I keep hearing that all our children are being diagnosed ADD. Perhaps this comes from our fear of being maligned, diagnosed, and forced to conform to some dystopian, fascist mind control future in the making. Or perhaps it’s fueled by our morbid fascination with subcultures of freaks. Hence, this article’s title, inspired by the classic movie, Freaks, at the point where a beautiful but dastardly woman is horrified to be inducted into the world of circus freaks. And things go downhill from there. Read more →

… or if it’s half right, which half?

Warning: If you want a rant, filled with gross generalizations about psychiatry, this isn’t one.

If you’ve ever given or received the gift of a psychiatric diagnosis, odds are there was something seriously wrong with it. Research has shown that many therapists have a poverty of diagnoses, and are prone to faddishly offer up their pet diagnosis. Read more →

Who is neurodiverse? If you listen to the clinicians involved in brain scanning, the question is, “Who isn’t?” The definition of neurodiversity may come down to the line between, “how diverse?” and, “how much stigma?” Those of us who are diverse enough to lose jobs, be excluded from social groups, and have schools and workplaces resisting our needs for accommodation may get a boost from the idea of neurodiversity. Some of the biggest proponents of the idea have autism or Asperger syndrome. They object to being called abnormal or pathological. They reject the idea of being cured, because that would be like eliminating their current personality, and replacing them with someone else. Read more →

After reviewing your comments and based on the video discussed in the last article, I’ve decided to review some of the general themes often cited by opponents of psychiatry. Here is the first anti-psychiatry argument.

Psychiatry applies subjective labels to patients.

Do we do more harm than good when we define patients’ conditions based on commonly accepted labeling guidelines? Read more →

Psychosis involves a disconnection with reality and perceptions outside the range of normality. Moreover, it is the common multifaceted symptom of psychotic disorders often accompanied by behavioral abnormalities and cognitive impairments. In fact, such characteristics are used to differentially classify conditions. Not only do these special illnesses require substantial medical care, but clinical management involves multidimensional schemata pursuant to the biopsychosocial model. Read more →

“How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!” Shakespeare’s arguably depressed and suicidal Prince Hamlet uttered those words to himself almost five centuries ago. But what if he had confessed them in his doctor’s office today, how would his mood disorder be approached?

Well, in my dream the Prince’s family physician would issue a covered referral to a psychiatrist who would begin by pulling out her “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)” and asking if he has suffered at least three symptoms from a list that includes, but is not limited to diminished appetite, disturbed sleep, pessimistic thoughts, loss of weight, feelings of worthlessness and decreased sex drive. Read more →