Fatal Pauses

People can become stuck in many ways and for a wide variety
of reasons, explains the author of Fatal Pauses, that rare book that
both clinicians and general readers can benefit from and enjoy. Novelistic
in its depictions of composite patients but clear-eyed in its analysis, the
book offers a "3-D method" of addressing "stuck"-ness, which is defined as
"not stopping something that is bad for us" or "not starting and staying
with something that is good for us." The process of discovering why
one is stuck, deciding to become unstuck, and then asserting the
discipline required to do so is brought to vivid life by one of the
most respected psychiatrists of our day.

The book's structure is
logical and engaging:


* The Am I Stuck? Scale can be self-administered by general readers or
administered by clinicians to their patients. This first chapter sets the
stage for what follows.
* The 3-D method of getting unstuck is presented
in a systematic, easy-to-comprehend manner that begins with a brief overview
and proceeds to more detailed instructions and insights.
* Riveting case
examples make up the heart of the book. They are not mere summaries but
consist of thorough and detailed clinical descriptions that provide context,
in addition to extensive dialogue and analysis. Several of these cases are
divided into multiple chapters, providing a comprehensive clinical picture
to help both mental health professionals and lay readers increase their
understanding of being "stuck."
* A range of categories or "stuck"-ness
is addressed, including being trapped by career choices, limited by obesity,
paralyzed by an unsatisfying marriage, incapacitated by addiction, and
imprisoned by the need to please. Of special note is the case example of a
young man whose interpersonal relationships have gradually, but
progressively, become reduced to computer-based encounters. The author's
examination of this individual's fixation on video games and virtual
realities and his escape from this cyberprison through treatment is both
timely and compelling.
* Finally, the author provides an evolutionary
and neurobiological overview of how we become "stuck," which helps the
reader grasp the underpinnings of this behavior and learn how to become
"unstuck."

Written in a warm and disarming style, Fatal Pauses
will find a home in clinicians' libraries,waiting rooms, and on family room
bookshelves.