ABSTRACT
To focus a book on prevention suggests there might indeed be some magic pill, a fish oil capsule perhaps, or other chemical or a psycho-social equivalent, that we could take or administer to others to immunize us against the often miserable, sometimes frightening, sometimes confused, occasionally exciting feelings we call mental illness. In a sense there is – we need to inherit the right genes, be kept safe from accidental damage and traumatic experience, feel the love and protection of a parent or parent figure throughout childhood, learn the life skills to keep us safe, and find our own place in society alongside people or at least one person who cares about us. Easy. But how important is each one of these, and how far can strength in one compensate for vulnerability in another?
