Dr. Thomas Szasz

Post Reply New Topic

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk4hWWPv9EY[/youtube]

There are certainly some arguments to be made about overmedication of some disorders in psychiatry, but I think psychiatry, even the medication parts of it, do far more good than ill. For every person out there who had a bad experience with psychiatric drugs, there are many more who had a positive experience.

I should also point out, for those who don't know, that the 'Citizens Commission on Human Rights' is an organisation run by the church of Scientology, and its sole 'human rights' issue is that of psychiatry. They are well known for taking some legitimate problems with psychiatry to delusional extremes.

I agree with an element of what he is saying, but I think he is being way too simplistic.

He is saying that because there were e.g. 6 recognised psychiatric disorders when he trained, and now there are over 300 that most of them do not exist and are made up. This is ridiculous. Science evolves, our understanding evolves, genetic research as to what genes are responsible for disorders has evolved and there being more disorders now is a product of those things, as well as possibly more disorders arising being the result of environmental causes which are new since he trained.

He is basically saying ADD doesn't exist. I am sure parents of an ADD or ADHD child would beg to differ! What has caused an upsurge in psychiatric conditions needs to be analysed rather than just brushing them off as untrue purely based on their numbers. We are a sick society, for many reasons. Overcrowing, pollution, modern life, medication etc.

He is also a bit contradictory. He says that disease is a disease of various organs, but then he says that most psychiatric disorders are pretty much made up, but many of them have recognised genetics involved - which is a disease!

I avoid psychiatrists and only see psychologists as they can not prescribe medication most of the time.
Back in my teen years they gave up trying medication on me as it either ended in 2 ways, I was rendered useless (drone) unable to do school work or anything or it made me worse.

Since then I have a strict no medication rule, not to mention me being Buddhist, it's hard to have a clear mind with medications that alter who you are and your behavior. I have considered a mild anti-depressant but am afraid of the side effects but also, when I was on estrogen and testosterone blockers (when I had a job) I felt better, I didn't have any of the depression that I have had over the years, but now I can't afford it and well that adds so much to my depression since my last job in 2009 since I am transgender on top of being mildly Autistic, General Anxiety Disorder, Dysthymia and likely a touch of Agoraphobia.

So it's been a challenge for me, but no one is forcing me to take medication. That sorta thing is barbaric and old fashioned, most doctors avoid such things now or at least respectable ones following standards of practice such as the DSM, most of the pushy doctors who work against you instead of with you moved south or lived in the southern states to begin with and many ignore the DSM all together, but it's not a requirement for them to follow.

There needs to be more of a centralized medical authority in this country to regulate mental health treatment like there is with medical treatment and food and drug enforcement, it's the one area that's left that isn't really regulated properly and much is left to the doctors to choose what is right, some doctors shouldn't even be practicing because they use thinking far out of date from like the 30's still and out right treat us like sub human or animals or worse at times.

Here is another interesting and short one:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAy37z-vYVU[/youtube]

I've talked about Thomas Szasz before on here and got shot down

I've read 2 of his books - 'The Myth of Mental Illness' and another one

He talks a lot of sense but people who talk sense rarely get listened to

I avoid discussing the things I find interesting on forums these days to be honest as I'm usually talking to myself!

There's a whole world of fascinating stuff written by intelligent people that is completely overlooked - because only other intelligent people usually relate to it (and they are in the minority).

I liked the reference he made to beer. haha

What was he comparing beer to in the second video? I didn't catch the word.

His criticism is valid and all, but when you claim that supposedly mentally ill people aren't mentally ill, where do you go from there? Just leave them be?