Posted by Christ_empowered on November 15, 2017, at 17:15:17
In reply to Re: How do you feel about the term 'Mental Illness'?, posted by SLS on November 15, 2017, at 16:56:37
to me, "mental illness" is the umbrella term for madness in today's culture. if you look at the history of madness...say, take a look at Foucault, "Madness and Civilization" , for instance...
...crazy happens. People have always gone mad, in every society, throughout time. Modern methods of dealing with madness and the mad are of fairly recent origin.
I don't know what to make of "mental illness." The idea strikes me as an example of the medicalization of deviance. Where before the mad might have been taken to priests, or perhaps left to roam the streets, now we/they are hauled off to psychiatrists. some get "better," some deteriorate, some walk away from the clinics, hospitals, etc., and move on with life.
Personally? I take an "atypical" tranquilizer. I'm "mentally ill," whether I like it or not, because my diagnosis/labels are a big part of my identity in the community.
The tranquilizer keeps me calm(er), keeps the worst of the madness at bay. I don't know that its "treating" anything, not really. For this season of my life, the tranquilizer is just...a part of my daily routine. I don't know if it always will be, or if one day I'll be able to taper off and walk away...
...it is what it is, basically.
poster:Christ_empowered
thread:1095891
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20161215/msgs/1095897.html