Posted by zeugma on January 2, 2004, at 14:33:05
In reply to Re: The real problem....Szasz » zeugma, posted by Larry Hoover on January 2, 2004, at 13:40:03
So long as there are no objective, physico-chemical observations shown to be causally related to depression and schizophrenia, the claim that they are brain diseases is unsubstantiated. In the absence of such evidence, psychiatrists rest their claim that these major mental diseases are brain diseases largely on the contention that drugs keep the disease processes "under control." The absurdity of this claim lies in its own consequences.
Diabetes is kept under control by insulin. When patients stop taking their medication, the disease process flares up and kills them. Lupus is kept under control by steroids. When patients stop taking their medication, the disease process flares up and kills them.
This is not what happens when patients with serious mental diseases stop taking their medication. Depression is kept under control by antidepressants. When patients stop taking their medication, the disease process flares up, but the disease does not kill them. They kill themselves, an act psychiatrists attribute to their so-called mental illness. Schizophrenia is kept under control by anti-psychotic drugs. When patients stop taking their medication, the disease process flares up, but the disease does not kill them. They kill someone else, an act psychiatrists attribute to their supposed illness.......................................................................................................
These are Szasz' own words from one of his papers published at the website linked to above. Besides the flaw in reasoning evident here (does every disease KILL its victim?), and the truly appalling implication that psychotics= murderers (HOW did this man ever get to be considered a "patient advocate"?) one needs to note that apparently he would prefer to have people kill themselves, or others, rather than concede that medications might help those to whom they are prescribed (but it appears from this that he DOES find them efficacious- talk about reasoning in circles!). I can only find irrationality combined with a willingness to sacrifice lives for the sake of a (utterly false) principle expressed in these words of his.
poster:zeugma
thread:295371
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031231/msgs/295783.html