whovian1971 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

"mental health workers are lower than child molesters "Nope, most of the "mental health workers" I've known are good descent people. You're lower than the dingleberry I wash out of my ass in the shower last night!

whovian1971 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

"mental health workers are lower than child molesters "Your a vile piece of shit!

sensualdazzler (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I don't even think it's the treatment that is the stigma. It is the very fact of having been in an institution. Someone tells you they have been in an institution, what are your first thoughts and feelings? Fear and a sense of instability? The average person would want to get away from that person asap. Usually, not always, anything associated with what is deemed as severe mental illness provokes this kind of reaction. Through association the individual is often made socially invalid.

jonahansen (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Excellent observation. The stigma of a psychiatric "treatment", especially when unfounded is almost impossible to remove. The "patient" has credibility questioned and may never be taken seriously again.

unrealfarcrie (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

It is also a truth that very often these pills make healthy people really sick.Mental illness is such an undefinable term that it is best used as a metaphor. And thats certainly not the way clinical psychiatrists use it. They use it as a tool to brainwash helpless people to believe that they are nothing more than a diagnosis. And then they forcibly put into their biological system chemicals that may make them drowsy, resourceless addicts for the rest of their lives.

schizoflux (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Truth is these pills keep the sick out of the hospital. Psychiatry isn't perfect, but neither is alternative methods to "cure" mental illness. You want to know what a disease is just start inducing yourself with marijuana and amphetamines within a years time your mind will have developed a symptom of mental illness. And quit saying God can heal it, that's all BS. Dr. Szasz did not suffer mental illness, so how is he to know what mental illness is really like?

sensualdazzler (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Yes, it has a dehumanizing effect on the individual. When an individual has become dehumanized and has no interest in anything, when they are displaying 'symptoms' of 'mental illness'....... it justifies the confinement by the system.

sensualdazzler (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I have a relative who is being held 'captive' because nobody knows what is wrong with him. He has been on all sorts of drugs - drugs administered without any prior diagnosis. Now he just looks at the walls. Nice.

cloudmonkeys (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

mental health workers are lower than child molesters

Anonanonanonymous (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

The IHR had Leuchter, the CoS has Thomas Szasz.