myself.
I believe that the greatest value of the book is that it nails down the notion that we need to treat the whole person, not just the illness. There is plenty of talk about treating the symptoms, but very little of which has to do with curing. This is what I think is missing from so much of today’s conventional medicine. The emphasis is almost entirely on drugs or surgery as the first option. Schwartz does not suggest that we go this route. What he does suggest is that we start by learning to treat the illness and let the illness take its course.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I liked the stories of David J. Schwartz’s past and his present, and found them very inspiring. I agree with one of the characters in the book who says, “To live is to suffer, and to love is to win.” David J. Schwartz is a wise writer and teacher. I enjoyed this book and recommend it highly to others who are looking for an easy way out of the darkness. For those already battling mental illness, this book will help you find the light at the end of the tunnel.
