On Psychiatry

http://www.aeonmagazine.com/world-views/holly-case-thomas-szasz-insanity-plea/

Holly Case has penned an interesting article, which reminds us that mental illness remains controversial and misunderstood. As you read her piece, linked above, you won't agree with or accept everything she or Szasz has said, but it's healthy to be reminded that so-called civilized nations have sometimes used psychiatry as a political tool.

A few excerpts ... and some comments:

(Szasz) declared that ‘psychiatry is a threat to civil liberties, especially to the liberties of individuals stigmatised as “right-wingers”

Interesting statement, considering the controversy surrounding the upcoming release of the new DSM-5, and the threats by some professionals in France and elsewhere, so upset by it that they are declaring their refusal to buy and use it.

Truth itself is under attack and is in some quarters seen as both defeated and irrelevant.

Szasz learned, 'at an early age, the lesson that it can be dangerous to be wrong, but, to be right, when society regards the majority’s falsehood as truth, could be fatal. This principle is especially true with respect to false truths that form an important part of an entire society’s belief system. In the past, such basic false truths were religious in nature. In the modern world, they are medical and political in nature.'

Arno Gruen's concept, The Insanity of Normality, comes to mind as she discusses the trials of Anders B. Breivik and Adolf Eichmann.

The mere refusal of certain segments of the Christian Church to recognize the intermingled physical and spiritual aspects of both mental illness and spiritual health, only serves to highlight the problems which Szasz was attempting to address.

Are ministers even trained any more in the methods of using truth to set people free?

Those who hide their heads in the sand will not be prepared when the tsunami, which the prophet is raving about, finally arrives.

May we have more prophetic voices, ... and ears to hear them!

Is there an Increase in Mental Illness?

Originally Published: October 12, 2010

By Keith Martin,

Member of Parliament, Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, B.C., Liberal Party of Canada; MD.

 http://www.themarknews.com/articles/2728-mental-illness-a-medical-orphan/

Every day sees mental illnesses on the rise in Canada. Why aren’t we doing more to tackle this problem?
 

Despite the high incidence of mental illness in Canada, this collection of medical problems still remains underappreciated and underfunded relative to other diseases. Of the 10 leading causes of disability worldwide, five are mental disorders: major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

At any given time, 20 per cent of Canadians have a mental illness, and that number is fast approaching 25 per cent. About 4,000 Canadians commit suicide each year, and suicide is the most common cause of death for people aged 15 to 24. In aboriginal communities, the incidence of suicide is four to five times higher than the Canadian average.

The highest rate of depression is in those under the age of 20, and the highest rate of anxiety in those aged 20 to 29. According to the World Health Organization, by the year 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of premature death worldwide, and it may already be the leading cause of economic loss due to any illness, mental or physical.

Over time, the incidence of dementias will grow into a brick wall our society will slam into. Currently, one in 11 people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. This year alone, more than 103,000 Canadians will develop dementia. If nothing changes, the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia is expected to more than double, reaching 1.1 million Canadians within 25 years. We are utterly unprepared for this.

Substance abuse is also a major problem in our society; 13 per cent of people are at-risk drinkers, and depression frequently accompanies substance abuse. Among youth prostitutes, 44 per cent got into prostitution to get money to pay for drugs. In Canada, one baby every day is born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, the leading cause of preventable, irreversible brain damage at birth.

In a release last week, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health said that the economic costs of mental illness are equivalent to 14 per cent of corporate Canada’s net operating profits. The cost of mental illness to our society is $14.4 billion a year; add substance abuse to the tab, and we’re looking at about $18 billion. However, less than four per cent of medical research funding goes to mental illness research.

Mental illnesses in Canada are orphan problems in our medical system. We are ill-equipped to deal with these challenges, in particular the increase in the dementias. We desperately need to implement a national health strategy that will enable us to prevent a great deal of hardship in the future and increase the much-needed care for Canadians attempting to tame these demons in their private world.