Psychiatry - a pseudoscience that simply shouldn't exist in today's modern world.

[Bavanai]

Psychiatry "doctors" create hundreds of "mental disorders", classified in their Bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (a modern witch-hunting manual). Such "mental disorders" and "symptoms" are actually socio-cultural prejudices towards dissident methods of facing life's personal problems and existing in the world.
Psychiatrists have started a world-wide epidemic of brain damage promoting and pushing drugs like antipsychotics and antidepressants or with barbaric procedures like lobotomy or electroshock brainwash treatment, thus violating the Hippocratic Oath: first, do no harm. Psychiatry's victims are stripped of any kind of human, civil and constitutional rights and are incarcerated without the right to a trial or to a lawyer. They're tortured with cruel and unusual punishments like forced drugging, electroshock, lobotomy, solitary confinement, etc.
Psychiatry is, basically, a form of social control and punishment for any form of non-conformism. For a psychiatrist, any difference in lifestyle is a potential mental disorder/disease. Don't forget that homosexuality used to be a mental disease until the civil rights movement.
Even DEPRESSION has become a psychiatric diagnosis. It's not a natural state of mind anymore. It's a chemical imbalance in the brain. Well, ok, you know how it works, it creates a chemical balance in the brain - but knowing how it works automatically makes it a disorder? NO! It's a simple symptom that your life isn't going as it should or as you want it to. It's your brain telling you to fix your problems. Suppressing this symptom with antidepressants will only degrade your overall quality of life in the long run.

So let me tell you my story, if you can still bare the wall of text (I know you speed freaks won't have a problem with it ). A year and a half ago, I had a depression (caused by breaking up with my gf). So I saw the antidepressant commercial on TV, the doc looked like a good guy, the music sounded kinda' peppy and fuck why not, maybe some pills will make me feel better. So I went to a psychiatrist, got diagnosed with "borderline personality disorder - depressive episode" and got a prescription of Zoloft. Took it for about a month, no change in mood except that I couldn't ejaculate and that I would be VERY impulsive. So impulsive that my relatives convinced me to see a different doctor at a mental institute. So I went there, the doctor told me that I should be institutionalized at least a week for observations. First I said ok, but then I thought about it and I didn't want to be "incarcerated" without doing something wrong, so I went home. A few hours later, they called the fucking police, so a squad came to my house and told me that if I don't come back willingly, they'll force me. So I went back. I was punished, by the doctor, with two weeks of being locked up. So, I was incarcerated (for real this time) without a trial, forcefully drugged (they sedated me even if all I did was stay in my bed and read books), they even gave me one drug that made my face's muscles barely moveable and I couldn't pee more than a few drops. The first night I had to sleep with two other men in the same 1-person bed because of a "shortage" (actually, my family didn't give the doctor extra money, so it was a secondary punishment). The second day, after my sister gave the doctor a nice tip, I was transferred in a room with 5 empty beds. I stayed there, locked, for a week. It would have been 2 weeks if my sister didn't give the doctor even more tips. I got out and I've been told that I have to stay a further 3 weeks in the hospital for observations, albeit unlocked. So I did (didn't really have a choice now, did I). After 3 weeks, my brainwash was complete. They actually made me believe that there's something wrong with my brain, that I'm sick. The time came to come home. I went to hospital with one obvious problem: depression. I returned home with: depression, anxiety, sleep problems. Got prescriptions for all. Zoloft for depression and anxiety, a non-benzo for sleep and valproic acid for the "borderline disorder". As I continued my treatment, I started feeling more and more like a zombie. I couldn't feel pleasure anymore, I couldn't feel emotions anymore. Until one day, when I decided that I'm a normal person. Tapered off the antidepressants, stopped doing all other medicines altogether. One month after this new mindset and after not taking any of the shrink's drugs - I felt like new. No depression, I could feel pleasure again, I could feel myself as part of the world I see with my eyes again.

I live a modest life, I can't afford to sue the mental-institute-prison.

