The controversy over the public remarks of Tom Cruise giving the label of "pseudoscience" to psychiatry in a talk show brings to light a question we do not normally ask: What is the basis of psychiatric diagnosis?
Vince Boehm, a psychiatric survivor, who runs an excellent mailing list for those interested in reforming psychiatry so it may one day become a useful part of medicine, has sent out an article by Tony Zizza, together with his personal comment.
When I went "crazy" (at least "officially"), I began to think of psychiatry as a "soft science" ... until I realized the very term, "soft science", is an oxymoron.
As a "newbie", I had the newbie privilege of asking the "dumb" questions. I was astounded when the answers came back "dumber" than the original questions. Even my right to ask such questions was challenged. I smelled a rat.
Here's the latest from the golden pen of Tony Zizza. Tony is a freelance writer who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. He serves as Vice President for the State of Georgia for the non-profit organization Parents For Label and Drug Free Education.
That psychiatry is a pseudoscience is beyond dispute. It dwells in the realm of ideology. Every non-religious ideology has it's "bible" (Mein Kampf, Das Capital, etc) and its rituals. And psychiatry is no exception. They call their bible the DSM.
I'm amazed at the highly ritualized, almost liturgical, sequence of events involved in the spawning of DSM-V. It will be released in the year 2011. But, the process in motion as we speak. At this phase of the Dans Macabre, we are hearing about all sorts of "earthshaking" issues promoted for inclusion in this high stakes "bible".
We are witnessing disease mongering in action.
"Intermittent Explosive Disorder" (AKA, "road rage") is an early entry in the DSM derby.
This "disorder" is iatrogenicly-caused in many cases. Attached to today's mailing is Emma Holister's cartoon comment on treatment-caused violence.
Emma is an expatriate Brit artist who lives and works in southern France. You can find more of her work and that of other gang member artists at www.artmargin.com/
Vince
Of course we all tend to think that psychiatry takes care of the crazy ones, that all this is very far from our personal experience. After all, we aren't crazy. Well, you might get a surprise. Look at the page promoting the psychiatric "Bible", the DSM-IV. Scroll down to see the "personality disorders". There is something for every one of us. Whether you're shy or exuberant, pensive or assertive, they've got you marked. You are - actually we all are - grist for the mills of psychiatry - and for the drugs they say everyone should take.