Behaviorism and Mental Health

Alternative perspective on psychiatry's so-called mental disorders | PHILIP HICKEY, PH.D.

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About Phil Hickey Ph.D

I am a licensed psychologist, presently retired. I have worked in clinical and managerial positions in the mental health, corrections, and addictions fields in the United States and England. My wife Nancy and I have been married since 1970 and have four grown children.

Transforming Diagnosis: The Thomas Insel Article

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BACKGROUND On April 29, Thomas Insel, Director of NIMH, published a paper called Transforming Diagnosis.  You can see it here. Dr. Insel is critical of DSM: “While DSM has been described as a ‘Bible’ for the field, it is, at best, a dictionary, creating a set of labels and defining each.” “The weakness is its… Continue Reading

Social Effect of DSM

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I keep two dictionaries on my desk.  The first is a 1964 Webster’s; the second is a 2009 Webster’s.  This morning I looked up the word “depression” in both books. 1964: n. 1. a depressing or being depressed.  2. a depressed part or place; hollow or low place.  3. low spirits; dejection.  4. a decrease in… Continue Reading

“Mental Illness” Under Fire

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There’s a very interesting article by Paris Williams on Mad in America, The “Mental Illness” Paradigm: An “Illness” That is out of Control.  You can see it here. The author gives us a compelling critique of the “mental illness” model, and also presents us with an alternative paradigm. The alternative is: “… to see those… Continue Reading

Do We Need More Mental Health Services?

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In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, there were a great many calls for “more mental health services” or “better access to mental health services.” Many of us on this side of the fence groaned, because we knew that any official or private response to this call would be on the lines of more… Continue Reading