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What We Fear Most
- A Psychiatrist’s Journey to the Heart of Madness / BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
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What We Fear Most
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Summary
LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA'S ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION AWARD
Meet Dr Ben Cave. For over thirty years he has worked in prisons and secure hospitals diagnosing and treating some of the most troubled men and women in society. A lifetime of care takes us from delusional disorders to schizophrenia, steroid abuse to drug dependency, personality disorders to paedophilia, and depression so severe a mother can kill her own baby.
These are the human stories behind the headlines. The reality of a life spent working with patients with the severest mental health disorders. The tragic and often frightening truth about what happens behind closed doors.
Dr Ben Cave takes us on a journey to the heart of this highly emotive environment, putting himself under the microscope as well as his patients. In the process, he allows us to share what they have taught each other, and how it has changed them. To share the psychological battle scars that come with a career on the frontline of our health service. To learn about the brilliant mental health nurses for whom physical injury and verbal abuse are a daily hazard. To learn about ourselves, and what we fear most.
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Thoughtful, revealing, often haunting and always enlightening, if you liked Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd, Do No Harm by Henry Marsh and This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay this book is for you.
Critic reviews
"Poignant, funny, engrossing." (Jo Brand)
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What listeners say about What We Fear Most
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alexa B.
- 02-06-24
thoroughly enjoyable
I liked how real the account Ben Cave has given. it felt very raw so very believable and gives great insight into the thoughts of a such a Doctor. Great piece of work
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- eastlondonbuilderdotcom
- 30-08-23
Loved it
Will definitely be listening to this one again. So many stories!! Really well told and read. Thought provoking and funny in places.
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- Jolo
- 15-08-23
Beautifully written.
It’s a talent to be able to write like this. It took me into the experience completely. A joy to read!
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- Earlskingdom
- 01-01-24
Fascinating book and life story
Loved the patient stories and Ben’s sense of humour, this book really details the reality of mental health struggles for some people and the amazing work psychiatrists and their nurses do to help and treat with no judgement.
I did shed a few tears at the end when he described his thoughts when sitting on his Dads bench
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- Lee Taylor
- 28-01-24
Amazing book
Loved it, scary but also great and funny too, the narrator deserves a special call out as well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Millie
- 01-10-22
Great listen - combines humour, humility and reality in world of forensic psychiatry
Really enjoyed this insight into the experience of being a forensic psychiatrist and alerting us to conditions some people struggle with that in ordinary life, many of us turn away from. Told with a good dose of humour and humility.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 12-11-23
Interesting and funny
Funny but honest, the authors describes interesting cases from his work as well as honest experiences from his own life. Very well written, and very well read as well! The voice of the narrator really became the voice of the author for me. Can recommend!
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- Anonymous User
- 29-11-23
Brilliant case studies.
I am a consultant psychologist so I was ready to think “nothing new here” but not at all, this is absolutely one of the very best books in psychology or Psychiatry I have ever come across in 50 years.
Written in a straightforward chronological way from start to finish of this part of his career, but written so well, and such insight into what is going on with each patient, and linking that unobtrusively with relevant legal concepts, diagnostic ones, and Psychological ones that it is just masterful.
For me the whole thing is just so enjoyable I’m tempted to start again at the beginning immediately! And, because I have been dictating this, it has immediately started again. Clever, this audible app!
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- Nina patel
- 16-03-24
Great book!
easy listening, very well written and so interesting. gives a great insight to forensic psychology! 100% recommend!
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- DD
- 20-08-22
Fascinating insight into forensic psychiatry
Mental illness is talked about so much these days, but so often in terms of Goop-like “mental well-being”, which disregards the often bleak reality of severe mental illness. This book tells it like it is. No holds barred. It is honest, brutal at times, but also warm and kind. The author is a psychiatrist who tries hard to do the best by his patients, and often does. Many can be helped but some cannot be saved. We obliquely get the sense that It takes its toll on his personal life and we understand something of what drove him towards psychiatry. It is well-written and really well read by David Rintoul. A must read for anyone who wants to truly understand about mental illness.
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7 people found this helpful