Testing & Assessment - Psychology, Genetics, Personality & Identity Psychology, Physiological Psychology, Behavioral Psychology, Neurophysiology

Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional

Name: Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional
Author: Dale Archer
ISBN: 9780307887481

by Dale Archer

Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Overview

A New York Times bestseller that offers a groundbreaking new view of human psychology, showing how eight key traits of human behavior—long perceived as liabilities—can be important hidden strengths

What if the inattentiveness that makes school or work a challenge holds the secret to your future as an entrepreneur? What if the shyness in groups that you hate is the source of deep compassion for others? What if the anxiety and nervousness you often feel can actually help energize you?
Renowned psychiatrist and popular on-air personality Dr. Dale Archer believes that behaviors frequently labeled "ADHD," "bipolar," and "OCD" are often normal human qualities—and he contends that we all experience these and other psychological traits to some extent yet fail to leverage the significant advantages they can offer. Worse, we stigmatize one another for these aspects of our personalities.
In Better Than Normal, Dr. Archer offers an empowering framework for redefining mental health. Drawing on his 20 years of clinical experience, he describes eight traits of human behavior, each of which occurs along a continuum rather than as a simple on-off switch. These are the aspects of our personality that we worry about the most, but these are also the very things that make us distinctive and different. Filled with engaging anecdotes and practical tools to help readers capitalize on their unique characteristics, Better Than Normal offers a new and liberating way to look at ourselves and others.

Synopsis

A New York Times bestseller that offers a groundbreaking new view of human psychology, showing how eight key traits of human behavior--long perceived as liabilities--can be important hidden strengths

What if the inattentiveness that makes school or work a challenge holds the secret to your future as an entrepreneur? What if the shyness in groups that you hate is the source of deep compassion for others? What if the anxiety and nervousness you often feel can actually help energize you?
Renowned psychiatrist and popular on-air personality Dr. Dale Archer believes that behaviors frequently labeled "ADHD," "bipolar," and "OCD" are often normal human qualities--and he contends that we all experience these and other psychological traits to some extent yet fail to leverage the significant advantages they can offer. Worse, we stigmatize one another for these aspects of our personalities.
In Better Than Normal, Dr. Archer offers an empowering framework for redefining mental health. Drawing on his 20 years of clinical experience, he describes eight traits of human behavior, each of which occurs along a continuum rather than as a simple on-off switch. These are the aspects of our personality that we worry about the most, but these are also the very things that make us distinctive and different. Filled with engaging anecdotes and practical tools to help readers capitalize on their unique characteristics, Better Than Normal offers a new and liberating way to look at ourselves and others.

About the Author, Dale Archer

DALE ARCHER, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist and distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, founded the Institute for Neuropsychiatry and the psychiatric program at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. He also runs DrDaleArcher.com, a free advice website.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

From the Publisher

“A psychiatric pep talk guaranteed to rev up any reader.” – Booklist

“Archer’s creative redressing of these pathologically considered conditions is compelling and will definitely capture the attention of readers eager to “re-diagnose” themselves using his spectrum scale.” – Kirkus Reviews

“[An] extraordinary book.” -LibraryJournal.com

"With his fresh approach and some interesting ideas, Archer normalizes personality characteristics too often seen as pathological." -Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly

Concerned about the mental health trend of “Overevaluating. Overdiagnosing. And most important of all, overmedicating,” psychiatrist Archer identifies the dominant trait of each of eight disorders and says they exist on a spectrum in everyone, from absent to superdominant. He argues that if someone exhibits a trait associated with a disorder but the trait is not “superdominant” and is properly managed, it can be seen as a strength, not a mental disorder, and may make the person “better than normal.” For instance, someone may be adventurous, hence restless and easily bored, but they do not have ADHD. Similarly, someone may be a perfectionist and not have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Other disorders he covers include narcissistic personality disorder, histrionic personality, and schizophrenia. As the title suggests, this is an upbeat book. Archer tends to rely too heavily on the experiences of people he has treated or known, and on his own personality and experiences (“Last week I found myself in Los Angeles, celebrating the Oscars.... Next, it’s on to New York, where I’m... appearing on television to talk about Charlie Sheen.” With his fresh approach and some interesting ideas, Archer normalizes personality characteristics too often seen as pathological. But his book covers too much in an often cursory, anecdotal manner. (Mar.)

Kirkus Reviews

A psychiatrist and CNN regular examines commonly held notions of mental-health disorders and their potentials for "normalcy." Frustrated with today's "overdiagnosed, overmedicated, and undertreated society," Archer attempts to destigmatize eight common psychological ailments by quantifying the dominance level of their inherent traits. In uniquely defusing disorders ranging from ADHD and OCD to anxiety and schizophrenia, the author believes the mental-health industry has been somewhat "glamorized." Throughout his chatty, anecdotal book, Archer convincingly argues that we can actually function normally with mildly influential characteristics of narcissism, social anxiety and bipolar disorder. When these traits are within the lower (harmless) end of the continuum and don't become a "superdominant" mannerism, they can be seen as beneficial behavioral enhancements--e.g., high energy and enthusiasm doesn't always mean a bipolar personality; sensitivity and deliberation shouldn't equal social anxiety disorder. Archer's creative redressing of these pathologically considered conditions is compelling and will definitely capture the attention of readers eager to "re-diagnose" themselves using his spectrum scale. The author, who admits to being a hyper-intuitive "world-class poker player," does gamble a bit, however, with the free association of some of the more volatile psychological conditions in considering their lighter traits as derivatives of normalcy. Drawing heavily on his own experiences, Archer proudly advances his beliefs with episodes from his psychiatric practice, website queries and travels throughout the country. There are some fresh, modern and mildly amusing associations here; however, contrasting self-assessed symptoms of a disorder as significant as schizophrenia with the idiom of "magical thinking" will surely raise eyebrows. Optimistic and creatively inspired assessments that occasionally overreach.