Product Description

As a practising GP, Dr Terry Lynch was plagued by increasing doubts about his effectiveness in dealing with patients experiencing emotional distress. He no longer trusted the drugs handed out as routine treatment for so-called mental illnesses. Changes in his working practice and a training in psychotherapy culminated in the writing of his controversial and deeply felt book. Every year one million people take their own lives worldwide, and thirty million attempt suicide. Terry Lynch believes that suicide is a final act of avoidance, which in the context of the person's life always makes sense . Drawing on his wide experience as a GP and counsellor and using real case histories, the book demonstrates the common sense, but sadly controversial, idea that personal contact is a better healer than drugs.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #284899 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 316 pages

Review
Lovelessness and loneliness cannot be explained by chemical changes in the brain and cured by the ingestion of drugs. Lovelessness and loneliness, like anxiety and depression and all the ways of expressing distress which are called mental disorder, are part of what it is to be human, but a part that can be understood, diminished and banished from our lives simply by caring wisely for ourselves. Terry Lynch understands and cares wisely for us all. His immense warmth and humanity are revealed on every page of this book. It is truly a book for our time and for all time. --Dorothy Rowe

Beyond Prozac is in my view the single most important contribution to our understaning of suicide in the past ten years … As a statement by a qualified and practising doctor of something which many of us instinctivley know to be true, it is the vital articulation of the unsayable. --John Waters, The Irish Times

I just loved Beyond Prozac. If I ever get seriously unhappy, I'm going to camp on Terry's doorstep … I can't speak of it too highly. If ever a man puts a human face on mental suffering and offers an optimistic message, Dr Lynch is that man. --William Glasser, MD, Psychiatrist

Yvonne Bates, Ipnosis Number 16, 2004
This excellent book… has certainly filled a number of gaps in my understanding of depression

About the Author
Dr Terry Lynch qualified as a medical doctor in 1982. Separated from his parents at four years old, Terry lost his confidence in his teen years, becoming quite anxious, lonely and scared. Terry's personal experience of mental and emotional distress has perhaps given him some insight into the pain of others. For over ten years, he worked as a General Practitioner. During this time, he become increasingly concerned about fundamental issues such as the quality of medical training in mental health, the excessive reliance on medication to treat mental health problems, and the pervasive influence of the pharmaceutical industry on medical practice. In 1997, Dr Lynch undertook to expand his understanding of mental health problems beyond the narrow medical approach to mental health, culminating in the completion of an MA in Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy in 2002 at the University of Limerick. Fully registered with the Irish Medical Council, Terry Lynch has for many years determined to adjust and improve his working practices with the aim of maximising the quality of the service he could offer to people experiencing mental health difficulties. In 2003, he was appointed by the Irish Ministry for Health to the government-appointed Expert Group on Mental Health Policy; the remit of this group is to shape the direction of mental health policy in Ireland over the next two decades. Since the publication of his book Dr Lynch has made numerous primetime television and radio appearances, and has been widely quoted in the press.

Customer Reviews

Excellent read - lifting the cloak of secrecy
Well done to Dr Terry Lynch on the recent publication of his excellent exploration into the confused world of mental health. This book explores the whole area of how the so-called experts are treating those who look for help. Dr Lynch is advancing the view that what we call depression is not a Mental Illness as commonly understood but a sane response to the external reality of the sufferer's life which is at present being inappropriately treated with drugs. In this book Dr Lynch certainly lifts the Cloak of Secrecy and begs questions to be addressed regarding treatment and care of those looking for help for depression. Sadly the old cure for all ills is a few Valium! Now I understand a little better why Ireland is experiencing a huge increase in suicide particularly among young men. Let us hope that our psychiatrists will take note of this book, which is an excellent insight into his experiance as a GP, in dealing with all those who come for help and relate their past experiances in the psychiatrist's chair! Well done Dr Lynch.

This book may give hope to those who had almost given up
Beyond Prozac is a very readable, thought-provoking & hard-hitting book. Terry Lynch, the author, a medical doctor with 18 years of experience, is convinced that doctors prescribe tranquilizers & anti-depressants far too easily. Doctors lead patients to believe that depression is due to a bio-chemical imbalance in the brain which can be righted by drugs. In fact, the shocking truth, as the book clearly explains, is that there is no such evidence in medical research to prove this. By putting patients on addictive drugs, doctors simply mask their problems. Doctors do not always explain that these drugs can be highly addictive. Very few doctors spend enough time with their patients & try to explore the real cause of their depression with them. This book sets out to show that while medication has a place, it is not the answer. In fact, it is only part of the solution. Terry Lynch cites many interesting case-histories which show that patients gained far more by having someone who would listen & not judge or blame them, who made them feel safe & who completely accepted that were very good reasons why one might feel depressed or indeed suicidal. He points out that a secure therapeutic relationship is far more preferable & effective than the drug route. This is a very compassionate book & is a must for anyone who themselves or whose family and/or friends have ever struggled with depression or anxiety. To those who feel there is no other route but that of medication, this book is a ray of light & hope in the dark tunnel of mental anxiety & I would highly recommend it.

important read for all mental health professionals
This book is a true eye opener to all those who take for granted the expertise of those entrusted with care of the so caled "mentally ill". It clearly and in simple jargon free language explains the thinking behind modern psychiatry that simply strives to diagnose a condition and perscribe a drug for that condition. Consideration for the individual person is lost in this scenario and little hope is offered other than an existance on medication. Dr. Lynch's book had a hugh impact on our personal lives and has given us great hope for our son whom the system had almost written off and who is at present decreasing medication under supervision but in line with the thinking as set out in this wonderful book and is making very good progress.