Does Mental Illness Exist?

[Sol Invictus]

All diagnosis and treatment in psychiatry, especially biological psychiatry, presupposes the existence of something called mental illness, also known as mental disease or mental disorder. What is meant by disease, illness, or disorder? In a semantic sense disease means simply dis-ease, the opposite of ease. But by disease we don't mean anything that causes a lack of ease, since this definition would mean losing one's job or a war or economic recession or an argument with one's spouse qualifies as "disease".

In his book Is Alcoholism Hereditary? psychiatrist Donald W. Goodwin, M.D., discusses the definition of disease and concludes "Diseases are something people see doctors for. ... Physicians are consulted about the problem of alcoholism and therefore alcoholism becomes, by this definition, a disease" (Ballantine Books, 1988, p. 61).

Accepting this definition, if for some reason people consulted physicians about how to get the economy out of recession or how to solve a disagreement with one's mate or a bordering nation, these problems would also qualify as disease. But clearly this is not what is meant by "disease".

In his discussion of the definition of disease, Dr. Goodwin acknowledges there is "a narrow definition of disease that requires the presence of a biological abnormality" (ibid). In this pamphlet I will show that there are no biological abnormalities responsible for so-called mental illness, mental disease, or mental disorder, and that therefore mental illness has no biological existence. Perhaps more importantly, however, I will show that mental illness also has no non-biological existence - except in the sense that the term is used to indicate disapproval of some aspect of a person's mentality.

http://www.antipsychiatry.org/exist.htm

[Logan]

Perhaps some things.

http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/drapetomania.jpg?w=260&h=400


I'd have a look at this link as well.

http://www.healthfiend.com/weeklytop/top-10-crazy-severe-mental-brain-disorders/

[Laubach]

Of course

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/8105/200x2008573079851.jpg

this book explains all the pathologies of the human mind and how to diagnose

[Loddfafner]

My radical antipsychiatry friends were completely useless when my housemate had some rather disconcerting episodes.

[Piparskeggr]

Having had both major depression and anxiety attacks, I do think that one can suffer an illness of the mind.

[Turkey]

One only has to read Majister Eckhart's posts to conclude, yes.

[Ville]

.. the term is used to indicate disapproval of some aspect of a person's mentality.

I once read about a researcher/philosopher who worked on the concept of Time.

The deeper he immersed himself in his subject, the more insane he appeared to his family and colleagues. In the end, he killed himself.

Was he ‘mentally ill’? I don’t think so.

A daring mind crossed the very thin line that separates our routine existence from free fall into the abyss.

[Phil75231]

This sounds like Tom Cruise's Scientology claims. Mental illness is real and verified via fMRI's and decades of research. Just as a poor diet can cause REAL physical effects, so does a poor enviornment or bad memes cause REAL mental/psychological effects.

To even ask whether mental illness is real is so beyond assinine I can't even feel insulted, but merely feel condescension. The idea that "mental illness isn't real" is a product of an over-machoized culture narrowly focused on self-sufficiency, which makes it easy to use the off-the-shelf oversimple prescription of "get over yourself" and "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" lines.

[arcticwolf]

To understand mental illness one needs to know what mind is. Buddhism is by far the best source on all things mind. It's not for feeble minded but if you stick with it and get to the thick of it, you'll understand it. You'll know what mental illness is. Without understanding what mind is and how it works you will not understand it. Have fun.