Alternative perspective on psychiatry’s so-called mental disorders PHILIP 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 and I have been married since 1970 and have four grown children.
The phrase “mental health” as used in the name of this website is simply a term of convenience. It specifically does not imply that the human problems embraced by this term are illnesses, or that their absence constitutes health. Indeed, the fundamental tenet of this site is that there are no mental illnesses, and that conceptualizing human problems in this way is spurious, destructive, disempowering, and stigmatizing.
The purpose of this website is to provide a forum where current practices and ideas in the mental health field can be critically examined and discussed. It is not possible in this kind of context to provide psychological help or advice to individuals who may read this site, and nothing written here should be construed in this manner. Readers seeking psychological help should consult a qualified practitioner in their own local area. They should explain their concerns to this person and develop a trusting working relationship. It is only in a one-to-one relationship of this kind that specific advice should be given or taken.
Louise has this week’s Grand Rounds up at Colorado Health Insurance Insider. Good reading on topics that are informative and sometimes controversial. Stop by and have a look.
Legacy of Abuse
Psychiatry likes to present itself as a helping profession, but even a cursory look at its history suggests otherwise. Here are some of the “treatments” that this pseudo-science has promoted for its pseudo-illnesses.
STERILIZATION
It is estimated that 65,000 people were sterilized in America under various eugenic statutes. This practice, which was used between the 1920’s and 1970’s, was aimed at “undesirables” which included the so-called mentally ill.
HYDROTHERAPY
This involved suspending the client in a cold bath for hours and even days at a time. It was widely practiced in the early decades of the twentieth century.
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Grand Rounds at Health 3.0 Blog
This week’s Grand Rounds is up at Health 3.0 Blog. Plenty of good posts, and if you like music with your reading, at the bottom of the page there are six versions of the song Goodnight Irene for your listening enjoyment - artists from Johnny Cash to Peter, Paul and Mary.
A Blood Test for Depression
Daniel Carlat in his blog post of August 15 mentions, and critiques, a so-called blood test for depression marketed (for $745) by Ridge Diagnostics.
The essence of Dr. Carlat’s criticism is that the test is not predictive of depression, but merely enables one to tell (with some degree of accuracy) whether or not a person is depressed. Dr. Carlat makes the point that you can tell this with more or less total accuracy simply by asking the person if he is depressed or by observing him for a few minutes of conversation.
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Grand Rounds at Dr. Pullen
Dr. Ed Pullen has this week’s Grand Rounds up at DrPullen.com. As well as the usual range of subjects covered in the medical blogging world, he has gone further afield with a few interesting additions, including a recipe for raspberry pie. Take a look when you have a chance to relax and read.
Behavior Therapy
In a comment on my post on Natural Correction, Nanu Grewal raised a question concerning the addressing of behavioral problems. This is a huge topic, and I feel the reply warrants a post. There are others who could do a better job than me, but here’s my take on it.
Traditional behavior therapy starts with assessment. Take nail-biting as a fairly simple example. Observations are made for a week or so, and the frequency of the problem behavior is measured as accurately as possible. Next step is remediation. In this case, say, application of a foul-tasting preparation to the subject’s nails. Then more monitoring. Essentially what has occurred is that the problem behavior has been punished by the foul taste, and one expects to see the problem diminish in frequency to the point of extinction. Further monitoring would occur about a month later to ensure no return of the problem.
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Grand Rounds at Medical Lessons
Dr. Elaine Schattner has Grand Rounds this week at Medical Lessons. Not only has she put together some very interesting reading, but a range of photos from around the world. In her call for submissions Dr. Schattner asked that bloggers submit a photo from their region, and she received some lovely images. Have a look.
Natural Correction
The central theme of this blog is that there are no mental illnesses and that the spurious medicalization of problems of living represents a tragic wrong turn in human history.
In a comment on my last post, Nanu Grewal raised the question of a natural correction. In other words, does there come a point where the nonsense is so outrageous that some corrective force emerges which would undermine and even supplant the present illogical system. In my view this is an excellent question.
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More Interesting Reading
On June 23, the New York Review of Books, one of the most prestigious literary magazines in the country, published a piece by Marcia Angell. I’ve mentioned Dr. Angell before. She had been editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine and had come out strongly against the extent to which drug companies are controlling and directing medical research.
Well in this recent article she reviews three books:
The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth, by Irving Kirsch, PhD
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More Questionable Research
The National Institute of Health (NIH) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary U.S. Government agency responsible for medical research.
The NIH has 27 sub-departments, one of which is the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The NIMH has an annual budget of $1.5 billion, which they use to support research through grants and in-house work.
Several years ago the NIMH approved a $35 million grant for the STAR*D study (Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression). The study was conducted “…to determine the effectiveness of different treatments for people with major depression who have not responded to initial treatment with an antidepressant.” This was to be the largest and longest study ever conducted to evaluate depression treatment, the results of which are now available.
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