Posted by Zeke on January 10, 2000, at 22:55:01
In reply to To Zeke, posted by judy on January 10, 2000, at 17:03:14
> Hi,
> I knew I would stir up trouble. Would you believe I was a highly functioning scientist up until 2-3 years ago? (Although to be honest, I changed jobs often and abused drugs pre- psychiatrists).It sounds like highly functioning scientists are also human beings with human limitations and human problems. And it sounds like your life has changed a great deal in that time.
> Anyway, alot of Dr. Breggin's points are actually based on evidence, and while he puts a positive or negative spin on things- I'm still comfortable with his theories.
First, I don't mean to attack you by attacking Breggin.
But here's the beef--
1. Breggin picks out evidence that supports his notions and discards the rest.
2. Further, much of his 'hard' evidence is anecdotal and testimonial. (Others -- scientists -- use phenomenology to illustrate findings and generate hypotheses, not in place of emperical research. When they do, their ideas are always conveyed as tentative & hypothetical.)
Judy, you could go to the NIMH site and look at Breggin's presentation to the ADD conference in Nov. 98. He rants and raves and pulls every piece of evidence about the evils of psychostimulants. One in particular is that stimulants simply make people obsessive. Now do a PubMed search on stimulants and OCD. He never mentions that amphetamine also has antiobsessive effects. There is abundant research about safty and effectiveness of stimulants in ADD but he mentions none of this while scraping up only research that supports his thesis. Spin is quite an understatement.
Ironically, Breggin takes these gross liberties, but nit picks about views that differ from his own. He does not apply these standard to what he supports. Nor do I see him -- or his 'center' -- doing research. At least I don't see it in crediable science & medical journals.
Lastly, reports I heard of Breggin and his followers' behavior at the conference -- dominating the Q/A period of other presenters -- make me believe that he will probably never be invited back
> I, personally will not have ECT because I'm afraid of further injury to my brain, I have years of drug abuse, 2 head injuries that caused seizures, and these last almost 2 and 1/2 years on psychotropic meds.
I can feel where you're coming from. Even without your hx, ECT can be freightening.
And since you are bipolar, ECT might not be as appropriate unless you are deeply depressed. (With the head injuries and resultant seizures, I wonder if you were rapidly cycling.)
I'm curious though, what specific brain injury would result from ECT?
> You're absolutely right that there's no proven evidence that compassion "cures" mental disorders, but then again what does?
I've found that Dexedrine has relieved many symptoms of my ADD. I had found that Tegretol controlled my seizures -- I no longer have them so I guess that could be called a cure.
Compassion should not be discounted, but RE my ADD, without medication, others' compassion usually turned to frustration, anger and blame.
The compassion notion leaves me with the idea that mental disorders are therefore caused by a lack of compassion. The idea soon becomes very muddy.
> In my case support has been a hell of a lot more helpful then the list of drugs Peter presented;Don't you mean "than the list of drugs *YOU* were on"?
> but I also accept that drugs help an awful lot of people. Because of my bipolar label, unfortunately nobody was giving me any options- it was my way or the highway.
I feel sad for you and the way you were treated. Being treated with kindness and humanity should be part of any physicians manner -- especially psychiatrists. Yet I fear that kindness without medical care will leave you at least as frustrated and wanting as the reverse.
The "my way or the highway" attitude must make you terribly angry at the medical approach. To be fair, it is the 'my way' doctor who are the ones to be angry at.
What I'm trying to say is, don't force yourself to one side or the other. Give consideration to the benifits of both.
> Thanks for your views and take care.
Ditto
poster:Zeke
thread:18307
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000101/msgs/18640.html