There’s an interesting article Inquiry into the Schizophrenia Label (ISL) on Robert Whitaker’s website Mad in America.
Apparently Philip Thomas, M.D. and other researchers have been asking mental health clients how they perceived the schizophrenia label. They received nearly 500 responses, and found that more than 80% of responders described the label as damaging and dangerous.
They question the validity and usefulness of the “diagnosis” and tentatively suggest that it may need to be discarded.
Quotes:
“… it is time to move away from psychiatric diagnoses and support people as fellow human beings rather than as people with a medical illness.”
“Alternatives to diagnosis include working with people’s narratives as the basis for support and using techniques developed based on this concept “
It’s a very compelling article and well worth a look. It seems that everywhere I turn lately I’m seeing more cracks in the sandcastle!
One of the cornerstones of behaviorism and behavior therapy is an emphasis on describing behavior as precisely and as objectively as possible, rather than relying on labels.