Psychiatrists are modern-day witch hunters. Modern day barbarians. The only difference is that instead of burning their patients at the stake, they just forcefully incarcerate, drug and torture them. We have neurology and psychology. There's no need for psychiatry. All problems of the human mind are covered by neurology or psychology. I know there are people that will disagree, that believe in psychiatry. I did too, to tell you the truth, it was really tempting to accept that all my life's problems are caused by a chemical imbalance and not by my poor judgement and decision-making. But it's just another kind of bullshit we feed ourselves that makes our mistakes a bit more transparent and bearable.

 

[panic in paradise]

its true what you say, but, when something persistently happens over and over in identical ways with complete strangers for 100's of years, its undeniable. this reaction, or actions, these individuals need help, they need to be gathered and studied, then labeled to be able to know what type of treatment to provide.

but, it does become, and is carried away, i was in the hospital the other day, they gave this elderly woman, a shot of something, then a shot of haldol to ease her muscle cramps or something. i looked at my wife in dread, knowing what would surely happen to me on such a drug, and hoping it wouldnt happen to her.

they didnt give her much, but with in 5 minutes he started moaning and complaining to her son that her muscles were getting stiff, and that she needed to move, she kept complaining of those symptoms, saying she felt like she had "restless legs" fuck man, poor thing, then the nurse gave her ativan to subside he "restless legs" aka NMS or tardive dyskinesia(sp) but mist likely neuroleptic malignant syndrome, from the dinosaur antipsychotic.

she didnt need ativan, she needed bendryl or vitex...

things like that scare me, things like that change people lives, haldol should not be given now as weight gainer, or to help with muscle spasms or w/e

but, yes, people do have chemichal imbalences, we arent perfect, i have all sorts of physichal problems, and an auto immune d/o, its the same, it happens, i also have schizoeffective and bipolar, i cant help but have happen what happens when i go into psychosis, it doesnt happen that often, and i try and wade through it like a bad trip, but there is no willing ones self out. no there isnt, ive tried real hard, and the best thing to do is to latch onto any piece of reality, and hold on, because in the midst of that, there is no time, rhyme, or reason, everything is what it is, and it may not be what it is, but its the realist thing... you get that?

yes, there are many many people much worse off, at least i get a vacation, and am not full blown schizo, although, i might trade that for a life of physical pain, its undeniable that many people can, like i do often, walk themselves through the anxiety and or depression. but diagnosis's of the clinical nature, are not something that can be denied, yes some hospitals, clinics, and private practices use patients as guinea pigs, or over medicate, or use the wrong medication, or use something other then medication.

prescription drug companies stop by all the time with boxes of samples, saying this is primarily for, but can also be used as, or in conjunction with, anything!

my psych ignorantly gave me a bad combe that was developing seretonin syndrom in me, i knew what was up, and had enough sense to go get help, and not thing, oh its just settling in, ill go to sleep, yikes. he aslo gave me 3 neuroleptics that made me absolutley psychotic, completely gone man, no more andrew, for a few dats, then like a sport, id try another, Bye Bye, then my left arm went numb for 8 months, one more? okay... not psychosis for days on end but horrid dysphoria.

now, its klonopin, and lithium. and i take them like my mind and life depends on it, because neither was the right until i started. that is clear now still, after so many years.

 

[captainballs]

I would totally agree, but I don't believe the spirit of psychiatry today is based in witch-hunting. As far as the law entering the equation, it's really difficult for anyone to do anything to you against your will based on a medical diagnosis. Cops are afraid to look at medical documents because if they are viewing them at all they are probably breaking the law. All of them know this and they don't have a hard on for doing it so it's pretty cut and dry.

I know it's too late now, but for anyone who hasn't found themselves locked in a bedroom with three mental patients yet, and also feel like they don't need that kind of treatment, know where you stand. Be bold when talking to police or doctors about yourself, and let them know nothing as soon as you feel pressure. They are acutely aware of their limits. Hospitals get shut down over little stuff like this by people with no lawyer money. It's so easy to nail everyone involved based on a law passed 30+ years ago that people who think you're a mental case instinctively tip toe around your rights unless they forged their credentials.

 

[Sweet P]

I'll reply to this soon...

I just gotta go to the pharmacy to pick up my weekly dispense of medication.

 

[Mariposa]

Labeling people in any way can lead to a feeling of marginalization.

