/warc/ - Wildcard Archive

I've been told by many "doctors" that I have countless amounts of "mental illnesses". None of which I believe are anything more than imaginary labels, or emotions/behaviors and personality traits, that have been relabeled as a disease with no science going into that claim.

It's bullshit pseudoscience really, they can't use any physical test to verify or prove their audacious claims. I draw a strict line between neurological diseases, and emotional/behavioral/mental issues, but psychiatry just seems to keep on shitting all over that line.

I mean, I'm demented and anxious all the time, I'm not denying mental issues can't be pretty bad. My problem with this whole thing really is, I'm perfectly fine with someone saying something like, "I am inattentive and have a hard time focusing on things I find uninteresting". But I really hate it when someone says; "I have ADD".

>>1184

Yeah, I totally get you. What the hell's the deal with people giving names to particular things?

I mean just the other day I overheard this girl saying "I'm eating a steak" and I damn nearly sliced her throat open. Why couldn't she just say "I am currently ingesting a high-quality slab of beef taken from the hindquarters of a particular animal carcass, which has been cooked with the intent of tenderizing said beef and destroying potentially threatening microorganisms and/or parasites residing within"?

It just drives me nuts I tell you

i wish i was diagnosed and treated.
i tried so hard to get them to believe me. because the incidents happened when i was a teen, they thought i was seeking attention.
i would have hallucinations that seemed so real, and i would have though them to be real if it were not for the absurdity of them. I would wake up with cuts and scratches. no one believed me, so they gave me antidepressants and left it at that. things were okay for a while, but now i keep seeing creatures in the corner of my vision.
and every time i do something and forget ive done it, or i go to a room and forget why, i panic a little.. I know these are common occurences for people but they could be warning signs for me.

i went to a mental hospital for the first timje when I was 14 for depression, and i had been in and out since then as my condition worsened. i thought i was finally getting better but I am very afraid that what may be normal tricks of the eyes to some mean that it is coming back. especially since i was never treated for my hallucinations and i suppose out of body experiences, just depression..

>>1186

Severe depression can cause hallucinations and anxiety can make you paranoid. When I was at my most fucked up, I saw shit sometimes. Most of that stopped when I got my shit together, but that took time. I tried a couple of antidepressants; one of them made it worse and one made me twitchy and nervous.

>>1184

Define your strict line. These statements seem ignorant and based solely on your own personal experience. Maybe your doctors sucked (mine did). Maybe you are deep in denial for whatever reason. Mental illness is definitely real and crippling for some, and just because the physical cause of a disease can't yet be found doesn't mean symptoms can't define a disease. Someone with severe OCD or bipolar disorder can be really limited by their condition and significantly helped by medication.

There's always a margin of error, though. If you can function without help, that's great. Lots of people do. And I don't know what to think of ADD! Some of psychiatry is pretty bullshit but I think they've gotten better about it overall. It's still a pretty young field of study.

I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome when I was 9 years old and I deal with it by adapting to the world as best as I possibly can while adapting my world to what I want it to be.
Basically I just try to act normal. Really the only difference I see is I view things a lot differently than other people, but I've figured it out enough that it doesn't really have an effect on my daily life.

>>1187

>significantly helped by medication.

For every person "helped" by these psychoactive drugs, there is MANY more that have been maimed by them. The withdrawals/side-effects for many psychiatric drugs can be life shattering. I've seen some pretty normal people with just a few mental issues start taking various psych-drugs, and by the end, they turned into a fucking mess, a complete basket case. You ever see someone go through benzo withdrawals? How about SSRI withdrawals?

A neurological disease is something that either has proven biomarkers, and physical tests to verify whether or not someone has it, or, a situation where the criterion of symptoms are overtly a indication of a neurological disease.

EG. vCJD, Alzheimer's, Huntingtons, Down syndrome, epilepsy, MS, Kennedy disease, or even just migraines.

