There are some inherent problems with the way the mental health system currently operates in our country. Back in the 1960′s a psychiatrist blew the whistle on the system and wrote a provocative book called, “The Myth of Mental Illness”, his name was Thomas Szasz. Here is an excerpt from an article he wrote around the same time:
“I have tried to show that the notion of mental illness has outlived whatever usefulness it might have had and that it now functions merely as a· convenient myth. As such, it is a true heir to religious myths in general, and to the belief in witchcraft in particular; the role of all these belief-systems was to act as social tranquilizers, thus encouraging the hope that mastery of certain specific problems may be achieved by means of substitutive (symbolic-magical) operations. The notion of mental illness thus serves mainly to obscure the everyday fact that life for most people is a continuous struggle, not for biological survival, but for a “place in the sun,” “peace of mind,” or some other human value. For man aware of himself and of the world about him, once the needs for preserving the body (and perhaps the race) are more or less satisfied, the problem arises as to what he should do with himself. Sustained adherence to the myth of mental illness allows people to avoid facing this problem, believing that mental health, conceived as the absence of mental illness, automatically insures the making of right and safe choices in one’s conduct of life. But the facts are all the other way. It is the making of good choices in life that others regard, retrospectively, as good mental health!”
While I disagree with his statements that tie religious belief in the same category as belief in mental illness, there are some powerful statements in this quote.
To purchase the original book by Thomas Szasz, “The Myth of Mental Illness” – click here
Medical intervention is currently pushed almost to the exclusion of other options such as Cognitive Behavorial Therapy and alternative treatments. Here is a booklet put out by the National Institute of Mental Health which follows this medical model. There is some good information in the booklet but the slant towards medication is not subtle.
A recent research article noted the fact that a youth mental illness diagnosis paved the way for over half of the adults classified as having Anxiety or Panic Disorders. Here is the article
Tags: Adherence, Alternative Treatments, Belief Systems, Choices In Life, Cognitive Behavorial Therapy, Conduct Of Life, Continuous Struggle, Excerpt From, Good Mental Health, Medical Intervention, Mental Health System, Myth Of Mental Illness, Peace Of Mind, Place In The Sun, Provocative Book, Psychiatrist, Religious Belief, Religious Myths, Thomas Szasz, Thomas Szasz The Myth Of Mental Illness, Tranquilizers, True Heir, Whistle, Witchcraft
