Is Normal Now A Mental Illness?

[buzzsaw_23]

Is Normal Now A Mental Illness?

<snip>

The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistics Manual (DSM, version IV), the psychiatrist's handbook, lists a number of behavioural traits, such as these, that it considers abnormal in children. Others include: "often has difficulty awaiting turn", "often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly", and "often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly".

'It's total fraud', says Michael Westen, editor of Psychbusters (groups.msn.com/psychbusters), an online activist group that was set up in 2000 to 'decode Psychiatric propaganda'. 'This is not a disease and these are not "diagnostic criteria." These are subjective judgments aimed at coercing a person to follow rules of "proper conduct" made by others with power. The list could just as easily contain: fails to be white, often does not attend a Christian church, tends to be smaller, younger, and unable to do adult tasks.'

<snip>

Despite there being no scientific basis for ADHD, prescriptions of Methylphenidate - most commonly sold as Ritalin - rose to 359,100 last year, a rise of 344,400 since 1995. Figures from the Prescriptions Pricing Authority reveal that there has been a 180-fold increase in prescriptions since 1991 when only 2,000 were issued in England.

Ritalin, which is pharmacologically similar to Cocaine, is a favoured treatment option for those labelled with ADHD, yet critics claim it is a harmful drug that can cause neurological defects and further behavioural difficulties. Earlier this year, researchers in Texas found a link between Ritalin use and chromosome abnormalities - occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects.

http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Health/Is_Normal_Now_A_Mental_Illness__37581.html

[AX10]

1. Ban Ritalin!

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Why do that?

Some people actually benefit from Ritalin.

What we should do is ban drugging up kids. And if it means that we have to change the way we run our meat-processing plants -- sorry, I meant to say public schools -- then so be it.

--p!
Oops! -- it was the Scientology -- sorry, I meant to say Ritalin -- talking.

[buzzsaw_23]

3. "our meat-processing plants -- sorry, I meant to say public schools"

I think you are on to something there.

So does John Taylor Gatto.

Can't blame the failure on the institution or society so point the finger at the individual (in this case child-ren) and dole out the medication to "fix" the malfunctioning unit.

Commercial education is little more than consumption-production facilities popping out bodies for the business mills.

[blonndee]

4. Isn't * trying to implement "mental health screenings"

across the board, including in schools? I'm so unknowledgable on the specifics, but the first thing I thought of when I heard that was, "weed out the undesirables and/or shape the propaganda."

I DEFINITELY would have been one of the red-flagged individuals. And, by the way, isn't it (or wasn't it) the "teenage way" to question authority? Are we formulating Hitler's Youth now, or what? Oh wait, stupid question.

[WildClarySage]

5. The diagnostic criteria for mental illness always depends on

whether or not the item is both abnormally disruptive or disturbing to the individual. So it might be perfectly normal for blue to be your favorite color, but if that freaks you out, then that might, in the presence of other diagnostic criteria, be an indication of mental illness. These criteria are useful for diagnosis and treatment, and no single criteria is properly used for any diagnosis.

Mental illnesses are real, and I'm sorry that they are still being discussed with phrases like "it's all in your head", "you should just try harder", or "make yourself get well" today, which is the sort of thing even 'progressive' people say all the time. Certainly medications should be used sparingly, with caution and close observation. Certainly practitioners can do a better job of being educated, and educating their patients on the risks and effects of medications. But there are benefits for many to these medications. If you don't believe me, I'll be happy to send my cousin, after taking away his ritalin, to your doorstep for a while.