lol.. not really. I think that mainly for the following reasons:
- Normalcy is subjective. Everybody has a different conception on what normal means for them, or even for others.
- Mental illness has no set definition.
That's the whole point. When society or you yourself doesn't like your version of normalcy, psychiatry can help. Of course, you have to want help for it to do any good. Psychiatrists don't wave their hands and speak the magic words to fix you, they provide tools and insight to help you fix yourself.
So this is arbitrary then? as normalcy is subjective, then objectively defining illness is not possible.
You didn't read the part where society has a problem with your version of normalcy. Psychiatrists are scientists. You don't have to trust physicists to believe in gravity.
lol.. not really. I think that mainly for the following reasons:
- Normalcy is subjective. Everybody has a different conception on what normal means for them, or even for others.
- Mental illness has no set definition.
There are typical and atypical behaviors. The human population works similar to a bell curve. The extremes at both ends will demonstrate issues. It can be subjective, but there objective features of certain pathologies that regularly lead to dysfunction (i.e. depression - failure to thrive).
Secondly, have you ever heard of the DSM-5? Those are the set definitions for mental illness. Are they perfect? No, not by any means, but there is enough research out there that shows characteristics of certain diagnoses. And for those defined diagnoses, there is significant research on prescription and psychotherapy interventions that work.
Psychiatry has a lot more research than laypeople give it credit for. I think people hate it because they want to be original, individual, and not grouped into stereotyped behaviors. Well, the fact is that people are not original and do tend to suffer certain psychopathologies under certain conditions. People are very arrogant about their minds and their existence. IMO, that's why people have such a hard time accepting psychiatry.
I agree that human behaviour mirrors a bell curve/normal distribution.
But how exactly is normalcy a good barometer of mental health? Are people who hold fringe religious, spiritual, political or social beliefs mentally ill? Are Goths and Emos mentally ill? Humans are complex, and cannot fit into some prescriptive "norm". By this reasoning, psychiatry is basing its conclusions on 1950s style social morality.
As I said, there is a percentage within the bell curve of the population that is functional. However, the individuals at the extremes of given attributes run risk of significantly decreased quality of life (and decreasing others QOL around them). And yes, some actually are. Have you heard of cults? A lot of the time, they murder people And would you say that individuals from the Westboro Baptist church are completely sane? No, they have schizotypal tendencies.
If goths and emo kids are truly depressed, such that it affects their ability to function, yes they have problems. Most goths and emo kids I've met are from suburban families and just want to be angsty teenagers. They are a music sub-culture in most cases.
The thing is, you're defining norm on a very large scale. In particular, psychiatrists define normal in reference to very specific behaviors and abilities. Regardless of culture, age, location, etc, there are abnormal behaviors associated with certain psychopathologies. They're not stereotyping or generalizing humans. They're analyzing human behavior at a very localized level, assessing the dysfunction, and utilizing researched methods to promote overall wellness.
lol.. not really. I think that mainly for the following reasons:
- Normalcy is subjective. Everybody has a different conception on what normal means for them, or even for others.
- Mental illness has no set definition.
As with anything involving the human condition, there are no strict definitions of 'normalcy' which all humans agree/abide by although, murder comes close. Humans always have a broad spectrum of behaviors and perspectives.
Society is a loose framework (regardless of how tight it occasionally feels to the individual) of customs and behaviors that allow large numbers of people to live and work together. Violating society's expectations also result in a broad range of responses from ostracism at one end to incarceration and perhaps execution at the other.
It behooves us to find a way to fit in with the society we inhabit because the number of mountain tops is rapidly dwindling.
OP: you're asking utterly irrelevant questions. You know nothing of psychiatry, it seems, so you've created a bizarre straw man version that you can criticize. Your ideas are, at best, meaningless.
Psychiatrists help vast numbers of people who would otherwise kill themselves, live in misery, or would otherwise be totally unable to live a fulfilling life to be functional and happy. If you don't understand that, you don't understand the profession. If you don't understand the value in that...you need to go see a psychiatrist.
If you would like, you can buy a copy of the DSM-IV-TR (not just the criteria) which has the evidence base for all the diagnoses present.
Also, if you've ever met a schizophrenic person or a manic person you would thank the heavens that there are individuals who have the patience to treat them.
Nonsense. You're essentially proving that psychiatry is about regulating normal behaviour.
Yeah, the personal beliefs of psychiatrists mean anything.....
Remember waaaay back at the beginning where I said, "you have to want help for it to do any good?" Feel free to act any way you please. Please. I'll look forward to reading about you in the paper.