Mindtricks


Is a psychiatric diagnosis accurate? Not necessarily
Sunni Maravillosa touches on a recent Slate article on the effectiveness of psychiatry. Sunni points out the two probable reasons for the explosion of psychiatric medicine and questionable diagnosis.

While it's true that one goal was to try to increase diagnostic reliability, what happened along with that was an increase in diagnosable conditions. That's continuing today, expanding from a brief list I put together a couple of years ago for Psychological Marginalization. Anyone else remember the news stories that floated the suggestion that people with certain political views or ideologies—ones that freedom-lovers tend to have—could be considered mentally ill? The real story behind this ever-expanding list has two faces, neither of which are pretty.

The first is straightforward expansion of the business model: more possible diagnoses means more people to be caught in the psychiatric dragnet; more people with more diagnoses means more money; and of course, it means greater dependence upon the increasingly fascist medical-pharmaceutical system. (If you think I'm overstating the situation by calling it fascist, reflect on the possible reasons why both mental health professionals and politicians are calling for increased psychological screenings ... of teenagers, of pregnant women, of job candidates, of people wanting to fly somewhere ...)

The second is control, pure and simple. Practically the entire history of psychology has included an element of trying to understand what's normal and what isn't in human functioning. Even before its formal establishment as a science [we can debate the merits of giving the field that label some other time], people were trying to change their own, as well as others', behaviors. Nowadays, with politicians wanting greater control over their worker bees [that's supposed to be us], and welfare-Ponzi schemes like Medicaid, Medicare, and state-mandated insurance coverage directing FRNs hither and yon, the field has become much more politicized—and politically sophisticated—than ever before.

I will admit this is a sore point with me. During my college days, I came very close to being committed. Even now, there have been a few times when my faith or my politics have been used to discredit what I have to say. Including one case where I witnessed spousal abuse but the case was dropped.

On the other hand, because of my stepfather over the last few months I've gotten a first hand view of dementia with an organic cause, and the unwillingness or inability of the medical professions to do much about it. The difference being the organic cause, something measurable.

I'm not overly fond of medical doctors either, just for the record.

My faith, my politics, and my lifestyle are all borderline deviant by the standards of most. That is one reason why I am so liberty focused. If I don't hurt anyone else or their property without their consent, then what I do with willing adults is my business, NOT my neighbor's. I promise you this, if they come for me, then they will look for a reason to go after all non-conformists.

Sunni is absolutely right on that one.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Wed - July 5, 2006 at 11:53 PM  Tag


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