Comments | echo_11: and there you have it...

echo_11

and there you have it...

Feb 12, 2009 09:23

A friend posted this. I wanted to share it. I'm not sure the problem is the American Psychological Association, or even the pharmaceutical industry. I think what enables them to continue making up disorders and sell drugs that cure nothing is people's need to have a disorder or dysfunction to call their own. I don't know why people in this society ( Read more... )

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ilzarion February 12 2009, 14:52:58 UTC

Sadly Yes, it is much like the dark ages ( ... )

echo_11 February 12 2009, 16:27:06 UTC

I agree that is it better to try to do something to address problems, even if we don't have a clear understanding of the nature of the problem. What I do not agree with is modern psychology's tendency to label normal human emotional reactions as disorders that need to be chemically treated. Our society has become completely intolerant of any negative emotion, no mater how rational and natural, even healthy it may be. This in turn leads to things being wrongfully labeled as dysfunctions, and people being overmedicated and completely incapable of dealing with life.

The psychology/pharmaceutical industry will have you believe that if you are not happy all the time, there is something seriously wrong with you.

sterlingspider February 12 2009, 22:12:47 UTC

"modern psychology's tendency to label normal human emotional reactions as disorders that need to be chemically treated."

Small but important distinction...

Psychiatrists are the only ones in the psychological field who can legally medicate. They can do this because they are MEDICAL "experts", not because they are "psychological" experts. The training necessary to become a psychological "expert" in the medical field leaves A LOT to be desired on the psychological side of things.

Having just gotten home from work I honestly don't have the energy to give this the full attention it deserves, but I believe the over-medication of our country has a lot more to do with the co-opting of psychological treatment by the medical profession then any other specific failing of the psychological sciences.

Remember also that psychology as an applied science is only about 100 years old. Contemplate where any other scientific discipline managed to get in its first 100 years... as things go psychology is actually doing pretty damn good.

echo_11 February 13 2009, 00:50:33 UTC

I think ultimately the problem is with the people, with our society and the victim mentality that most people have. nobody wants to be sad, anxious, angry. The pharmaceutical industry is doing what they do best, cashing in on it. And the experts, who have been out of school and practicing for many years, get drug information primarily from the drug companies (this doesn't only apply to the psychological branch of medicine).
I don't really know where I was going with that, I had a point. This day has been way too long for me to attempt to articulate what I am trying to say :)

Sorry if this is rambling a bit... sterlingspider February 13 2009, 01:15:59 UTC

I would agree with you for the most part. It is however important to acknowledge however that there are people who have serious problems who DO legitimately benefit from medication, but I agree, not nearly so many as those who think they should ( ... )

Re: Sorry if this is rambling a bit... echo_11 February 13 2009, 04:41:05 UTC

of course the issue is far more complicated than a 4 and a half minute video on YouTube would be able to present. The point I wanted to make with it is that the guidelines for diagnosing these disorders are still very subjective and open to interpretation. I won't deny that there are a lot of cases in which medicating for a mental disorder can be beneficial, even necessary, but as you said, those cases are likely far less than the people currently medicated. Also, there is a trend of "diagnosing" normal reactions to life events as disorders (e.g. grieving the loss of a loved one does not mean you are depressed and need medication, it just means that you are human and experiencing normal human emotions). Well you get the point.

Re: Sorry if this is rambling a bit... sterlingspider February 13 2009, 05:34:12 UTC

Also, there is a trend of "diagnosing" normal reactions to life events as disorders (e.g. grieving the loss of a loved one does not mean you are depressed and need medication, it just means that you are human and experiencing normal human emotions). Well you get the point.

And that's EXACTLY why I have such a problem with the medicalization of psychological treatment. Fully a fifth of the DSM diagnostic system is dedicated to differentiating between "is this actually fucking up your life" and "are you able to cope with this" and it seems like everyone ignores that anymore.

There are hard and fast rules in most of the diagnosis which require you to address questions like "is there an external qualifier which can negate this diagnosis?". Major life events such as deaths, weddings, moves, children, and job upsets are typically RULE OUTS for most diagnosis unless there is a clear pattern of the behavior beforehand.

There is also the part where the entirety of the world seems to have forgotten the term "coping mechanism".

Re: Sorry if this is rambling a bit... echo_11 February 13 2009, 14:15:20 UTC

That's my problem too, people simply do not wish to be burdened with inconvenient emotions, so they google some disorder, learn the symptoms and go to a doctor asking for specific medication. It's too easy and most psychiatrists are very Rx-happy to begin with. It doesn't help that direct-to-consumer drug advertisement convinces people that they need to be medicated. So we end up with a society of people incapable of coping with life.

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