Examples of what I think are emotional/behavioral issues, and personality traits, that pseudo-scientists took and labelled as "diseases" with no proof to back that up; ADD, Bipolar disorder, "clinical depression", Intermittent explosive disorder, Oppositional defiant disorder, seasonal effective disorder, GAD, borderline personality disorder, OCD, and the list goes on and on and on. There is a "label" proving nearly anything is a disease in the DSM. Do you know basically every fetish on Earth can fit into the DSM? Yes, they believe fetishes are a neurological disease.

I am not denying that the criterion of symptoms used in the diagnostic process don't exist, because they do, they are as real as guilt, happiness, embarrassment, etc. So please don't put words in my mouth, and act like I think they aren't real.

I'm simply denying that they are biological illnesses, because there is absolutely no proof of that.

When you say "I'm inattentive and have a hard time focusing", it doesn't come with that implication, when you say "I have ADD", it means you gobble down psychiatry's bullshit, and believe the criterion of symptoms used in the diagnostic process of ADD, is a indication of a neurological disease.

>>1185

I think you completely misunderstood what I said. So, this post applies to you to.

Severe depression and social anxiety. Both have been with me for quite a while now.
My anxiety isn't so bad in that I can interact well with people, however, I can barely leave the house because of it.
My depression on the other hand is going nowhere and has gotten fairly debilitating in the last few weeks.
I haven't done anything to deal with either. I don't have to money or the will to see a doctor.

Last time I went to the doctor, they said I had "Schizoaffective disorder". And when I was younger they've said I have Bipolar. They might have suggested me being autistic too (thank the lords i'm not eheheh). I don't know why these doctors just haven't said that I'm crazy.
Also I believe I might have social anxiety. I have a lot of panic attacks if I'm not at home. :C

>>1189

I'm glad no one close to you has mental disorders that require medication. That you know of. Do you really think OCD and bipolar disorder can never possibly be addressed with medication despite the fact that many people do benefit from things like mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, and anti-psychotics? The fact that some do not doesn't negate the fact that some do, no matter how much you dislike the idea. Doctors fuck up even simple shit all the time and not every shrink is a good one, for sure… I don't think anyone here is arguing that anti-depressants are one size fits all magic bullets, but they have their uses. Are they overused? Probably. Have I seen them not work? Yes. Have I seen them work? Yes. You're painting with a pretty broad pissed-off brush and your first post suggests that you just have a big weird chip on your shoulder about the whole subject in the first place

Been depressed for like a decade
Recently added moderate anxiety to my repertoire thanks to increasingly severe poverty

I've talked to a couple of shrinks over the years expecting them to throw the book at me (internet self-diagnosis, etc) but they said I seemed to have a good head on my shoulders and gave me some good advice

Then I skipped merrily out of their offices and became a NEET so who knows

>>1192
>>1192

According to "medical professionals", I apparently have had 4 "mental illnesses" that "require medication".

Anyone who has taken the time to objectively observe what psychiatrists do, would see that it's pure unadulterated pseudoscience.

I do have a chip on my shoulder about it too. Do you know how many kids I've seen being tricked into taking powerful mind altering drugs under the guise of "medicine" to cure their "disease". It's fucking sickening, knowing what those drugs can do I can never forgive the people tricking children into taking them. I've experienced what psychiatric drugs can do to people, and I've seen others turn into complete fucking wrecks after taking psychiatric drugs, and never once, have I ever known someone who said that the drugs helped them.

I've had dumb-asses claim that amphetamines, or their "medication", "help" them by making them focus more. But amphetamines do that to everyone, taking speed to improve attention span, is as legitimate of a medical use, as getting drunk to feel calmer is.

>>1194
>Anyone who has taken the time to objectively observe what psychiatrists do, would see that it's pure unadulterated pseudoscience.

Stopped reading there.

>>1195
adhd isn't a mental illness and doesn't require drugs to cure because there's nothing to cure.

tl;dr pseudoscience detected.

>>1195

Oh no, an image macro and an ad hominem argument, I sure look stupid now.

>>1197

What makes you look stupid isn't that anon's reply, it's your own unfounded and plainly retarded statements. Might as well say the moon is made out of cheese, you'd have just about as much luck backing your claims up

>>1198

Again with the ad hominem argument, care to actually point out why you think my argument is wrong, instead of just saying shit along the lines of "You're a retarded retard idiot".

