marxistdisciple
14th September 2002, 17:21
Something that has been concerning me of late, is somewhat of a personal problem too. I have been reading up on it, and am wondering about the links between society and increased rates (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm) of mental illness.
It seems to me, and many others it seems, that as the illnesses have increased over the last 50 years, the protectionist instinct (http://www.mind.org.uk/take_action/Campaigns/Brief_Draft_Mental_Health_Act.asp) has taken over, leading governments to start holding people in hospitals (http://www.bi-polar.org.uk/sectioned.htm), and forcing them to be treated for conditions which are little evidenced. There is evidence to suggest (http://society.guardian.co.uk/socialcare/story/0,7890,407227,00.html) non-drug treatments are equally, if not more effective than typical SSRIs and antipsychotic drugs.
There is also further evidence to suggest SSRI drugs like Prozac and Paxil are to blame for increasing instablility in people taking them, and reports (and lawsuits (http://www.a-paxil-lawyer-source.com/html/paxil_general.html)) against lilly and similar companies for ignoring evidence that suggests Prozac can lead to increased incidents of self-harm and sucidal thoughts. At the tail end of this, there is increasing evidence that suggests it can be linked to akathisia (http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000621_prozac_feature.html) ('a unique form of inner torture')
From my own personal experience I can tell you that I had never tried to harm myself, or done anything really dangerous. After I started to take Paxil, I repeatedly cut myself, (once at a party, in front of people!) and I tried to kill myself. After I started to take Prozac I began to believe I was overweight, and I didn't want to eat anymore. I didn't feel hungry (http://www1.depressionclinic.com/pharmacy/antidepressant/ssri/prozac.htm). As I smoked this led to further weight loss, and I stopped taking it.
What can mental illness really be attributed to? I would suggest that people are becoming increasingly alienated (http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/empiric.htm) from the world around us. With diversity ever being squeezed out of our societal boundaries, I fear healthy people are regarded as 'weird' or 'ill' because of the way they percieve the world. Indeed, are all the socialists here, those of us who are intrigued and puzzled by the world's woes really ready to plunge into zombification, risking our lives even in some cases, (http://prozacspotlight.org/lilly/) or possibly being electrocuted (http://www.ect.org/) to help our 'mental state.' I sincerly hope that it is the rest of the flock that has missed the point, and not the stray sheep that spend hours trying to study life from a logical and concequentialist point of view. Is there evidence to suggest drug companies are trying to profit from increased anxiety (http://www.mind.org.uk/press-room/press_page.asp?ID=164) since September 11th? What does everyone think about all this?
It seems to me, and many others it seems, that as the illnesses have increased over the last 50 years, the protectionist instinct (http://www.mind.org.uk/take_action/Campaigns/Brief_Draft_Mental_Health_Act.asp) has taken over, leading governments to start holding people in hospitals (http://www.bi-polar.org.uk/sectioned.htm), and forcing them to be treated for conditions which are little evidenced. There is evidence to suggest (http://society.guardian.co.uk/socialcare/story/0,7890,407227,00.html) non-drug treatments are equally, if not more effective than typical SSRIs and antipsychotic drugs.
There is also further evidence to suggest SSRI drugs like Prozac and Paxil are to blame for increasing instablility in people taking them, and reports (and lawsuits (http://www.a-paxil-lawyer-source.com/html/paxil_general.html)) against lilly and similar companies for ignoring evidence that suggests Prozac can lead to increased incidents of self-harm and sucidal thoughts. At the tail end of this, there is increasing evidence that suggests it can be linked to akathisia (http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000621_prozac_feature.html) ('a unique form of inner torture')
From my own personal experience I can tell you that I had never tried to harm myself, or done anything really dangerous. After I started to take Paxil, I repeatedly cut myself, (once at a party, in front of people!) and I tried to kill myself. After I started to take Prozac I began to believe I was overweight, and I didn't want to eat anymore. I didn't feel hungry (http://www1.depressionclinic.com/pharmacy/antidepressant/ssri/prozac.htm). As I smoked this led to further weight loss, and I stopped taking it.
What can mental illness really be attributed to? I would suggest that people are becoming increasingly alienated (http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/empiric.htm) from the world around us. With diversity ever being squeezed out of our societal boundaries, I fear healthy people are regarded as 'weird' or 'ill' because of the way they percieve the world. Indeed, are all the socialists here, those of us who are intrigued and puzzled by the world's woes really ready to plunge into zombification, risking our lives even in some cases, (http://prozacspotlight.org/lilly/) or possibly being electrocuted (http://www.ect.org/) to help our 'mental state.' I sincerly hope that it is the rest of the flock that has missed the point, and not the stray sheep that spend hours trying to study life from a logical and concequentialist point of view. Is there evidence to suggest drug companies are trying to profit from increased anxiety (http://www.mind.org.uk/press-room/press_page.asp?ID=164) since September 11th? What does everyone think about all this?