Calling psychiatry a "pseudoscience" is an extremely strong statement. Surely there are those who have been helped by psychiatry. Medication truly does benefit a lot of people. Very few people who have ever seen a psychiatrist have ever been committed to a mental institution, and in most jurisdictions, forcibly committing someone to a psychiatric hospital is a carefully controlled process. The test is whether a peace officer "reasonably believes" that the person has the capability to harm themselves or another person.

The term "reasonably believes" can be twisted around any number of different ways. But generally it is not by the psychiatrist. A person has the right to refuse any treatment he or she wishes provided they are competent to do so, and even sometimes when they've been found (after a much more careful process than the cops responding to a "suicide threat") to be incompetent, they still have the right to refuse treatments that they believe to be contrary to their best interest.

All this said, being committed is in and of itself an extremely intense and often horrific experience that can leave permanent scars far worse than the "mental illness". I would not wish it on anyone.

The key to using the tools psychiatry provides: know what you're taking, why you're taking it, how often and any other instructions as to taking it, and consenting to take it because you believe it will make you better. Cultivate a friendly rapport with your psychiatrist. Mine and me are kind of "buddies" at this point - I go in, he sees I'm calm and lucid (my diagnoses are panic disorder, GAD, and major depressive disorder), he refills my meds (which I do need), and we chat about pharmacology as, basically, equals for the hour every month I see him. We have respect for each other as human beings; he wants me to be happy and thrive in life, not incarcerate me in a hospital. To find a reputable psychiatrist is just as iffy as any other professional.

Incarcerating people in institutions does not benefit anyone. I am terribly sorry for what happened to you; I am sure it would scar anyone. I believe for some reason that there is more to your mental health history that you have revealed here. Also, are you comfortable revealing what country you are in? In the USA the "system" you describe can be grossly misused and abused.

Please do not write off psychiatry as a 'pseudoscience' simply because you were placed into a traumatic situation by one psychiatrist.

I hope your life and mindset continue to improve. The mind is a formidable power and the statement/decision "I WILL get better without outside help" is a very powerful one. Use it wisely and not out of simple reaction, and your statement is very likely to become fact over time.

 

[Bavanai]

@panic_in_paradise

well, have you ever thought about considering your bipolar disorder, for example, not really a disease that needs medication? i mean, all these "personality disorders", if they are medical conditions, why aren't they called diseases? an auto-immune disease is called, well, a disease. maybe you just have a bipolar personality, why call it a disorder? why call something a disorder just because it isn't what people consider to be the socially-constructed "normal"? it's your personality, man . don't you see anything wrong in treating your distinct personality into being more "normal"? but don't get me wrong, i can understand that it's hard to live in society like that, people won't ever understand that we're all different.

i wasn't misdiagnosed with borderline. when i presented myself to the doctor, i had EVERY goddamn symptom. but i wasn't willing to live like that either. so i had a "different" personality, now the problem was that having that borderline personality wasn't really compatible with the society i live in. so i simply told myself that i'm normal, as i said in my original post. i stopped taking the medication, i told myself that i'm not a fucking adolescent anymore to act borderline, and i'll be damned if i lie but in a couple of months i was borderline-symptom free. your mind is capable of amazing things - it can do things that drugs can't.

@captainballs

mate, i live in a balkan country, here it's not that easy, i mean it's not like in the US where you can sue anyone and anything. well, technically you can, but don't expect any results unless you invest big money in the trial. to give you a concrete example of what i'm talking about - if i was to go to the police after what happened to me in the hospital, you know what the police would tell me? "gtfo loonie or you're going back". there is a huge stigma attached to being in a mental institute. they wouldn't believe a word i'm saying any more than they would believe that OJ is innocent, they'd just think i'm crazy and i'm inventing/exagerrating. when my phone was stolen a few years ago, i went to the police, the policeman asked me how much the telephone costs, I said "about 100 euros", he said "oh then go home, buy yourself another one, we have more important things to do".

