Cracked: Why Psychiatry Is Doing More Harm Than Good by James Davies - Non Fiction - Paperback

Details
Condition: Brand New
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781848316546
Publisher: Icon Books
Age Range: Adult

Overview
Cracked: Why Psychiatry Is Doing More Harm Than Good is a hard-hitting investigation into the modern mental health industry, written by psychotherapist and social anthropologist James Davies. Drawing on original interviews, clinical experience, and years of research, Davies asks why psychiatric diagnoses have multiplied and why so many people are medicated for everyday distress. It is essential reading for anyone questioning how society understands and treats mental illness, from patients and carers to students and professionals.

About the Book
In this bestselling paperback, James Davies pulls back the curtain on the psychiatric establishment, exposing how commercial interests, weak science, and cultural pressures have combined to inflate the number of recognised mental disorders from just over a hundred in the 1950s to hundreds today. He examines the rise of psychotropic medication, showing how antidepressants and other drugs are prescribed at record levels despite mounting evidence questioning their long-term effectiveness and safety. Through interviews with senior psychiatrists, drug company insiders, and regulators, Davies builds a compelling, well-sourced case that much of modern psychiatric practice rests on shakier scientific foundations than the public is led to believe. Rather than dismissing mental illness or the value of support, the book argues for a more honest, evidence-based approach to care - one that resists over-medicalising ordinary human suffering. Accessible and rigorously researched, Cracked has been widely discussed in the press and among mental health professionals since its original publication, and remains a touchstone text in debates about psychiatry, diagnosis, and the pharmaceutical industry's influence on treatment decisions worldwide.

• Understand how psychiatric diagnosis has expanded dramatically over the last 70 years
• Learn how pharmaceutical industry influence shapes prescribing practices
• Explore firsthand accounts from psychiatrists, regulators, and drug company insiders
• Gain a critical framework for questioning medicalisation of everyday distress
• Ideal for students of psychology, medicine, sociology, and mental health policy
• A thought-provoking gift for anyone interested in health, wellbeing, and social science

About the Author
James Davies holds a PhD in social and medical anthropology from the University of Oxford and is a qualified psychotherapist who has worked within organisations including the NHS. He is a professor of social anthropology and mental health at the University of Roehampton, London, and co-founder of the Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry. Davies is also the author of Sedated: How Modern Capitalism Created Our Mental Health Epidemic, and his writing has appeared widely in the press, cementing his reputation as a leading critical voice on psychiatry and mental health.

Why You'll Love This Book
Sharp, meticulously researched, and genuinely eye-opening, Cracked challenges readers to rethink what they know about psychiatric medicine, making it a must-read for anyone curious about the real story behind modern mental health care.

Please Note: Cover art may vary slightly from the image shown; this listing is for the UK paperback edition with the ISBN stated above.