Posted by boB on April 19, 2000, at 19:54:30
In reply to Re: THE MIDDLE AGES/REMOVING THE DEMONS, posted by Lunatic on April 19, 2000, at 2:26:27
Kelly's post seems to imply a natural, linear progression toward understanding of mental disease as an organic phenomenon. But as is explained very well in articles referenced in Cams post, below, Psychology of Alternative Conventional Medicine, even our modern scientific view of disease if tainted by the prejudices or our time.
The physiological assesment of mental health is especialy guilty of denying social factors that are undermining mental health, and in quietly discouraging efforts to address those factors.
We tend to consider social patterns as immutably normal. Children are expected to be alert and ready to learn by 8 a.m. If they are not, they need Ritalin for their ADD.
Cultural expectations can cause mental disorder. The disorder can be measured biologically. The history of violence and abuse I summarize in the Witch Doctor post left psychological injuries in our population that medicines can only partly cure at best. And the religous superstition Kelly mentions has been replaced by a scientific confidence. People at all times seem to want to be "in the know" and believe themselves to the the residents of the original enlightend age.
For my part, I consider the brand of psychiatry that says mental disease is strictly organic and cannot be treated, either immediately or systematically, with behavioural and linquistic training, to be criminal. I reach that conclusion because such a view seems constructed to preserve for itself a pool of diseased people to which they can sell medications. Many of the scholars who teach this view no doubt hold stock in the companies that profit from drug sales. They are certainly dependant on pharmaceutical companies for research funding, and the research is not aimed at utlimately irradicating the disease from society.
Medicines clearly work well for a lot of people, in part because they can address specific parts of the brain. But language, behavioral training, and social influence can be also be very specific. The failure of sciences early efforts to devise psychological cures for mental diseases does not mean we cannot find such cures. We are in a better position now than ever, because of our more advanced understanding of the biological implications of language, behavior and social environments. We need to integrate this knowledge in a more wholistic science of mental health.
As a footnote, sorry about the poor organization and careless grammar and spelling of so many of my posts.
poster:boB
thread:30376
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/30614.html