@mariposa

i live in Romania, maybe that will make my story a bit more clearer, maybe the system isn't exactly like in the US, but i assure you i have no reason to lie or distort anything from what i said, i wouldn't gain anything. that's my mental health history, i never had the need to see a shrink until that day. and about psychiatry helping people, i'm sure that if psychology would be taken a bit more seriously, at least as seriously as psychiatry is it would solve just as much problems as psychiatry does, without making it a medical problem. and if it's a disease, well, you've got neurology for that. so that's why i think that psychiatry is a dangerous and useless mix between neurology and psychology. from what i've seen in that hospital, the patients i talked to, i drew the conclusion that psychiatry does more harm than good. dunno, maybe in other countries things are different. but where i live at least, it simply doesn't help.

 

[Sweet P]

Psychiatrists have started a world-wide epidemic of brain damage promoting and pushing drugs like antipsychotics and antidepressants or with barbaric procedures like lobotomy or electroshock brainwash treatment, thus violating the Hippocratic Oath: first, do no harm. Psychiatry's victims are stripped of any kind of human, civil and constitutional rights and are incarcerated without the right to a trial or to a lawyer. They're tortured with cruel and unusual punishments like forced drugging, electroshock, lobotomy, solitary confinement, etc.
Psychiatry is, basically, a form of social control and punishment for any form of non-conformism.

I don't know which third-world country you live in, but in my country this is simply not the case. Psychiatric patients are not stripped of any human, civil or constitutional rights unless they are deemed an immediate danger to themselves or others. They are incarcerated in psychiatric facilities, but they do have the right to a trial and a lawyer. Electroshock therapy rarely happens without a patient's consent, and lobotomies were stopped decades ago. And I'm speaking as someone who's been in the mental health system since the age of 12, has been sectioned (involuntary commitment) numerous times, and is on a large regimen of psychiatric medication - which I need.

Even DEPRESSION has become a psychiatric diagnosis. It's not a natural state of mind anymore. It's a chemical imbalance in the brain. Well, ok, you know how it works, it creates a chemical balance in the brain - but knowing how it works automatically makes it a disorder? NO! It's a simple symptom that your life isn't going as it should or as you want it to. It's your brain telling you to fix your problems. Suppressing this symptom with antidepressants will only degrade your overall quality of life in the long run.

I assume you're referring to Major Depressive Disorder in the DSM-IV, because there is no disorder listed in that book as "depression." Major Depressive Disorder isn't a natural state of mind and never was. It's a terrible debilitating illness, often caused by a chemical imbalance that can't be treated (as in my case) without medication. To say that it's simply the result of my life not going as I want it to is insulting. And most modern anti-depressants do not degrade your overall quality of life in the long run... there is no evidence to prove that.

So let me tell you my story, if you can still bare the wall of text (I know you speed freaks won't have a problem with it ). A year and a half ago, I had a depression (caused by breaking up with my gf). So I saw the antidepressant commercial on TV, the doc looked like a good guy, the music sounded kinda' peppy and fuck why not, maybe some pills will make me feel better. So I went to a psychiatrist, got diagnosed with "borderline personality disorder - depressive episode" and got a prescription of Zoloft. Took it for about a month, no change in mood except that I couldn't ejaculate and that I would be VERY impulsive. So impulsive that my relatives convinced me to see a different doctor at a mental institute. So I went there, the doctor told me that I should be institutionalized at least a week for observations. First I said ok, but then I thought about it and I didn't want to be "incarcerated" without doing something wrong, so I went home. A few hours later, they called the fucking police, so a squad came to my house and told me that if I don't come back willingly, they'll force me. So I went back. I was punished, by the doctor, with two weeks of being locked up. So, I was incarcerated (for real this time) without a trial, forcefully drugged (they sedated me even if all I did was stay in my bed and read books), they even gave me one drug that made my face's muscles barely moveable and I couldn't pee more than a few drops. The first night I had to sleep with two other men in the same 1-person bed because of a "shortage" (actually, my family didn't give the doctor extra money, so it was a secondary punishment). The second day, after my sister gave the doctor a nice tip, I was transferred in a room with 5 empty beds. I stayed there, locked, for a week. It would have been 2 weeks if my sister didn't give the doctor even more tips. I got out and I've been told that I have to stay a further 3 weeks in the hospital for observations, albeit unlocked. So I did (didn't really have a choice now, did I). After 3 weeks, my brainwash was complete. They actually made me believe that there's something wrong with my brain, that I'm sick. The time came to come home. I went to hospital with one obvious problem: depression. I returned home with: depression, anxiety, sleep problems. Got prescriptions for all. Zoloft for depression and anxiety, a non-benzo for sleep and valproic acid for the "borderline disorder". As I continued my treatment, I started feeling more and more like a zombie. I couldn't feel pleasure anymore, I couldn't feel emotions anymore. Until one day, when I decided that I'm a normal person. Tapered off the antidepressants, stopped doing all other medicines altogether. One month after this new mindset and after not taking any of the shrink's drugs - I felt like new. No depression, I could feel pleasure again, I could feel myself as part of the world I see with my eyes again.

