Posted by Eric on March 28, 2001, at 9:14:13
In reply to Re: New theories of mental disorders needed (long), posted by Neal on March 27, 2001, at 22:24:50
> If mental health research is a joke right now, it's because of the huge shame factor to having a mental disorder. People with mental health problems tend not to band together and lobby Congress and that kind of thing.
Very very true. I totally agree with you that the mentally ill are not politically active like they should be. The shame factor, and even more than that, the refusal to admit these illnesses are real physical disorders(brain illnesses), are what keeps serious mental health research to a minimum. I know sooooooooooo many people who dont believe me when I tell them about major depression. They only think of depression in an emotional or psychological context. The lay public thinks of depression only in terms of "you are sad, you are suicidal and your puppy dog died." Serious depression goes so far past that. Its a full body illness that destroys basic physiological bodily functions like sleeping, eating, sex, energy levels and cognition.
People just dont understand, they dont wanna understand and the lay public just doesnt care about us mentally ill people. Its pathetic.
>
> I think Prozac was a good thing in that it showed the pharmacuetical companies that there was big money to be made. The lure of profits is the driving force in research right now.Yes, the age of Prozac was the best thing that ever happened to the mentally ill. If it were not for these modern class psych meds, we would still be left in the dark ages of tricyclic antidepressants and MAOIs. And yeah you are correct that its money that is driving it. Thats OK I suppose, money is an incentive to develop better drugs and treatments. Its the pharmaceutical companies that are behind this. Lord knows its not psychiatry itself, for the psychiatrists are surely not an industrious group of individuals as a general rule. There is very little innovation coming directly out of psychiatry itself, with a few exceptions I can think of.
I just dont have much faith in psychiatry as it currently exists.
Eric
poster:Eric
thread:57508
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010327/msgs/57764.html