Infectious Madness

The Surprising Science of How We "Catch" Mental Illness

By: Harriet A. Washington

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

A groundbreaking look at the connection between germs and mental illness, and how we can protect ourselves.

Is it possible to catch autism or OCD the same way we catch the flu? Can a child's contact with cat litter lead to schizophrenia? In her eye-opening new book, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author Harriet Washington reveals that we can in fact "catch" mental illness. In Infectious Madness, Washington presents the new germ theory, which posits not only that many instances of Alzheimer's, OCD, and schizophrenia are caused by viruses, prions, and bacteria, but also that with antibiotics, vaccinations, and other strategies, these cases can be easily prevented or treated.

Packed with cutting-edge research and tantalizing mysteries, Infectious Madness is rich in science, characters, and practical advice on how to protect yourself and your children from exposure to infectious threats that could sabotage your mental and physical health.

Critic reviews

"Terrifying and comforting in equal measure. Infectious Madness will inspire healthy debate and...bold new strategies for prevention and treatment."—Priscilla Gilman, More Magazine

"A fascinating exploration of how common infections can affect mental illness."
—Shanda Deziel, Chatelaine

"Animpressive array of technical research is presented in a readable style in Infectious Madness."
—Library Journal

"It used to be obvious what caused mental illness--depravity, a rotten soul, being in cahoots with the Devil. Or maybe just terrible mothering. We've escaped this primordial muck of attribution, learning that mental illnesses are biological disorders, complete with chemical and structural abnormalities in the brain, and with risk factors ranging from genes, hormones and fetal life to socioeconomic status. This superb book reviews the novel realization that infectious pathogens, and the immune system's response to them, can be risk factors for mental illness as well. The book has a broad, exciting range, considering 'contagion' in both the reductive sense, as well as an in the expansive societal manner. This is fascinating material and Harriet Washington is a great writer -- clear and accessible, witty, probing, and able to dissect the controversies in this field with great objectivity."
—Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

"Your views on the causes of mental illness will be forever altered when you read this profoundly humane and transformative book." —Carl Hart, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology, Columbia University

"Infectious Madness is a fascinating book about the role of infectious diseases in mental illness. Washington challenges us to expand our view of the causes, prevention, and treatment of emotional disorders. I highly recommend it!"
—Alvin F. Poussaint, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

"With Infectious Madness, Harriet Washington sounds a much-needed alarm -- although not a welcome one. Turning old-fashioned germ theory inside out, she explains that we humans are the slow-moving interlopers in a world of microbes. And it's not just our health but our instincts, desires, feelings, and even our grasp on reality that are at stake."
—--Philip Alcabes, Professor of Public Health, Adelphi University, author of Dread: How Fear and Fantasy Have Fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to Avian Flu

interesting theory's. time was spent listening to

the book while cleaning the garage. we don't have time. spend on now these procedures now.

Very Interesting

This was the most interesting book I've listened too. Very informative and the narrater really kept me wanting to hear it all. 😊

scientifically amazing, easy listen,

just a great read!
Harriet Washington does it again with a scientific read, that is Informative, thought provoking and wonderful.

Excellent

Very well done and informative. This book is inspiring and reminds health care professionals of our duty.

NOT Medical Apartheid

I thought Medical Apartheid was just fantastic, so I was excited to read something new by Washington. This is a strange, strange book though, that plays into our contemporary desire to attribute mental illness to wholly biomedical causes and sidestep the social and cultural contexts in which they emerge. It does not ask the hard questions about mental illness that sociologists and historians of medicine have been decades, but instead treats many disease categories (like Schizophrenia) as biologically distinct and discrete. It raises interesting questions for sure, but not of the sort I expected from this author.