Myth of Mental Illness

Recently Nick Stuart, a regular commenter on this website, drew my attention to Dr. Steven Novella. Dr. Novella is a strong supporter of the standard psychiatric system, and routinely refers to those of us who challenge these concepts as “mental illness deniers."(Mental Illness Denial Part I) Nick referred me to some of Dr. Novella’s articles, and I published a brief response. I have been giving these matters some thought, however, and I think the subject matter warrants more attention. This is because Dr. Novella does indeed marshal some compelling arguments in other areas, and also because he routinely condemns us “deniers” as illogical employers of “…semantic misdirection and evasion…” ...

I’ve recently come across another DSM critic – or as Dr. Novella terms us – a mental illness denier. His name is Peter Kinderman, and he is head of the Institute of Psychology, Health and Society at the University of Liverpool. He has recently written an article called "Grief and anxiety are not mental illnesses." Here are some quotes: "For a few of us, our experiences of abuse or failure lead us to feel that life is not worth living. We need to recognise these human truths and we need to offer help. But we should not regard these human experiences as symptoms of a mental illness." ...

I routinely state that there are no mental illnesses, but I also make it clear that the behaviors, habits, and problems which are labeled as mental illnesses are very real and can be very disturbing to the individuals involved and to those around them. My general position is that dysfunctional and counterproductive habits are acquired in exactly the same way as productive habits. For this reason, I emphasize the importance of childhood and adolescence as the time of life when many of our habits, stances, and orientations are being laid down. ...

Jay Joseph, PhD has posted an interesting piece: “Five Decades of Gene Finding Failures in Psychiatry” on Mad in America (Robert Whitaker’s site). It is well worth a read. The general content of the article is clear from the title. Here are some quotes: "Two generations of molecular genetic researchers have attempted, yet failed, to discover the genes that they believe underlie the major psychiatric disorders." "Despite the sequencing of the human genome and the publication of more than 1,700 schizophrenia molecular genetic studies, we have witnessed over 40 years of gene finding claims, and over 40 years of subsequently non-replicated findings." ...

Christopher Lane, author of Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness, has a new post, in which he attacks the APA for including somatic symptom disorder (SSD) in the upcoming DSM-5. Dr. Lane quotes from Allen Francis (former DSM guru who has now seen the light) and Suzy Chapman, a UK health advocate. Both of these commentators attack the new “diagnosis” as invalid, unreliable, and potentially over-inclusive. Here are some quotes: ...

A regular commenter to this website has drawn my attention to a bill that has been proposed in the Connecticut state legislature. The bill would require public school and homeschooled children to be assessed by mental health practitioners at grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. The bill, sponsored by Senator Toni Harp and Representative Toni Walker, is in response to the recent Sandy Hook murders. And so it starts. Given the built-in vagueness of the DSM, and the inclusiveness bias of the mental health business, the outcome of these screenings (should the bill become law) is predictable: more and more parents disempowered with regards to their parenting responsibilities; more drugged children, and, tragically, more mass murders. ...

Critical Psychiatry Network is a group of British psychiatrists who are developing and promoting concepts that question and criticize the assumptions that underlie present-day psychiatric practice, not only in Britain, but also in the US and other developed countries. Critical Psychiatry challenges the notion that the various DSM “diagnoses” are biologically-based illnesses, and adduces a great deal of evidence to the contrary. They stress the cultural/social aspect of psychiatric diagnosing. For instance, they point out that a “diagnosis” of ADHD is a cultural construct which provides schools and parents with a socially acceptable method of dealing with difficult children (rather than an identification of an illness). ...

In the wake of the Connecticut mass murders of last month, a great deal of attention, official and otherwise, is being focused on the “mentally ill.” Politicians of all persuasions are proclaiming that we need more funding for the so-called mental health services, and predictably, the various practitioners and centers are lining up with their hands outstretched. The spurious logic, of course, is never identified, or if it is, it gets lost in the rhetoric. Mental illness is presented (and accepted) as the proximate cause of the violence. If one were to ask a mental health practitioner why an individual was so crazy and acted so brutally, the reply would be: Because he has a mental illness. But if one were to press the matter and ask: How do you know he has a mental illness? the only possible response is: Because he is so crazy and acted so brutally. The only evidence for the so-called illness is the very behavior it purports to explain. ...

Late adolescence and early adulthood is arguably the most difficult period of life. Transitioning from childhood to adulthood entails many challenges. The young person (male or female) is expected to emancipate successfully from parents; launch a career; and find a partner – all in the space of a few short years. Some individuals cope remarkably well. Others squeak through, and a small minority “crash and burn.” The latter group usually return home. ...

There is an interesting article in last month’s issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. The article, titled Psychiatry beyond the current paradigm, was authored by Pat Bracken, an Irish psychiatrist, and 28 other British and Irish psychiatrists. The gist of the piece is that the current psychiatric paradigm, which the authors describe as “applied neuroscience,” is not supported by the evidence and needs to be abandoned. Here are some quotes: ...