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Originally Posted by Suave
I don't remember all of the criteria (they're written in a notebook that I don't have with me), but the one that I remember it definitely not fitting (as most mental "illnesses" do not) is the existence of lesion.
Others that I do not remember so well were (vaguely) symptoms, a foreseeable conclusion, treatability (I think specifically referring to drugs). The wording is definitely off on these, and there are a couple more I believe, but the overall concepts are there.
Anyway, they're criteria actually put out by the medical association of somethingorother, which are used to identify diseases. The theory behind mental disorders and their classification as disease (or at least one of the theories) is that it allows drug companies far greater control over the treatment of the disorders, and thus guarantees more profit.
And no, I've never been diagnosed as being clinically depressed. I am, however, classified as being considerably at risk for developing or having some mental disorders, due to some tests that I've taken.
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I see where you're coming from now. When I say it is an illness, I am following the more general definition:
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illness
n : impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism [syn: unwellness, malady, sickness] [ant: health]
Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
Source: On-line Medical Dictionary, © 1997-98 Academic Medical Publishing & CancerWEB
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disease
n : an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning
Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
Source: On-line Medical Dictionary, © 1997-98 Academic Medical Publishing & CancerWEB
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For me, the issue is whether the way I am functioning is impaired by something I can control or not. I am not as concerned about what kind of sneaky advertising the drug companies may be attempting. In this thread specifically, this is my concern because I think it's unhealthy to think of it as something that enables creativity. That only encourages people who might otherwise seek treatment to try and deal with something that is something larger than they can handle alone.