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smooth · 07-01-2005, 11:17 AM

What has not entered the debate, from what I've seen, is that there is a large body of psychologists who agree with Cruise's points and disagree with the psychiatric position.

Some sociologists even go so far as to say that mental disorder is really about controlling deviance from the norm...in that regard, chemical imbalances are not empirically proven in the sense that lurkette meant...they are not problematic to anyone except the "normal" thinkers in society. If you want to read up on that position, I think you might find Thomas Schaz' work interesting...but I believe I've misspelled his last name.

Anyway, many therapists do not agree with chemical therapy but they are not aligned with the medical community, as psychiatry is, and consequently do not have the same political or scientific capital as MDs.

I'm really intersted that the first two posts supporting the medical establishment's position are from women...are you two aware of what the medical community has done to women? I could provide some information if you'd like...but it isn't directly relevant to this thread.

Perhaps what makes it relevant is that a large number of the people diagnosed as depressed and with mental disorder are women. Not a conspiracy, mind you, but a consequence of medical paternalism. Lurkette, I imagine you actually might be interested in this aspect if you dug into it judging by what you've had to say about feminism in the past...

EDIT:
in a nutshell, Cruise is not crazy...his views are shared by a very significant portion, if not the numerical majority, of mental health practicioners. but the media is certainly portraying his position as being off the deep end...start watching the people who come out to oppose him. lack of support is not because it doesn't exist, but because the news is choosing not to show it.

07-01-2005, 11:17 AM	#5 (permalink)
smooth Junkie Location: Right here	What has not entered the debate, from what I've seen, is that there is a large body of psychologists who agree with Cruise's points and disagree with the psychiatric position. Some sociologists even go so far as to say that mental disorder is really about controlling deviance from the norm...in that regard, chemical imbalances are not empirically proven in the sense that lurkette meant...they are not problematic to anyone except the "normal" thinkers in society. If you want to read up on that position, I think you might find Thomas Schaz' work interesting...but I believe I've misspelled his last name. Anyway, many therapists do not agree with chemical therapy but they are not aligned with the medical community, as psychiatry is, and consequently do not have the same political or scientific capital as MDs. I'm really intersted that the first two posts supporting the medical establishment's position are from women...are you two aware of what the medical community has done to women? I could provide some information if you'd like...but it isn't directly relevant to this thread. Perhaps what makes it relevant is that a large number of the people diagnosed as depressed and with mental disorder are women. Not a conspiracy, mind you, but a consequence of medical paternalism. Lurkette, I imagine you actually might be interested in this aspect if you dug into it judging by what you've had to say about feminism in the past... EDIT: in a nutshell, Cruise is not crazy...his views are shared by a very significant portion, if not the numerical majority, of mental health practicioners. but the media is certainly portraying his position as being off the deep end...start watching the people who come out to oppose him. lack of support is not because it doesn't exist, but because the news is choosing not to show it. __________________ "The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann "You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." -- Abbie Hoffman Last edited by smooth; 07-01-2005 at 11:21 AM..