I've also been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Depression and impulsivity are both symptoms of it. Fortunately in my country, medical care is free so my family didn't have to worry about the costs - I'm sorry to hear your circumstances were different. But believe me, I've been in your shoes. I've had six cops turn up at my house after I had a major mental breakdown, and they told me if I didn't go willingly they would have to force me into hospital under the Mental Health Act. I told them I wouldn't go, and if they tried to force me, I'll get violent. At that point one officer reached out to grab my arm. I recoiled and slapped him in the face. Within seconds I was pinned to the ground with at least several officers on me, cuffing my wrists and tying my ankles. As they carried me into the back of a patrol car, I spat in one of their faces and was forced to wear a spit hood for the rest of the night. I then spent the next week in a high-security psychiatric facility. Looking back, it was probably for the best.

I don't know why any doctor would prescribe valproic acid for your Borderline Personality Disorder unless you were having severe mood swings - it's a mood-stabiliser. Anyway, I'm glad you were able to wean yourself off the medication and then feel better afterwards. But please keep in mind that not all of us are the same. For some people, medication is essential for a normal functioning life.

Psychiatrists are modern-day witch hunters. Modern day barbarians. The only difference is that instead of burning their patients at the stake, they just forcefully incarcerate, drug and torture them. We have neurology and psychology. There's no need for psychiatry. All problems of the human mind are covered by neurology or psychology.

Psychology is much more of a "pseudo-science" than psychiatry.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

got diagnosed with "borderline personality disorder - depressive episode"

I've also been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Depression and impulsivity are both symptoms of it. Fortunately in my country, medical care is free so my family didn't have to worry about the costs - I'm sorry to hear your circumstances were different. But believe me, I've been in your shoes. I've had six cops turn up at my house after I had a major mental breakdown, and they told me if I didn't go willingly they would have to force me into hospital under the Mental Health Act. I told them I wouldn't go, and if they tried to force me, I'll get violent. At that point one officer reached out to grab my arm. I recoiled and slapped him in the face. Within seconds I was pinned to the ground with at least several officers on me, cuffing my wrists and tying my ankles. As they carried me into the back of a patrol car, I spat in one of their faces and was forced to wear a spit hood for the rest of the night. I then spent the next week in a high-security psychiatric facility. Looking back, it was probably for the best.

I can't decide whether you're just sore about being put away for 2 weeks, or if they misdiagnosed you. Either way, I would move the hell out of Romania, as long as you don't plan on being a K head your whole life (since K is legal there).

 

[Sweet P]

^ Sorry, I don't understand. I'm no longer sore about being put away, and I don't think I'm misdiagnosed (at least several psychiatrists have reviewed me and agree with the BPD diagnosis). And what's this stuff about Romania? I'm lost.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

^ Sorry, I don't understand. I'm no longer sore about being put away, and I don't think I'm misdiagnosed (at least several psychiatrists have reviewed me and agree with the BPD diagnosis). And what's this stuff about Romania? I'm lost.

LOL No not you Sweet P! I'm talking to the OP, who lives in Romania.

I know you live in NZ!

I quoted you and bolded the "it was probably for the better" part to kind of compare the two of your stories as it has some similarities.

That probably was a bit confusing, but I was talking to Bavanai not you P. Hope that clarified my post a bit.

