Behaviorism and Mental Health

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

You are here: Home / Archives for Phil Hickey

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.

Another Interesting Book

By |

Unhinged, by Daniel Carlat, MD Dr. Carlat is a psychiatrist who has written something of an exposé of the abuses that reside within the psychiatric profession.  Many of his chapters echo topics that have been addressed frequently on this blog.  Dr. Carlat still clings to the notion that problem behaviors can be accurately conceptualized as… Continue Reading

Drugs and Alcohol (Part 3)

By |

This post was edited and updated on June 29 2014, to include additional thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Rational Policy on Drugs and Alcohol In my last post I argued against government prohibitions against drugs and alcohol.  My position is that substances… Continue Reading

Drugs and Alcohol (Part 2)

By |

In my previous post on this subject, I discussed addiction to alcohol and other drugs.  I made the point that addiction to these substances is not an illness, but rather an extremely strong habit. Treatment Programs The notion that alcoholism is a disease gained popularity in the 50’s and 60’s.  At about the same time,… Continue Reading

Drugs and Alcohol (Part 1)

By |

The APA’s DSM lists two broad categories of diagnoses in this area: dependence and abuse. So we have alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse; amphetamines dependence and amphetamines abuse; cocaine dependence and cocaine abuse. And so on. Dependence is defined by the presence of three or more of the following criteria: tolerance, as defined by either… Continue Reading