Self-Help Library

How to Use this Page:

Always read critically. CAPS does not monitor or endorse the websites listed below. If you have questions or concerns about your own unique situation, make an appointment to talk with a counselor by coming to CAPS from 1:00-3:00 weekdays for a triage appointment or by calling 214-768-2277 if you are experiencing a crisis.

ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE

Screening for Mental Health - Anonymous Online Assessment
Substance Misuse Self-Help http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/SubstanceMisuse.pdf
USDHHS and SAMHSA Alcohol & Drug Facts http://store.samhsa.gov/home
National Institute on Drug Abuse http://www.nida.nih.gov/nidahome.html

ANXIETY AND PANIC

Screening for Mental Health - Anonymous Online Assessment
General Information
Anxiety Disorders of America http://www.adaa.org/
NIMH Anxiety Disorders (Panic, Phobias, OCD, PTSD, GAD) http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/anxiety-disorders/complete-index.shtml
Coping with Panic Attacks http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=44
What? Me Worry? http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=46
Shy No Longer: Coping with Social Anxiety http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=40

ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

NIMH - Information about ADHD http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
Put off Procrastinating!!! http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=50
Attention Deficit Disorder Association http://www.add.org/

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Future Horizons: www.fhautism.com
DANISH: Dallas Asperger's Network of Information, Support and Help. Support Group for Families and Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome: www.aspergerinfo.org
REACH: Rahabilitation, Education and Advocacy for Citizens with Handicaps: www.reachcils.org
The Echidnas Group: A social skills groups for adults ages 18-22 with high functioning autism and/or Asperger's syndrome: www.echidnasgroup.org
Social Thinking and Life SKills Group: Addresses social and life skills of adults with Asperger's disorder or other social skills deficits: www.Aaamentalhealth.org

BIPOLAR DISORDER

Screening for Mental Health - Anonymous Online Assessment
NIMH Bipolar Disorder http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml
Keeping Your Balance: Coping with Bipolar Disorder: http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=38
DISTRESS TOLERANCE http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/DealingwithDistress.pdf

DEPRESSION

Screening for Mental Health - Anonymous Online Assessment
General Information
NIMH Depression http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-index.shtml
Facts about Suicide and Depression http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-statistics-and-prevention/index.shtml
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home
Natl. Suicide Prevention Lifeline http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Back from the Bluez: Coping with Depression http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=37

EATING DISORDERS

Screening for Mental Health - Anonymous Online Assessment
General Information
Anorexia Self-Help http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/AnorexiaSelfHelp.pdf
Bulimia and Binge Eating Self-Help http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/BulimiaSelfHelp.pdf
NIMH - Information about Eating Disorders http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders/complete-index.shtml
Natl. Eating Disorders Association http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
Natl. Assn. of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders http://www.anad.org/
Overeaters Anonymous http://www.oa.org/
The Elisa Project http://smu.edu/eating_disorders/
Eating Disorders, University of California at Davis http://www.eating.ucdavis.edu/

GRIEF AND LOSS

General Information

MINDFULNESS

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/Mindfulness.pdf

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Screening for Mental Health - Anonymous Online Assessment
Managing Traumatic Stress - Tips for Recovery http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/
The Road to Resilience http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx
Coping with Flashbacks http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/CopingwithFlashbacks.pdf

RELATIONSHIP ISSUES/CONFLICT

Building a Healthy Relationship from the Start http://cmhc.utexas.edu/healthyrelationships.html
Assert Yourself! http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=51
Assertiveness http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/Assertiveness.pdf
General Conflict Information
The National Network to End Domestic Violence: http://www.nnedy.org

SELF ESTEEM

Improving Self-Esteem http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=47
Perfectionism in Perspective http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=52
Self-Esteem http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/SelfEsteem.pdf

SELF INJURY

General Information
Self Abuse Finally Ends Safe (S.A.F.E.) http://www.selfinjury.com/
Understanding Self-Injury and Treatments hhttp://www.helpguide.org/mental/self_injury.htm

SLEEP

How to Get a Good Night's Sleep (via Kansas State University Counseling Services) http://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/life/sleep.html#triedcountingsheep
General Information on Insomnia
Sleep Self-Help http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/Sleep.pdf
National Sleep Foundation http://www.sleepfoundation.org/

GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH

Mental Health America http://www.nmha.org/
Natl. Institute of Mental Health http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

The Trevor Project http://www.thetrevorproject.org/ A 24-hour free and confidential suicide hotline for gay and questioning youth

Virtual Self-Help Pamphlets http://www.dr-bob.org/vpc/virtulets.html The Virtual Self-Help Pamphlet Page features virtual pamphlets from counseling centers all over the country. A virtual pamphlet put out by another university may refer to services available only to students at that university. SMU students should contact CAPS at 214-768-2277 between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday. For after-hours emergencies, contact CAPS at the same number for the counselor on call.

Articles for Parents and Students: http://campuslife.suite101.com/

BOOKS

Often, when we struggle with difficult mental health issues, it helps to help to read about them. We can learn how others deal with them, and at the very least we can learn that we're not alone in our struggles. So, the staff of Counseling and Psychiatric Services has put together a reading list that students could find useful.

The list contains fiction and nonfiction alike. Selections are arbitrary - such a list could easily contain a thousand titles - but these are books we thought might be of special interest.

ADD/ADHD

Driven to Distraction by Edward Hallowell, MD and John Ratey, MD (Nonfiction). This book provides a rich overview of ADHDóthe biology of it, the symptoms of it, other conditions associated with it, and what to do if you have it. The book also addresses how having ADHD can be disruptive to relationships. A must read if you or a loved one has this disorder.

Delivered from Distraction, by Edward Hallowell, MD and John Ratey, MD (Nonfiction). Using numerous case studies and a discussion of the way ADD intersects with other conditions, the authors paint a concrete picture of the syndrome's realities. Especially helpful are the lists of tips for dealing with ADD in a child, a partner, or a family member

ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life by Judith Kolberg and Kathleen Nadeau, PhD (Nonfiction). This collaboration brings forth the best underlying understanding with the most effective and practical remedy from ADD experts in two important fields -- professional organization and clinical psychology

ANOREXIA

The Best Little Girl in the World by Steven Levenkron (Fiction) A novelist who is also a psychotherapist writes about anorexia

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Asperger's and Self-Esteem: Insight and Hope Through Famous Role Models by Norm Ledgin, Marsha Ledgin and Temple Grandin (Non-Fiction)

Asperger's and Girls by Tony Attwood and 8 more experts (Non-Fiction)

Preparing for Life: The Complete Guide for Transitioning to Adulthood for Those with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome by Jed Baker (Non-Fiction)

Social Skills for Teenagers and Adults with Asperger's Syndrome: A Practical Guide to Day-to-Day Life by Nancy J. Patrick (Non-Fiction)

BIPOLAR DISORDER

An Unquiet Mind, by Kay Redfield Jamison, PhD (Nonfiction). Jamison's memoir springs from her dual perspective as both a psychiatric expert in manic depression and a sufferer of the disease.

Touched With Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament, by Kay Redfield Jamison PhD (Nonfiction). Drawing from the lives of artists such as Van Gogh, Byron and Virginia Woolf, Jamison examines the links between manic-depression and creativity

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

I Hate You - Don't Leave Me by Jerod Kreismen, MD & Hal Straus (Nonfiction) The authors provide a comprehensive, readable account of individuals with borderline personality disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified: An Essential Guide for Understanding and Living with BPD, by Robert O. Friedel, M.D. (Nonfiction). This book is an invaluable resource for everyone diagnosed with BPD, those who think they might have the illness, and friends and family who love and support them.

The Best Awful by Carrie Fisher (Fiction) An actress' autobiographical novel that concerns her bipolar disorder and substance abuse

DEPRESSION

Feeling Good, by David Burns (Nonfiction). This book offers techniques to develop a positive outlook and discusses different treatment options for depression.

Mind over Mood, by Dennis Greenberger and Christine A. Padesky (Nonfiction). This workbook provides the nuts and bolts of cognitive therapy and is spelled out in a step by step fashion

Control Your Depression, by Peter Lewinsohn (Nonfiction). This book provides the framework for an action plan to combat depression with the details filled in by the reader for a more personalized version.

Undercurrents: A Life beneath the Surface, by Martha Manning (Nonfiction). Written in journal form, this book details the depression and subsequent treatment, including ECT, of this psychologist, mother and professor.

Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide, by Kay Redfield Jamison (Nonfiction). Jamison, a Johns Hopkins psychiatry professor, makes an excellent contribution to our understanding of suicide by providing historical, scientific, and other helpful materials.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (Fiction) Better known as a poet, Plath also wrote an autobiographical novel that gives an unflinching account of her own battles with depression

Darkness Made Visible by William Styron (Nonfiction) The novelist who wrote Sophie's Choice, Styron also wrote this brief but eloquent book about his depression

GRIEVING

Grieving: How to Go on Living When Someone You Love Dies by Therese Rando, Ph.D. (Nonfiction). This very helpful book educates the reader about grief, discusses the various factors influencing grief, and provides specific suggestions for resolving one's grief.

When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kushner (Nonfiction) A rabbi's deeply personal exploration of how we try to make sense of tragedies in our lives

PERSONAL GROWTH

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (Nonfiction). This national bestseller provides guidance for goal setting and personal leadership. It also contains very helpful information about time management and communication strategies.

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (Nonfiction) A psychiatrist who survived Auschwitz describes his experiences there, and his efforts to find meaning amidst unspeakable conditions

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien (Fiction) O'Brien's novel about a Vietnam veteran is a powerful picture of posttraumatic stress disorder.

RELATIONSHIPS

The Dance of Anger by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. (Nonfiction). This bestseller is excellent for helping one to constructively deal with anger and develop assertiveness skills. Many practical examples are helpful.

The Dance of Intimacy by Harriet Lerner, Ph.D. (Nonfiction). This book addresses the factors that help to have a healthy emotionally intimate relationship with a significant other. Dr. Lerner's various books are very easy to read yet filled with valuable insight and practical advice.

The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle (Fiction) A moving, horrific but sometimes very funny book about a woman trapped in an abusive relationship, and her attempts to extricate herself from it.

Pulling Your Own Strings by Wayne Dwyer (Nonfiction) A therapist's discussion of such issues as assertiveness, refusing to be victimized, and establishing appropriate boundaries with others.

The Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff (Nonfiction) A renowned essayist and novelist gives a candid, moving and often very funny account of growing up and having to deal with a stepfather who tries to dominate and stifle him in every way.

SCHIZOPHRENIA

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Hannah Green (Fiction) A classic novel written in the 1970s but still relevant about a young woman with schizophrenia

SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (Fiction) Baldwin's classic novel about homosexuality - written more than a generation ago, when the subject was still taboo - is as relevant and moving now as it was when first published

Crossing/ A Memoir by Deidre N. McCloskey (Nonfiction) A professor's account of her own transgender issues, which culminated in her sex-change operation

SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Drinking/ A Love Story by Caroline Knapp (Nonfiction) A woman's candid story of her alcoholism, her protracted denial of it, and her eventual recovery

Cost by Roxanna Robinson (Fiction) Robinson tells a harrowing story of heroin addiction, and what it does to both the addict and his/her family.

THERAPY

In Session, by Deborah A. Lott (Nonfiction). Basing her work on a research questionnaire and in-depth interviews, journalist Lott seeks to explore the therapeutic relationship from the patient's point of view.

Love's Executioner by Irwin Yalom (Nonfiction) A prominent psychiatrist writes about his cases (identifying information has been changed), and captures the nature, possibilities and disappointments of intensive psychotherapy.

MISCELLANEOUS

All or Nothing by Preston L. Allen (Nonfiction) Allen writes about the world of a compulsive gambler with wit and empathy, capturing its hypnotic excitement as well as its disastrous pitfalls.

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (Nonfiction) Burroughs' hilarious, at times heartbreaking, story of living with his mother's psychiatrist has got to be true; no novelist could dream up a family like this one.

Deafening by Frances Itani (Fiction) The heroine of Itani's absorbing novel, set in Canada in the early years of the twentieth century, demonstrates an extraordinary determination and perseverance in overcoming what might have been a life-ruining disability.

Gifted by Nikita Lalwani (Fiction) This novel, dealing with the drawbacks as well as the advantages of genius, is also about finding one's cultural identity: a brilliant young Indian woman grows up in England but feels neither Indian nor English.