Quote:
Originally Posted by Zevo
I do know what you are saying but you are a little over zealous.
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Heh. Well it is on the mind lately as the most interesting class I have this summer is called Madness and Sanity in Society and has dealt with some very interesting issues. Before this class I was much less critical of psychiatry and the drug industry but it really opened my mind to some of these issues through the study of the history of psychiatry, watching videos of people's experiences with some of these drugs, videos of asylums, reading articles about LSD experimentation on people in Sask in the 60's I think it was, lobotomization, sterilization of children in Alberta in the 20th century due to low IQ test scores, the controversy over anti-psychotic drugs, etc. Psychiatry has a horrible history and unlike some I don't think its completely turned around. I think the prevalence of prescribing over counselling is disturbing, I think the biological model of mental illness has some issues. I think the WHO report that schizophrenics have better outcomes in the 3rd world (where anti-psychotics aren't available as readily) than the 1st world raises some serious questions.
I think the role that a person's attitude towards life, societal and familial expectations placed on them, stress at work and home, a person's social circle, whether they have people to talk to about problems and work out issues, etc all play a bigger role in mental than some believe.
Another reason why it is on the mind a lot for me are the issues my family is having with my brother who has been diagnosed in the past as bi-polar, and now is diagnosed apparently as personality disorder and alcoholic instead. He can't hold down a job now, he was on the street as of this Christmas phoning my parents all the time for favours and money, he got caught stealing, etc. Last I heard he was bouncing around between hospitals getting different diagnoses at each one. I believe he may finally be having to face his alcohol and attitude issues.
And another reason is the guy who lives next to me in Residence up at University is diagnosed with something and is taking several medications for it. We talk quite a bit about issues, about bad side-effects of his medication, about his attitude towards life, goals, and socializing and such. I'm not convinced his issues are brain chemistry related, I tend to believe that are much more influenced by attitude, lack of friends, expectations from his family, his goals in life, etc.
In 100 years they'll probably consider a lot of the drugs we use now barbaric treatments.
I do not think all drugs are horrible, and do not doubt that many have been helped. Just trying to point out that many have not, and have instead been harmed temporarily or permanently by psychiatric treatment.
In fact I really should stop procrastinating the essay I have to write for this Madness course...