Hi Hops
I went a bit nuts about this article yesterday and decided not to post this! Then I read:
Storm you said:
I'll tell you a little secret about psychiatrists.
They're rarely if ever taught any real psychology. If anything, they are often taught to look down upon it...
Absolutely true and I have living proof living next door to me, qualified last year. I’ve been pretty horrified at some of things I’ve heard. Too true about looking down on psychology and therapy and anything to with 'talking'.....
The good ones are the ones who 'get it' in terms of the overwhelming importance of psychology, who understand that the mind is really not a machine, that the soul is not a chemical, that the pills and the sessions provide stability and a framework, but that the healing is done through love.
Yes, and I guess it takes the good ones a heck of a long time to undo some of their (10 years) medical training. I’d say that it seems that healing, or self-knowledge and self-acceptance, comes through having someone accept you without trying to change you to their agenda, to what society labels as ‘healthy’. So many people think that they are ‘the problem’ and how do you ever feel any different if you’re convinced that you’re the one whose faulty, who society deems sick?
I have a cousin who doesn’t fit in. I don’t know his ‘diagnosis’ but I was told decades ago that he was autistic (having met him in the last few years, I’d question that). Now he appears to suffer delusions and voices. What’s he being treated with? ECT for goodness sake. Now I know more about his family background, it’s clear that the family, even now, contribute a lot to how he sees himself. He is the designated ‘problem’ etc etc. This makes me angry for many reasons. One reason, the lack of resources, the family denial, the bloody self-absorption of his parents, and also – my total impotence to do anything to help. Top that off with the fact that anything I might do (considering I’m estranged from the family) would be acting out my stuff, trying to help him to help myself. And would be putting me square in the middle of some totally unhealthy family dynamics involving my mother. So it’s a non-starter. But it makes me angry and I wanted to talk about it. So thanks for the space.
Given that’s me, this is how I responded to the article Hops!
There are, for example, many genes implicated in schizophrenia, and a genetic predisposition does not guarantee illness. (If one identical twin gets schizophrenia, there is a 50 percent chance the other one will.) Even a brain scan isn't clear-cut. For example, many healthy family members of schizophrenics have been found to have subtle schizophrenic symptoms.
Okay: There are, for example, many genes implicated in schizophrenia, and a genetic predisposition does not guarantee illness.
problem: There may be many genes implicated, but none have been found to be the cause. There may not be a “genetic predisposition”. “Many genes implicated” does not prove that is genetic. logic.
(If one identical twin gets schizophrenia, there is a 50 percent chance the other one will.)
Identical twins have identical genes. If it is genetic, why aren’t both twins affected? This is presumably inferred from twin studies. It is simply wrong to say that “there is a 50 percent chance the other one will”. It is simply the case from studies that where one twin is schizophrenic, the other twin may or may not be. This doesn’t equate to a % likelihood.
“gets schizophrenia” implies that schizophrenia is an illness you can contract. A more precise wording might be “becomes schizophrenic”. It isn’t like a virus!
“For example, many healthy family members of schizophrenics have been found to have subtle schizophrenic symptoms.”
If schizophrenia is caused by environment as well as, or in place of, genes, then it might not be surprising that the other family members show signs too!
If study and treatment of mental ‘illness’ remains divided between the different professions – psychologists, psychiatrists (and neuroscientists?) – I don’t think we’ll get very far. I don’t think it’s all biological and chemical; I don’t think it’s all environmental. It’s a balance…..yes the holistic approach makes sense...(i went off on one)
Chemicals and medicines: I don’t take anything these days except a full multi-vitamin. Yesterday I heard about the perimenopause - stuff that can affect you before menopause (I had no idea about this). Maybe this explains my concentration lapses and sometimes H telling me that I haven’t heard, or don’t remember things. Omega 3s I think. I don’t think of myself as getting older but I guess I have to admit it’s happening. Aging sucks!