Saying the moon is made out of cheese would be silly, it's overtly obvious the moon exists, and we can prove it.

Now prove that the criterion of symptoms used in the diagnostic process of ADD are a direct indication of a biological disease.

O ya, you can't. Go into a psychiatrists office, or hell, even a legitimate medical professional like a neurologist, and ask for a physical test to verify whether or not you have ADD. They will tell you one does not exist.

Telling people that their emotional/behavioral issues and personality traits are biological diseases, with no proof to back that up, and instead just relying off arbitrary beliefs of the individual, is pseudoscience.

>>1199
Ad hominem my ass. He is completely in right by saying your arguments are unfounded. One must provide proof and sources when making such wild claims.

>Telling people that their emotional/behavioral issues and personality traits are biological diseases, with no proof to back that up, and instead just relying off arbitrary beliefs of the individual, is pseudoscience.

No psychiatrist has ever said that personality/development/behavioral/emotional etc disorders are biological diseases. In fact, they are only considered disorders when a persons life is in some way negatively effected by the symptoms. And in regards to what you said earlier, drugs are given to people with these disorders in order to 'balance' a persons metabolism. Not in order to 'cure' them of anything.

>Oh no, an image macro and an ad hominem argument, I sure look stupid now

I apologise for taking such a cheap shot at you, but I stand right by it. You are making completely ridiculous statements on a subject you clearly no nothing about.

>>1200

>One must provide proof and sources when making such wild claims.

Psychiatrists don't provide proof of anything when they make a "diagnosis", why should I have to provide proof for calling them out on not having any proof? Do you know what the burden of proof is? It's placed on the party that first makes ridiculous claims, and that party is psychiatry. You're showing off some serious double standards here by the way.

>No psychiatrist has ever said that personality/development/behavioral/emotional etc disorders are biological diseases

Psychiatry believes that "mental disorder" and neurological disease are synonymous. They will tell you that there is a physical defect in your brain causing the "mental disorder", in other words, they are telling you it's a biological disease. (Even though they have no way to prove that other then their arbitrary opinions on an individual.)

>drugs are given to people with these disorders in order to 'balance' a persons metabolism.

And you said I don't know what I'm talking about? Please go look up the word metabolism, please, just go fucking google it real quick. Do you think they give these people psychiatric drugs to "balance" the way they nourish their bodies or something?

>You are making completely ridiculous statements on a subject you clearly no nothing about.
>no

I have a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to psychiatry, I could probably tell you as much about it's history, how it operates, it's several faults, and the fact that it's a pseudoscience, just as much as a psychiatrist like Thomas Szasz could.

>>1201
>why should I have to provide proof for calling them out on not having any proof?

What kind of proof do you want? Would you like to see MRI scans of people with certain disorders? Actually, lets just go over what exactly a mental disorder is. An abnormal pattern of behavior which deviates from what is expected in an individual as they develop. Would you agree with my definition? Psychiatrists just take traits which are considered abnormal, find which ones often occur together and then put a label on their conclusion. That is all a mental disorder is. They are not diseases. They are merely a group of uncommon traits. So of course there is no way to physically see a mental disorder. A psychiatrist does not need to provide proof in order to label you with a disorder. They see the signs and come to a conclusion. You however are here saying that psychoactive drugs do not work and that all kinds of nonsense. These drugs have been proven through the proper scientific method to work. Until you have done your own experiments to prove that they do not work your words are worthless. As another anon posted, you may as well be saying the Moon is made of cheese for what good your word is.

>Please go look up the word metabolism

"The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life". I don't see what is wrong with this. All mental disorders and illnesses have to do with ones chemical balance. You must of skipped biology in school if you believe it only has to do with nourishing.

>I have a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to psychiatry, I could probably tell you as much about it's history, how it operates, it's several faults, and the fact that it's a pseudoscience, just as much as a psychiatrist like Thomas Szasz could.

