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personarobot's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
The human mind is too complex to understand using only one way of thinking or one kind of technique.
A fascinating book, and very thought provoking about the way mental health is represented and treated, in different settings, whilst also demonstrating how powerful therapy can be and benefit everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Stalking, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Car accident, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
kathrynwardle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
coruscant's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
4.75
“When I started out, I thought the task was to make people feel better, but time has taught me that it is about helping them to better know their minds, which is quite another matter.”
Dr Adeshead presents an eye-opening window into the realities of the field of forensic psychiatry. With her co-author Eileen Horne, she presents eleven anonymised case studies looking at crimes ranging from homicide to arson to assault. As much as this book is about the realities of her profession, it is about the people it serves.
It is a widely acknowledged fact that, when compared to the outside world, a disproportionate percentage of the prison population suffers from a form of mental illness. Dr. Adshead’s emphasis on the loss of identity following a criminal act, as well as the trauma of incarceration itself, is a constant across the case studies she presents.
Throughout the book she displays a remarkable compassion for her patients, demonstrating an ability to see beyond—whilst not excusing—the crimes committed by these patients. Repeatedly she places emphasis on the psychological harm of crime not just on its victims but on its perpetrators too. I found this incredibly thought provoking, despite being something most readers would recoil from.
Adshead is critical of the state of mental health services up and down the country. She repeatedly acknowledges that the help afforded to these offenders could seldom be accessed by their victims and those otherwise traumatised by their crimes. In some instances she even highlights that had this care been accessible to these offenders previous to the offence, these tragedies could possibly have been prevented.
As we know, the rate of crime in this country is on the rise and our prison population now outweighs the spaces available. Furthermore, reintegration of prisoners to the community is often unsuccessful leading to career criminality. Adshead posits that access to therapy, whilst perhaps not the most popular use for public funds, provides a more practical solution to high rates of recidivism.
Her background in attachment theory, a popularly misunderstood concept within developmental psychology, is clear from her approach in working with her patients. I found it fascinating how she related this with her ‘bicycle lock theory’.
The Devil You Know is not the first book to attempt an understanding of the unthinkable. Where Adshead finds greater success is in her clinical narrative which dissuades the voyeuristic. This tone when paired with an unflinching willingness to look at the most maligned criminal acts affords a rare and fresh perspective for the reader to see the factors which make these ‘evil’ deeds possible.
aramtiaz's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful thought provoking book written with such compassion for the people who have done the unthinkable and their families, victims and victims' family.
Gwen, a forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist shares the stories of individuals who have committed horrific crimes, the process of working with them in a therapuetic setting, the importance of rehabilitation and the possibility of recovery. She emphasises the importance of compassion, human relationships and the use of faith assisting individuals to accept their crimes, overcome trauma and cultivate forgiveness.
Gwen touches on the important factors of systemic racism that leads to the higher percentage of ethnically diverse populations in prisons and forensic hospital and the impact of sexism and toxic masculinity on violence and its impact on a male dominated field and the justice system.
Gwen's curiosity and empathy for the unthinkable is inspiring and her regard for the family of perpetrators, the victims and victims' families shines through. She shares the compex psyche and severe mental illnesses that may have contributed to such violent acts as well as the impact of the justice system and prisons on an individual's mental health. Importantly, she brings up critical argument regarding the impact of our Government and policies on mental health services and how lack of resources for perpetuators, victims and families allow violence to continue to destroy many lives for the perpetuators and victims alike.
Gwen, a forensic psychiatrist and psychotherapist shares the stories of individuals who have committed horrific crimes, the process of working with them in a therapuetic setting, the importance of rehabilitation and the possibility of recovery. She emphasises the importance of compassion, human relationships and the use of faith assisting individuals to accept their crimes, overcome trauma and cultivate forgiveness.
Gwen touches on the important factors of systemic racism that leads to the higher percentage of ethnically diverse populations in prisons and forensic hospital and the impact of sexism and toxic masculinity on violence and its impact on a male dominated field and the justice system.
Gwen's curiosity and empathy for the unthinkable is inspiring and her regard for the family of perpetrators, the victims and victims' families shines through. She shares the compex psyche and severe mental illnesses that may have contributed to such violent acts as well as the impact of the justice system and prisons on an individual's mental health. Importantly, she brings up critical argument regarding the impact of our Government and policies on mental health services and how lack of resources for perpetuators, victims and families allow violence to continue to destroy many lives for the perpetuators and victims alike.
mel_jackson's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
kaileyarnold6's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible read for anyone interested in psychology and/or criminology. The author is a UK-based forensic psychotherapist that works with people in prisons and secure hospitals who have committed serious crimes. Each of the 11 chapters introduces you to a patient and takes you along a journey into their minds.
Things I learned:
- It’s scary to open oneself up to the minds of these “devils” or criminals. It’s scarier to open oneself up to feeling compassion for them. This is uncharted territory for most of us – but this book is a conduit for empathy. “Thinking is hard, that’s why most people judge.”
- Proper mental healthcare for incarcerated people will absolutely reduce recidivism, but it is terribly underfunded. “…the burden of care fell on the family, since community services were drastically underfunded. This is yet another manifestation of the disproportionate and misguided emphasis our society places on physical health over mental health, and possibly the gravest example.” (because the guy murdered his dad afterward)
- Talking and listening to people who are in dark places is a skill and I loved reading the dialogue from the perspective of a psychotherapist. It felt like she was inviting the reader into her notes from her sessions.
“I meet them at a turning point in their lives and help them to come to terms with a new identity, which may feel indelible; as one of my patients memorably put it, ‘You can be an ex–bus driver but not an ex-murderer.’”
Things I learned:
- It’s scary to open oneself up to the minds of these “devils” or criminals. It’s scarier to open oneself up to feeling compassion for them. This is uncharted territory for most of us – but this book is a conduit for empathy. “Thinking is hard, that’s why most people judge.”
- Proper mental healthcare for incarcerated people will absolutely reduce recidivism, but it is terribly underfunded. “…the burden of care fell on the family, since community services were drastically underfunded. This is yet another manifestation of the disproportionate and misguided emphasis our society places on physical health over mental health, and possibly the gravest example.” (because the guy murdered his dad afterward)
- Talking and listening to people who are in dark places is a skill and I loved reading the dialogue from the perspective of a psychotherapist. It felt like she was inviting the reader into her notes from her sessions.
“Fear and trauma have to be transformed, or they will stay in the mind like an unsheathed knife, a real and deadly blade moving in unreal time, transmitting pain to others.”
“Colleagues told me he had admitted to killing his father but had never talked about its meaning for him. He had spent years in a kind of mental isolation, which must have been painful. As a colleague of mine observed, insanity is building your own castle in the air and living in it; we’re offering to take down the drawbridge.”
“I was moved when an officer I met recently commented that it was his view that ‘inside every violent prisoner there’s a good man dying to get out.’”
bookaroundandfindout's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing and powerful book. I highly recommend as a way to get inside the head of a specific realm of psychiatry- forensics. The question of do people in jail deserve mental healthcare and advancement is embodied in every chapter of this book where Dr. Adshead recalls various patients she worked with and her experiences and lessons learned with each of them in the setting of a psychiatric hospital for those in jail and in jails themselves. Her recalling of her experiences and lessons learned are so deep and genuine you find yourself being captivated and thoughtfully assessing each chapter of the book (each chapter is a patient she recalls). This was such a insightful read and had helped me think about the criminal institutions and humanize the people that are in there. 100% recommend !