Mental Illness – glossary
Psychiatry: This word comes from two other words. Psyche (meaning mind/soul) and iatreia (meaning cure). Psychiatry is a branch of medicine and psychiatrists treat people, using drugs and other physical methods, to change the way people act and feel.
Psychology: This word is also derived from two other words. Psyche (meaning mind/soul) and logia (meaning study of). Psychology tries to explain why people act, think and feel the way they do.
Mental Illness: A sickness of the brain according to psychiatrists and psychologists, but for which there is no proof at all of its existence. This does not mean that problems don’t exist, or that a person can never feel bad, but there is no evidence that these are caused by a sickness of the brain.
Brain: A physical organ inside the head that sends and receives messages through the nervous system. It is a physical part of the body, just as an arm, leg or the heart is. It has little to do with thinking. It can physically tell the body that something is hot and warn against touching it, but it doesn’t make decisions for you or tell you how to act.
Mind: “A part of the person that knows and thinks and feels and wishes and chooses,” the World Book Dictionary says. It is a running record of a person’s past, almost like a movie.
Psychiatric Drugs: Mind- and brain-altering drugs. They are not like normal medicine. Some can be just as addictive as illegal drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. They cannot cure or heal a person. They may appear to relieve the person’s fears, upsets or depression, but they do not cure the underlying cause.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A list of behaviors that
psychiatrists declare are problems, such as: has too little attention, is too active, fidgets, squirms, and, therefore, is not “normal.” Note that there is no scientific or medical proof to support either the existence of the disorder or the validity of a diagnosis.
Learning Disorder: A list of symptoms that psychiatrists say shows a person will have difficulty being able to learn. Note that there is no scientific or medical proof to support either the existence of the disorder or the validity of a diagnosis.
Thanx to fightforkids.com
Note my previous comment on the fight for kids organisation.
Comment by JohnP — Mon 5th June 2006 @ 10:29 am
Mental Illness
Both dementia and shizophrenia are accompanied by visible physiological symptoms in brain scans involving deterioration of brain cells. They can both be correctly labeled mental illnesses.
I would agree with you that depression is not a mental illness, there is no detectable symptom in the brain, and it is probably more a function of how the brain is being used in association with the body.
There are some kids whose behaviour gets so out of hand that Ritalin becomes a life saver for parents. But I would concur, that other treatments such as changing family dynamics should also be included.
Unless you are a psychological health professional you need to be careful what you say.
Comment by New Zeal — Mon 3rd July 2006 @ 4:59 pm
If you look at the Online Video [Psychs False Diagnoses]on my Web Site you will see that brain scans and their images are just a big con and have no validity
I would agree with you that the Medical Model treats the Brain
[organ]and knows nothing about Soul and Mind even though the definition of Psychiatry and Psychology mean treatment and study of the soul.
http://www.rehabilitatenz.co.nz/
Let me know if you have any questions
Comment by KevinOwen — Thu 27th July 2006 @ 2:49 pm
You do have to ask, is this actually safe.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/parenting/300514898/auckland-uni-study-links-paracetamol-use-while-pregnant-and-childhood-depression
And from elsewhere, on paracetamol poisoning.
“Paracetamol is the most common single agent involved in poisonous ingestions in young children. While there is potential for serious liver damage if a large dose is ingested, in practice, it is rare for a child to achieve toxic blood levels by ingesting paracetamol elixir (syrup).
Paracetamol is also commonly involved (often mixed with other drugs) in episodes of intentional self harm by teenagers. In this situation, relatively large amounts of paracetamol may have been ingested and this may not be disclosed in the history.
It is much more likely that a toxic level will be achieved under these circumstances.”
The the article shows, that a small effect is happening.
I would strongly argue, the science isn’t settled.
People who pass on disorders, may be more likely to use it.
It would be concerning, if it altered hormones of the foetus.
Or worse, it caused genes to turn on or off.
If with this information, would it be considered safe if invented today.
We have used it ourselves, also with our children.
It in many ways is effective, and safe to use and will still use it.
But that was said, about many things.
It’s history is long for a drug, with use starting in the fifties.
But I’m guessing, there’s no longitudinal study on the subject.
Comment by DJ Ward — Mon 14th February 2022 @ 7:36 pm
I’ve had my problems, but are quite well presently.
Getting the drugs right, is the difficult thing for mental health.
We should be very concerned, at its widespread use.
What’s going wrong, for its use to increase.
How the hell did we cope, when there was no medication.
Maybe you had to go hide in the desert, until the psychosis stopped.
Or learned to have psychosis, without people noticing.
How would the caveman, have dealt with a person having an episode.
Maybe they did just walk off, or got left behind.
You may have been accused, of being possessed.
The reality is, our brains are amazing and genetically young.
It’s not like we have been a stable animal, for a million years.
There is a vast difference, from us only a hundred thousand years ago.
Especially in our ability to think, compared to other creatures.
How did my finger know, where or what the letter was so fast.
Why then do we even have these disorders, as they should be extinct.
There must be some level of positive outcome, or it’s good at hiding.
Allowing the disorders, to be passed on.
My mother did experience some depression, but has no disorder.
One of her many brothers did, but not my full brothers.
Are we passing on these disorders, more than in the past.
Or do we have an environment, that triggers them more easily.
Was the caveman’s life, less stressful.
More community, and no isolation in little box’s.
The triggers for depression, in maybe everyone for good reasons.
How else did we make ourselves think of solutions, without something to solve.
Maybe crazy or depressed people, sometimes had good ideas.
Therefore under stress, increased survival chances.
Or in critical times, made a big difference in a small group.
Largely increasing its preponderance, with time then evolving it away.
Comment by DJ Ward — Tue 15th February 2022 @ 8:38 pm