Now I'm beginning to think that you are just trolling.

>Actually, lets just go over what exactly a mental disorder is. An abnormal pattern of behavior which deviates from what is expected in an individual as they develop. Would you agree with my definition?

Sure, I would agree with that definition if you want. The thing is, psychiatrists don't.

>That is all a mental disorder is. They are not diseases. They are merely a group of uncommon traits.

Psychiatry says they are biological diseases, psychiatry says mental disorder and biological disease are synonymous, if you say otherwise, you are arguing against psychiatry. (seriously, it's starting to sound like you're agreeing with me here)

>A psychiatrist does not need to provide proof in order to label you with a disorder. They see the signs and come to a conclusion.

That would be fine and dandy if they we're just giving labels to those traits. But they're not, they tell people that they're biological diseases, that need to be cured with psychoactive drugs. Yet they have no proof to back that up.

>These drugs have been proven through the proper scientific method to work.

[citation needed]

They are simply mind altering drugs, and there is no proof beyond baseless studies with no accurate conclusions that they have any legitimate medical value.

>Until you have done your own experiments to prove that they do not work your words are worthless.

Sure, If I could I would, and I would make sure to do exactly what psychiatry does in those experiments. Use a fuck-ton of weasel words, I'll use the word "may" and "could" until your ears bleed, and then pass off anything I want as "scientific proof". How about this experiment; I've heard from way more people who have been damaged from psychiatric drugs, then from people who have had positive experience with them.

A psychoactive drug that does nothing but alter your perception, is not a legitimate medicine, period. It's just a mind-altering drug.

>All mental disorders and illnesses have to do with ones chemical balance.

My favorite, absolute favorite argument. I never get enough of this one.

The "chemical imbalance" hypothesis, is just that, an unproven hypothesis.

Do you know there is not a single physical test on Earth to evaluate neurotransmitters in someone's brain? There isn't a single physical test on Earth to verify whether or not someone has a "chemical imbalance". In fact, go into any psychiatrist/neurologist, and ask for a physical test for a "chemical imbalance", tell them you will spend any amount of money for one, and they will still all tell you one doesn't exist.

Come back when that isn't just a unproven hypothesis commonly passed off as a fact.

>"The chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life"

You claimed that they give out psychiatric drugs to improve people's metabolism, that is complete bullshit. Metabolism is the process of digesting substances and turning it into other substances. You had no clue what metabolism was when you made that claim. How about this, find me ONE psychiatric drugs on Earth, that is given to people to improve their metabolism.

>Now I'm beginning to think that you are just trolling

I actually do know a lot about psychiatry, I know exactly how it operates, I've had more than enough personal experience with it, and I've done a large amount of research on it over the years.

It's a baseless pseudoscience.

>>1202

Forgot something.

>What kind of proof do you want? Would you like to see MRI scans of people with certain disorders?

Show me one study, where they prove any "mental illness", (not neurological disease) has a proven biomarker or etiology.

You can't, because they have never found any proven biomarker or etiology for any "mental illness". Never.

And just to help speed things up, if you post a news article instead of a study, or if you post a study that uses weasel words, I think you know how I'll respond.

>You must of skipped biology in school if you believe it only has to do with nourishing.

Clearly one does not need any sort of psychoactive drug to SUSTAIN their life. Also, what did you think of English class?

ADD here. Makes me want to stay inside and not meet other people most of the time. Fortunately, effects of growing older may balance out the symptoms. I can't wait to grow older, dammit, I feel rather lonely. Maybe that's the reason why I'm posting about this here.

