Last Saturday our local newspaper ran an article called “Mental Health Needs Reform.” It was written by a psychologist, and the main thrust of the piece was that if “serious mental health care reform” is not implemented, we will see more mass murders similar to those at Aurora and Newtown. The article contained several unwarranted… Continue Reading
Childhood Bipolar Disorder
Prior to about 1994, childhood bipolar disorder was virtually unheard of. DSM-III-R (1987), in the section on manic episode, states, “…studies indicate that the mean age at onset is in the early 20s. However…a sizable number of new cases appear after age 50.”(p 216) Of course a mean age of onset in the early 20’s… Continue Reading
Dangerous People
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… Continue Reading
Psychiatry – The Sham Science
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… Continue Reading