I think it would be accurate to say that the most fundamental principle in modern psychiatry is that all significant problems of thinking, feeling, and/or behaving are illnesses, caused by chemical imbalances or other putative neurological anomalies. The first part of this principle has been enshrined explicitly in the DSM’s definition of a mental disorder since DSM-III, and implicitly since DSM-II. The second part has been promoted vigorously by psychiatry for decades. This proposition is fundamental in the sense that from it, everything that psychiatry does, and stands for, flows. The statement is also an assumption, proof of which has never been provided. Nor is the assumption self-evident. In fact, as those of us on this side of the issue have contended for decades, there are more parsimonious, and more helpful, ways to conceptualize these problems. The inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity characteristic of the condition labeled ADHD, for instance, can be conceptualized simply as a failure on the child’s part to acquire certain skills and habits that are considered appropriate for his age. Depression can be conceptualized as a normal response to loss, or to an unfulfilling, treadmill kind of life. And so on. In science, of course, it’s perfectly OK to start off with an assumption (scientists call them hypotheses), and to design and execute experiments/studies to test their truth or falsity. But psychiatry has never established the truth of its core assumption. In fact, all attempts in this area have failed! So – instead of debunking this cherished assumption, as real scientists would have done, they have simply assumed it to be true, and have steadily promoted its acceptance through endless repetition, manipulation of the media, and vigorous condemnation of critics. Then, to create the impression of science, they have conducted vast numbers of studies and trials, all designed to test various peripheral matters, but all ultimately depending for their validity on the core assumption. This isn’t science. It is nonsense, dressed up as science. (from the article) - [Cat]
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 00:42:03 +0000