 

[Sweet P]

^ Oops! I must have been confused because of all the psychiatric medication I'm taking.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

^ Oops! I must have been confused because of all the psychiatric medication I'm taking.

I've always enjoyed your sense of humor P! That made me LOL!

 

[panic in paradise]

bavania, i appreciate what you are saying, but i only recently, maybe 3 years ago started taking lithium. once i started, it was amazing, i had control over my thoughts, single words or thoughts would repeat relentlessley all day. i was amazed that i had never been perscribed a 'mood stabilizer' or more specificly lithium.

it does worry me talking to people who took it for 10-20 years, and hearing how they mostly all had,,, complications, but ive had 'complications' with too many other drugs, this works great, if i need to be called bi polar(i am its quit clear lol) then so be it. it helps in a major way.

 

[Sweet P]

bavania, i appreciate what you are saying, but i only recently, maybe 3 years ago started taking lithium. once i started, it was amazing, i had control over my thoughts, single words or thoughts would repeat relentlessley all day. i was amazed that i had never been perscribed a 'mood stabilizer' or more specificly lithium.

It's cool to hear a positive story about lithium. Several years ago I was misdiagnosed as bipolar and put on 1200mg's of lithium a day. I didn't keep my fluids up as you're supposed to on lithium, and my blood levels soon went toxic (I was probably on an unnecessarily high dose too). From that experience, I can kinda understand the OP's views on psychiatry... but I guess psychiatrists are human like the rest of us, and are prone to making mistakes.

 

[SPC123]

...these "personality disorders", if they are medical conditions, why aren't they called diseases? an auto-immune disease is called, well, a disease. maybe you just have a bipolar personality, why call it a disorder? why call something a disorder just because it isn't what people consider to be the socially-constructed "normal"?

One of the biggest criteria is that it have a negative impact on your life. If you are happy the way you are, then you'll probably never see a psychiatrist. If you are unhappy, perhaps you should.

 

[Sweet P]

i mean, all these "personality disorders", if they are medical conditions, why aren't they called diseases? an auto-immune disease is called, well, a disease. maybe you just have a bipolar personality, why call it a disorder? why call something a disorder just because it isn't what people consider to be the socially-constructed "normal"? it's your personality, man . don't you see anything wrong in treating your distinct personality into being more "normal"? but don't get me wrong, i can understand that it's hard to live in society like that, people won't ever understand that we're all different

In a way, disorders are diseases (the word "disease" simply means dis-ease... that you're not at ease). As said above, they are called disorders because they have an enduring negative impact on somebody's life. And no, I see nothing wrong in treating my personality disorder and becoming more "normal". I'd no longer have cuts all over my wrists, I'd no longer go from loving to hating someone in a split second over the silliest things, I wouldn't continue my impulsive reckless behaviour, and I'd actually be able to maintain a relationship!

 

[Wizzle]

It seems to me that you just had a bad experience. And health care probably sucks in Romania given that it´s a pretty poor country. That doesn't mean all psychiatrists are evil.

 

[graugeist]

Psychology saved my life. Mental illness is a very real and serious thing. Medications help people to live their lives the way that they want to instead of suffering. I have had many, many good experiences with mental health care and am studying for a career in psychology myself. I have bipolar disorder and I wish very much to find a way to give back and help others with the condition. Psychology is not a pseudo science; it is backed by countless medical/scientific evidence. Psychology works and it is a very important institution. Maybe you just aren't ready to accept that you need to work on yourself. Sorry you had a bad experience, but I think you are just trying to convince yourself that nothing is the matter with you. It is not the end of the world to have a mental health issue or to need some counseling.

 

[Z Y G G Y]

^you really are confused about the facts said in this thread.

The OP is for psychology. He stated that psychology is a good thing, not a pseudoscience.

Sweet P said psychology is a pseudoscience.

 

[Sweet P]

Sweet P said psychology is a pseudoscience.

No I didn't. I said it's more of a pseudo-science when compared to psychiatry.

I've studied for a major in psychology at university and know that it is based on empirical scientific research. Psychiatry is too, but it has a much stronger medical and scientific basis. It takes a lot longer to become a qualified psychiatrist than a psychologist.