How to Reform Psychiatry - Explore New Ideas for treating people with mental issues.

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Fri, 2013-03-01 01:16
RevolutionPlease RevolutionPlease's picture

It'd be real cool to see an acknowldgement of that science presented above by my dear friends. Stuff in North America that can't be explained, by jas (it is environmental, some people just won't dope themselves to put up with this zoo we live in) K51's astute observasion on the perversion of the drug industry. And that's what it is. Perversion. It drives me deeper underground all the time. It's fucking disgusting. Ennir's excellent macro-analysis of it all.

 

Yet, babble rallies to it's defence.

 

Sickening.

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Fri, 2013-03-01 03:04
ryanw

I heard some fun anecdotal stories today about how the last time North America was at its healthiest was during and just after WWII because everyone was working, and had a sense of belonging. Coincidently it was also right before the medication boom.

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Fri, 2013-03-01 13:25
Francesca Allan

Goggles Pissano wrote:

Do we want them here?  Remember what happened last time? The longer they clue in, the more we get to talk about constructive issues which are harming people.

I've only got this far in this thread but I was offended by this.  I am one of the "them" referred to yet I feel I have a lot to contribute.

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Fri, 2013-03-01 13:51
Francesca Allan

jas wrote:

It certainly seems like a barbaric practice, but I've heard conflicting reports. G. Pie/G. Muffin, who used to post here, said although she hated the treatment, it worked for her.

jas, I am G. Pie/G. Muffin and I'd like to clarify.  It did work in that my depression improved but the cost was enormous.  I still have devastating memory deficits.  I'm not sure that wrapping me in cold wet sheets (which they used to do) wouldn't have worked just as well.

And, of course, forced electroshock is a whole other matter.  The British Columbia Civil Liberties Assocation has an interesting position paper on involuntary treatment.  They suggest that psychosurgery (lobotomy) and implanted electrodes are two practices that should never occur without the patient's consent.  I wrote to BCCLA and suggested that electroshock (electroconvulsive therapy) should be included in this group. 

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Fri, 2013-03-01 19:46
jas

Thanks for the clarification. The other person I mentioned with regard to ECT I haven't seen since, so I don't know what his current position on it may be.

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Sat, 2013-03-02 11:37
polly bee

Francesca Allan wrote:

Goggles Pissano wrote:

Do we want them here?  Remember what happened last time? The longer they clue in, the more we get to talk about constructive issues which are harming people.

I've only got this far in this thread but I was offended by this.  I am one of the "them" referred to yet I feel I have a lot to contribute.

 

FWIW Francesca, I am sure you aren't one of the them that Goggles was referring to!  And, glad to see you back :)  

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Sat, 2013-03-02 13:17
Francesca Allan

jas wrote:

Thanks for the clarification. The other person I mentioned with regard to ECT I haven't seen since, so I don't know what his current position on it may be.

Forgot to mention, too, that I developed epilepsy.  My neurologist thinks it's possible that this was caused by electroshock.  He also said he sees lots of strange neurological symptoms post-ECT.  However, mainstream psychiatrists see no evidence that electroshock causes brain damage.  It certainly seems possible, to me anyway, that inducing convulsions could cause epileptic convulsions.

My God, the treatments were awful.  When I was really sick, I thought they were executing me.  I was terrified.  Even as a voluntary patient, it was pretty grim.  I absolutely hate the feeling of losing consciousness.  I should say, however, that the doctor and nurses were lovely to the patients.

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Sat, 2013-03-02 13:30
Francesca Allan

Timebandit wrote:

To reference post #24, I include the work of Dr. Bonnie Burstow who wrote in her book, Radical Feminist Therapy that chlorpromazine had abolutely no science to back up its use other than it sedated patients.  The maker of chlorpromazine and the psychiatrists lobbied the US government to give psychiatrists sole jurisdiction over its distribution to patients.  This is political lobbying and corporate greed; not science.

I fear this is true for most antipsychotics not just the older ones like chlorpromazine.  As Robert Whitaker points out in his brilliant Mad in America, when the newer and more expensive atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine, risperidal, seroquel, etc.) came on the market, the truth started to come out about the older ones.  And I have no doubt that when Big Pharma comes up with our next miracle cure, the atypicals will be seen in a different light.

And on the issue of sedation, this really seems to be the goal.  In hospital, zombied patients are much easier to handle.  All too often, mental health as a goal gets forgotten and obedience seems to be what's strived for.  I wasted years fighting with doctors.  For anyone out there struggling, I want to say that IT DOES GET BETTER.  Find excellent medical care and work together.

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