THEMYTHOFMENTALILLNESS

TheMythofMentalIllness
EmilyPettitCox
SaltLakeCommunityCollege
English2010411

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Inoursociety,manypeoplebelievethatbecausetheyhavefeelingsofdepression,anger,
anxiety,andmanyotherunpleasantfeelingsthatsomethingiswrongwiththem.Beforemaking
changesthatmayneedtobechangedintheirdiet,sociallife,orfinances,theyrushtothedoctor
totellthemthattheyaresufferingamentalillness.AlthoughIdobelievetherearepeoplewho
sufferfrommentalillnessesinourworldandneeddoctorstohelpthemhaveabetterlife,mental
illnessesarebeingoverdiagnosed.Feelingsofdepression,angerandanxietyarenatural.Being
humancomeswithlotsoffeelingsthatcanseemoverwhelmingandunbearable.Beforedoctors
makeadiagnose,theyshouldlearnmoreaboutthepersonandseewhatintherelifethatcouldbe
causingthemtofeelthisway.
OnthewebsiteBottomLineInc,itsays,TheNationalInstituteofMentalHealth
estimatesthat20%to25%oftheUSadultpopulationthatmakesabout45millionofus
hasadiagnosablementaldisorder.Isthispossible?Ormighttherealproblembethatdoctorsare
overdiagnosingpeoplewhoaresimplyexperiencingexpectableupsanddownsoflifeorwho
justhavepersonalityquirks.(Frances,2011).ThomasSzaszsideasonmentalillnessaremore
accurateforthegeneralpopulationbeingdiagnosedwithmentalillnesses.Dr.Szaszhashadhis
ideasforover50yearsthatmentalillnessisamyth.Hehashadmanypeoplecriticizehim,and
manypeopleapplausehimforhisideas.Inhisspeechgivenaboutmentalillnessesbeingamyth,
hetalksmostlyaboutchildrengettingoverdiagnosedwithmentalillnessesandhowparents
dontknowhowtoreacttothisaccusationofthebehavioroftheirchild.Hesays,Whenschool
authoritiestellamother,asyoualreadyheard,thattheirsonissickandneedstobeondrugs,

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howintheworldisshesupposetoknowthat,thatissimplyalie?Howisshetorecognizethat
expertsnowcallAttentionDeficitHyperactivityDisorderissimplynotadisease?
Dr.Szaszgoesontosaythatphysiatristusethesetermstocontrolpeopleandtrick
peopleintothinkingthattheyhaveadisease.Hesays,Nobehaviorormisbehaviorisadisease
orcanbeadisease.InthisIthinkhemeansthatmentalillnessisnotsomethingthatiswrong
withyou,butmaybemoreofastruggleyouarehavingphysiologically.Thewaythatyouthink
orthewayyoubehavemaynotbewhatisconsideredtobenormal,butcanbechanged.When
peoplethinkofamentaldisorderasadisease,itmakesthemthinkthatsomethingisterribly
wrongwiththefunctionoftheirbodyandissomethingthatneedstobefixedbymedicine.Dr.
Szaszsays,Diseasesaremalfunctionsofthehumanbody.Oftheheart,theliver,thekidney,the
brainandsoforth.Herelatesthefeelingsofmentaldisorderstospringfever.Springfeverisa
termweusefortheexcitementwecantcontainforsummer.Weknowthereisntanything
wrongwithus,butitisametaphor.Herelatesmentaldisorderstometaphorsforfeelingsthatwe
have.
Awomanwhojustgavebirthtoastillbornbabywasdirectedtobeonantidepressantsto
helpherfeelbetter.Sherefusedtodothis,butinsteadshedecidedtodoyoga,meditation,and
exercise.InthearticleCNNposted,shesaid,Herchoicestemmedpartlyfromalongtime
aversiontotakingprescriptiondrugs.Itwasalsotheresultoflisteningtoagrowinggroupof
psychiatrists,psychologistsandclinicalsocialworkersfromaroundtheworldwhoarguethat
depressionandothernormalresponsestolife'stoughestchallengesaretoooftenlabeledas
disordersandassuch,demandmedicinewithsometimesdangeroussideeffects.(Gray,2013)

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Althoughitseasytolikewhatheissaying,anditisnicetothinkthatweliveinaworld
wherementaldisordersdontexist,butunfortunatelytheydo.Manypeopledosufferfrom
psychologicaldisordersandphysiatristhavemanygreattreatmentsforpeoplewhostrugglewith
themdaily.Buthavephysiologisttakenittoofar?InthearticleSocialAnxietyDisorder:
MythicalOverDiagnosedMentalIllnessOrRealMaladyAffectingMillions?,itsays,The
DiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders(commonlyreferredtoastheDSM),is
producedbytheAmericanPsychiatricAssociationasthestandardguideusedbymentalhealth
professionalstodiagnosementalillness.ThefirsteditionoftheDSM,publishedin1952,listed
106disordersandtheirdescriptionsinaconcise130pages.ComparethattotheDSM5,
publishedin2013,whichrunsjustunderathousandpagesandlistsmorethan300
maladies.(Scutti,2014)ItisalsosaidbyDr.Szasz,WhenIwenttomedicalschoolsixtyyears
ago,therewereonlyahandfulofmentaldiseases.Ithinktherewerenomorethansixorseven.
Nowtherearemorethanthreehundred.Whenphysiatristhaveaddedsomanymoremental
diseasesandtreatmentsinthelast60years,whathaschangedsomuchtoaddsomany?Are
psychologistbecomingmoreeducatedortryingtogetmorecustomers?
Thewayoursocietythinksaboutmentalillnessescontinuallychanges.Thereisnoway
toscanyourbrainandtellyouthatyousufferwithamentalillness.Ifwehavenoproof,howare
physiologistsupposetogoabouttreatment?InDr.SzaszspapertitledSecondOpinion,hesays,
Insomeculturestheexperienceofhallucinationsishighlyvalued,whileinWesternsocietiesit
symbolizesamentaldisorder.(1974)Hegoesontosay,Manybehaviorsthathavepreviously
beenregardedasdeviantnolongerareforexample,homosexuality,hysteria,and

