Posted by yxibow on September 23, 2009, at 22:12:43
In reply to Re: Who Is Peter Breggin?, posted by SLS on September 23, 2009, at 5:44:05
> > Some are anti-psychiatry because of the barbaric and pseudo-scientific history of psychiatry.
>
> Yes. This is unfortunate.That's exactly and precisely how I would frame things.
>
> > I wonder how society might look back at the state of psychiatry today, fifty years from now.
> I think they will smile at how useful our drugs were despite ourselves, and how little we understood of the brain and how these drugs affect it. They will also be sad at how blunt our tools were, with drugs that have troublesome and sometimes dangerous side effects.
It was amazing how much chlorpromazine (Thorazine) helped psychiatry in the second half of the last century -- while the side effects would only become apparent (and actually it wasn't the strongest of typicals).......it became patently obvious that there were ways of treating "insane" (I use that in a pre-dated way, so please don't take it literally) people other than injecting them with insulin, and yes, lobotomies and other revolting treatment.
> As I have read medical journals beginning from the 1970s to date, it is my impression that the study of mental illnesses has become more scientific in its concept and methodology."Evidence based"... yes.
>We also have many more tools to use for investigational and treatment purposes. I don't think we are in the Dark Ages of psychiatry any more.
I agree... actually my psychiatrist once called things the "Middle Ages" or something to that effect.
>I think our neuroscientists are working as fast and as diligently as they can to produce data and find understanding that will eventually benefit the clinician and his patients.
And hopefully people will allow... yes, I'll interject what has somehow become controversial, stem cell research to benefit neuropsychiatry and other brain areas which I believe will be highly beneficial as it is the center of numerous debilitating illnesses.It is just starting to be proven how parts of the brain can actually regenerate, and create connective paths around wounded areas.
-- tidings
poster:yxibow
thread:917824
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090921/msgs/918238.html