Has anyone read this book?

'Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America' by Robert Whitaker

It's controversial, shocking and gripping. My library seems to have 7 holds on 2 copies, which means people are taking an interest. Rightly so and about time!

My belief: "mental" illness is psychosocial, not biological. Plastering the "biological" label on it conveniently erases the need to address origins of the problem.

 

I disagree. Some disorders could be more psychosocial (ADHD and Borderline come to mind), but others are almost entirely biological (like bipolar and schizophrenia), while others still are mixed (like depression, general anxiety and their ilk).

I do however agree that considering all psychological conditions as biological illnesses is overly simplistic. Most conditions are better treated non-pharmaceutically, but there are other factors at play, of course.

 

so over simplistic its scarily convenient, for them*, as paranoid as it may sound.

but there is no way i could believe that all "psychiatric disorders" are purely personality flaws, or "archetypes" from our youth. having to distinguish is where the trouble starts, and the tax dollars start pouring in, many thousands of people a day in every US state, most probably pre teens or teenagers etc. children i mean to say and their guardians looking for something, anything to help my pooor child!