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nymphomania.(1974)Allofthesearenowconsideredtobehumanbehaviorsratherthanmental
illnesses.
Societyiscontinuallychangingtheirviewsofwhatisnormalhumanbehaviorandwhat
isnot.Thereisalottosayforwhatamentalillnessreallyis,andwhatisthebestwaytogo
aboutlifewithfeelingthatarenotnormal.Nooneshouldhavetosufferfrommentalillnesses.
Someoftheseincludegeneralizedanxietydisorder,phobicdisorder,socialphobia,panic
disorder,obsessivecompulsivedisorder,mooddisorders,seasonalaffectivedisorder,
dissociativedisorder,schizophrenia,personalitydisorders,andmanymore.Therearesomany
thataretalkedabout,andcanbeoverdiagnosed,butwhatifyouhadtolivewithit?Iwould
wanttreatment!Thatiswhywehavephysiatrist.Theytrytohelppeoplewiththewaytheyare
thinkingandthefeelingsthattheyhavewithverylittleinformationbecausetheycanonlygooff
ofwhatthepersonsaysthattheyareexperiencing.Becauseoftheirlackofknowledgeoneach
individualpersonwithoutanytesttosayifitispositiveornegativetoeachmentalillness,
Psychiatristshouldexamineapatientforaperiodoftimebeforetheymaketheirfinaldecisionof
howtotreatthem.
InthearticletitledTreatingPsychologicalDisordersitsays,Manypsychological
disordershavebiologicalcomponentsbesttreatedwithmedication,cognitivecomponentsthat
respondwelltopsychotherapy,orsocioeconomiccomponentsthatmaybeaddressedthrough
socialwelfaresupport.Withallthatbeingsaid,psychotherapyshoulddefinitelybethefirststep
togettingamentalillnessundercontrol.Itismentalhealthcounselingthatcanexamineandhelp
howapersonsthoughtsinfluencetheirmoodandbehaviors,andbehaviortherapythatfocuses
onanindividual'sactions.(2012)Amoreintensetreatmentofhelpthatcanbeofferedtopeople

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whosufferwithmentalillnessesareAssertiveCommunityTreatment.ACTservicesprovide
medicationdelivery,individualtherapy,crisesandhospitalservices,substanceabusetherapy,
rehabilitationservices,supportedhousingandtransportation,andskillteachingtofamily
members.(2012)Thiscanbegreatinsituationsthatthepsychologisthasevaluatedtheirpatient
andfindsthatthiscanbebeneficialtotheirpatient.Medicationsusedformentaldisordersshould
onlybeusedwhennecessaryandonlyforthepatient'sbenefit.
Mentalillnesscanbehardtodiagnose,andhardtosuccessfullytreat.Not
everyonewhosufferswithdepression,anxietyorangerissueshasamentalillness.Dr.Szasz
ideasaboutpsychologicaldisordersaretruewhenitcomestothemisdiagnosisofpatients.We
shouldnotdiagnosesomeonewhohasnotbeenevaluatedforaperiodoftimeandhasgone
throughcounselingtoseeiftherecanbeanyprogressmade.Peopleneedtorealizethatitis
normaltohavenegativefeelingsfromtimetotime.Butinallreality,therearepeoplewhosuffer
withmentalillnessthatneedtobetreated.Thesepeopleneedsupportandsomeonewhois
willingtohelpthem.Thesementalillnessesshouldntbeconsideredadiseasethatwillnevergo
away,butanillnessthatcanbetreated.Peopleneedtobelovedandcaredfor,andbegiventhe
righttreatmenttogetthembackamoremanageableandhappylifestyle.

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References:
TreatingPsychologicalDisorders.(2012,June29).RetrievedJuly24,2015,from
http://www.uniteforsight.org/mentalhealth/module5

Szasz,T.(1974).Themythofmentalillness:Foundationsofatheoryofpersonal
conduct.NewYork:Harper&Row.

Gray,Katti."AreWeOverdiagnosingMentalIllness?"CNN.CableNewsNetwork,
1818Mar.2013.Web.22July2016.

Frances,Alan."PsychiatricFadsAreLeadingtoOverdiagnosisofMentalIllness|
BottomLineInc."BottomLineInc.N.p.,21Feb.2011.Web.22July2016.

Scutti,Susan."SocialAnxietyDisorder:MythicalOverDiagnosedMentalIllnessOr
RealMaladyAffectingMillions?"CCHRInternational.N.p.,4June2014.Web.22July2016.