Oh, I also used to often experience irrational fear when facing negative stimulus, like, seeing a knife made me imagine myself cutting my own flesh with it. My psychiatrist didn't tell me what it was, so I guess it's undiagnosed, but I wanted to tell about it anyway. I also got some medication for it, and it helped me get over it. It still hasn't completely gone away, though…

well i'm suicidally depressed, but they dropped me because i don't have any identifiable psychiatrist illness (i am completely sane) and i had no real goals for counselling.
because 'being suicidal and not having motivation for anything' isn't no thang in the psychiatrist's handbook.

and they didn't seem to think antidepressants would help. which suits me fine.

they did say i might have some serious repressed memories or something because i'm clearly not okay, they just don't know what to do with me. part of it is being extremely submissive and having no real desires of my own.

on the bright side! i'm transsexual, and autistic, but i'm very high-functioning, learned to deal with it, and have become pretty damn capable of handling social situations since starting high school, which was also when i recognized my transness and started passing. so, that's no problem. whee~

>>1206

>seeing a knife made me imagine myself cutting my own flesh with it.

There is a label for that too, it's called the destrudo effect. I experience it too, around guns and high cliffs. Can't believe your "doctor" hasn't even heard of that. I think It's absolutely ridiculous and disgusting that he gave you drugs for it though.

>>1208
I can't really feel disgusted for having someone there to listen to details about my personal life and giving me the possibility to help myself sleep better when I absolutely need to, in the form of medication.

So I don't really understand the contempt I perceive in your words.

>>1209

>medication

Psychoactive drugs? Medication? Huh?

>So I don't really understand the contempt I perceive in your words.

In the long run you might. Although, you might just start blaming the negative effects of the drugs on new "mental illnesses", or better yet, when you stop taking them and experience withdrawals, or just start going through tolerance withdrawals, you'll just say that it is your "mental illness coming back" and use that to "prove" it's "medication" that helps your "disease". When in reality, it's just drug withdrawals and you're taking more of the drug to stop the withdrawals.

>>1210
I don't see the distinction between psychoactive drugs and medication either. With a careful attitude, either of them are usually fine. However, only the other is legal. One should never expect large systems like the medical institute or government to operate sensibly and quickly in all cases.

Well, they didn't prescribe me with a daily medication, so I don't know about the long run effects. I just took a pill for the nights when I really needed the sleep and couldn't stand the bad feels, and made sure never to take the pills routinely. For the other times, I just had to accept reality, force myself not to trust the pills and feel really bad for a while. Not easy.

But yeah, taking any kind of medication routinely is sure to fuck one's head up. Own discretion is the only thing one can truly trust, I believe. Doctors aren't you, they can only give you advice that you can choose to take or not.

I don't think I have a disorder or anything. I think it's mostly because I hate the people around me, where I live, and everything else.

>>1206
It's probably just Unwanted Thought Syndrome. I have it mildly. Mainly just always get crappy songs suck in my head.

>>1213
That must be intrusive thoughts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrusive_thoughts

In the case of the knife, being in a roof or things like that, it works like this:
-The presence of the object escalates your anxiety.
-An intrusive thought appears about you wanting to use it.
(this way the anxiety disappears).

tldr; the cause of the anxiety is the presence of danger, if this danger is actually realized it ends so your anxiety ends too.
(freud would say thanathos instinct)
But you would be dead if you really did that, so you just simulate it in your head.


It's similar to the monsters and shadows that scare kids. The monsters are always GOING to do something to you, but they never actually do it. This builds anxiety.
Unless in a nightmare they actually do it, and you wake up from it.

I have schizophrenia. Nothing really helps but a lot of pills.

Autism.
My Autism I REALLY don't give two shits about, the only way it negatively effects my life is that I have found hardly any people who interest me, and I often feel like every person I speak to is an idiot.
I also kind of get bothered by little things like a picture that is not hung perfectly straight, or sitting at the "wrong" angle of the room, I think this might be OCD, but, not really sure.

>>1216
i'm kiiiind of like that, with my autism, but i eventually just learned to look past it and appreciate people for what they did have and stop comparing them to myself.
i don't know why, this didn't work when i was really young, but as i grew up i just started observing others and exposing myself to them more and more. i don't think it works when people force you to do it - which they did, when i was growing up. i guess it's just something that has to come naturally. but eventually i just found that people were worth more than the sum of their abilities, and i really got to appreciate everyone for what they were. now i can't really handle being alone.
frustrating as hell when you have group projects or something and just can't rely on anyone, though. i still tend to think i'm the baddest motherfucker in the room ._.