| We see the man on the street corner conversing | | | | taking responsibility and blames the brain of the |
| with himself and dishelved. Most often turn away | | | | person with no evidence provided that their brains |
| in fear. Why are we afraid? Because this man | | | | are actually dysfunctional. Theory has become |
| speaks of the human condition- of how a | | | | fact in psychiatry. |
| disordered society can break any of us. | | | | Psychiatry has its free advertising through the |
| What has been termed in the DSM IV as 'mental | | | | workings of the so called support groups and |
| disorder' is entirely subjective and the product of | | | | through its alliance with the pharmaceutical |
| the voting of psychiatric committees. The | | | | industry. Such groups as NAMI (National Alliance |
| disorders are often a product of their imagination | | | | for the Mentally Ill) and CHADD (Children and |
| and designed for their ultimate profit. The | | | | Adults with Attention Deficit) have received large |
| diagnoses are categorized under the guise of help, | | | | amounts of funding from the pharmaceutical |
| but who benefits? Solely those making the | | | | industry who now have access to many new |
| diagnosis. In the 1970's Rosenhan and his | | | | consumers of their products and who benefit |
| colleagues conducted an interesting study in which | | | | from promoting the concept of 'chemical |
| pseudo-patients were sent to mental hospitals | | | | imbalances' to further the sale of their toxic drugs. |
| across the country. They has no history of | | | | Schools have now become not about education at |
| psychiatric concerns and were told to tell only one | | | | all, but rather mental institutions for children. |
| lie to the psychiatrist- that they heard the word | | | | Children are stifled and are not given the |
| 'thud' in their heads. Otherwise, they were to | | | | opportunities for critical thinking, but rather to be |
| behave 'normally'. All of these individuals were | | | | proper test takers and to become cogs in the |
| admitted to the hospital. The only means for their | | | | industrial machine. When they fall out of line with |
| release was to submit to the idea they were | | | | the desired result, they are labeled and drugged. |
| insane but were getting better by the | | | | Social Security payments for 'ADHD' or other |
| 'treatments' of the psychiatric staff. The | | | | behavioral disorders become a temptation for |
| psychiatric establishment was appalled and said | | | | poor, struggling families to encourage their |
| this was merely a fluke and suggested Rosenhan | | | | compliance with the status quo. |
| send pseudo-patients again and they would be | | | | Psychiatry has also taken over the cause of child |
| able to identify them. Rosenhan stated he would | | | | welfare. In California, it was seen that over 90% |
| send 40 pseudo-patients. The psychiatrists stated | | | | of foster children were on psychiatric drugs, often |
| they had found the 'fakes' but the fact was | | | | multiple drugs, with no apparent reason to support |
| Rosenhan actually sent no one else. | | | | the use, not to mention that potential for serious |
| In all of this, we see that experience is ignored. | | | | adverse events. These drugs are being implicated |
| Instead, we have categorized behaviors, all in the | | | | more and more in causing violence, mania, and |
| eyes of the beholder, and medicalized it. It does | | | | suicidal ideation in children. The only reason for |
| not matter any longer what the experience of | | | | these foster children to be treated in such |
| the person is, the objective of psychiatry is to | | | | manner is solely greed and to perpetuate a |
| suppress the behavior, and suppression then leads | | | | corrupt system geared at control of the |
| to oppression. | | | | vulnerable. The abused are being further abused |
| If we were to truly be pro-active and | | | | by the psychiatric system. The elderly are |
| psychiatrists were motivated by a true desire to | | | | subjected to ECT at 3 times the rate at age 65 |
| do no harm and to seek for person's mental | | | | than age 64. Why? Because at age 65 Medicare |
| health, then we would not be merely suppressing, | | | | will pick up the tab. Once again, abuse of the |
| but rather seeking to understand. In addition, we | | | | vulnerable. We must awake to this fraud. When |
| would be targeting those issues which often | | | | we can begin to understand the human condition, |
| create mental anguish for persons to begin with. | | | | work for social justice, and take responsibility for |
| We would be addressing issues of social justice. | | | | a disordered society, then it will be that 'disorders' |
| Instead, psychiatry exonerates institutions from | | | | will fade away and true mental health will arise. |