Recent studies have shown that there is no evidence to support the “inborn defect” theory of attention deficit disorder, and that drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall have no lasting effect on ADHD symptoms.
Category: The Medicalization of Mental Health
Autism Symptoms Get a Second Look
The upcoming revision to the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual will purportedly eliminate Asperger’s Syndrome as a diagnosis, once again calling into question the scientific precision and validity of psychological diagnosis.
Will Power, Self Control and Self Discipline
The widespread acceptance of diagnostic labels corresponding to discrete forms of mental illness, akin to recognizable physical syndromes and ailments, deprives our emotional life of its meaning and reduces all suffering to “biology”. In the process, it encourages a kind of passivity and fosters a belief that exerting will power and developing self-control are beyond us.
Ethical Considerations Involved in Accepting Health Insurance
For some of us, completing insurance forms and providing carriers with a treatment plan means the complete falsification of who we are and how we really work.
Good and Bad Reasons to Take an Antidepressant
Many people take antidepressants, not because they’re depressed, but because doing so helps them to avoid confronting important feelings or problem areas in their lives.