Book Review: Psych Meds Made Simple

I’ve never written a book review for my blog before.  But after reading this book, I was compelled to write one on Ashley from Mental Health @ Home’s book, Psych Meds Made Simple.

Psych Meds Made Simple by Ashley L. Peterson

Psych Meds Made Simple: How & Why They Do What They Do is a psych medication guide written by Ashley L. Peterson. Ashley has a pharmacy degree as well as a Master of Psychiatric Nursing degree.

There was nothing about this book that I disliked, so instead of a normal review I’m going to go over what I loved about this guide.

1. The Introduction: In the introduction, Ashley brings up the stigma on mental illness and the use of psych medication. Normally, an introduction isn’t one of the more memorable parts of a book but Ashley’s views on the use of medication is honest. She explains the difference between wellness strategies versus treating mental illness. With her background, she makes her stance based on facts without demeaning those who have found relief through wellness techniques. That’s just not the case for all of us that battle mental illness on a daily basis.
2. How Our Brains Work During Mental Illness: Next, Ashley explains how mental illness works in our brains and what neurotransmitters are involved. She makes this information digestible and includes informative diagrams.
3. The Medication Guide: Not only does Ashley explain how the neurotransmitters in our brains work but she goes over every psych med you can imagine, from anti-depressants to stimulants. She explains what each medication is generally prescribed for and how it interacts with the chemicals and neurotransmitters in our brains. She makes this information easy to understand. She includes all the information that  most doctors won’t take the time to explain when they prescribe these medications. As a bonus, she includes a glossary in the back of the book.

These are just the main components of the book but there’s much more information throughout Psych Meds Made Simple. I was blown away because she made information that I have a difficult time with easy to understand. The chemistry behind medications, or chemistry in general, is a subject I’ve always struggled with.

I loved this book and I recommend it for anyone who’s confused about their medications and wants to learn more about how they interact with their brain.

P.S. This is not an affiliate post nor was I paid (or asked) for this review. I really just enjoyed this guide!