A discussion of Sharon Angell’s two-part article from the New York Review of Books, in which she discusses recent volumes by Robert Whitaker, Irving Kirsch and Daniel Carlat addressing the chemical imbalance theory of mental illness, along with the influence of Big Pharma upon the psychiatric profession.
Category: Society and Culture
This category is about observations of the world at large & an understanding of the human psychology applied to larger social and cultural issues.
60 Minutes and Greg Mortenson’s Fraud: The Power of Sentimentality
Greg Mortenson’s fraud upon the American public, recently exposed by Steve Kroft on ’60 Minutes’, catered to our weakness for a sentimental view of the world, with an all-white hero whose saintly deeds evoked a misty-eyed response that made us reach for our checkbooks.
When Is It Appropriate to Feel Shame?
A discussion of the ubiquitous experience of shame in *civilized* cultures and why it is sometimes appropriate to feel shamed.
Do You Want to Be a ‘Good’ Person?
What we consider “moral behavior” can be motivated by religious beliefs, an inherited set of values, empathy and enlightened self-interest. The appearance of extreme virtue may mask highly “immoral” and destructive feelings through the process of splitting and projection.
“Psychiatric Medications Have Led to Dramatic Improvements in Mental Health Outcomes” (Big Lie No. 2)
In the long-term, patients who have never been exposed to psychiatric medication have a much better prognosis than those who were placed on drugs.