Category: The Medicalization of Mental Health

Benzodiazepines and Dementia

I haven’t written about my opposition to the widespread use of psychiatric medications in quite some time, mostly because I feel I’ve already said most of what I have to say on this issue. (See the collection of posts under the heading “The Medicalization of Mental Health,” to be found at the lower right of… Continue reading Benzodiazepines and Dementia

The Shame in Mental Illness

My recent posts got me to thinking about the term mental illness and how stigma-laden it remains to this day. As a society, we’ve come a long way from the bad old days when most people were too ashamed to admit going to a psychiatrist, when families kept those members with obvious psychological problems hidden… Continue reading The Shame in Mental Illness

Antisocial Personality Disorder: The Sociopath Next Door

I’ve been reading The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout — an excellent and yet frustrating book about antisocial personality disorder. Stout’s engaging style and in-depth clinical experience with victims of sociopathic predators bring the subject to vivid life. The vignettes read more like suspense novels: as the character of the sociopath gradually unfolds, your… Continue reading Antisocial Personality Disorder: The Sociopath Next Door

Childhood ADHD: Over-Diagnosed or Under-Treated?

I was planning to write an overview of the recent controversy in this area concerning frequency of childhood ADHD diagnosis and treatment with stimulant medication.  This very lively exchange of expert and personal views was touched off by a New York Times article citing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention telephone survey of many… Continue reading Childhood ADHD: Over-Diagnosed or Under-Treated?