Is psychiatry evil?

[dazzn]

Which parameters are these? Based on conservative social norms, which people who claim to study human conduct don't realise their lesser applicability?

Degrees of deviation from the mean. The mean being a sort of general description of the "normal" state of mind. Which is, of course, malleable. That's actually one of the strengths of doing it this way - if the goal is to grease the wheels of interaction with "normal" people. Presumably, it is.

I'm not sure what you're referring to when you mention conservative social norms or their lesser applicability. Rephrase?

Psychiatrists define illness merely by not adhering to norms, per their definition, which are often those of the 19th and early 20th century. To them, anybody who doesn't live in a conservative lifestyle are "ill".

So, according to these "people":

- Spring breakers who get drunk and have sex whilst on vacation are "ill"
- People who smoke weed on weekends a lot despite having good jobs even are "ill"
- People who don't go to church ever and despise religion are "ill"
- People who watch pornography and Hollywood movies containing sex and violence are "ill"
- People who subscribe to relativistic thinking in morals or values, or see no evidence for absolutes in our universe are "ill"

I don't know about you, but in my generation (born from the late 1970s to the current time) these actions/beliefs are the norm by definition since most do/endorse them. Are we "ill"? Who are psychiatrists to label an entire generation as "ill"? If so, this proves that "psychiatry" is not a practice with a benevolent foundation.

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Meditation has been linked to a variety of health benefits. A study of college students by Oman et al. (2008) found that meditation may produce physiological benefits by changing neurological processes. This finding was supported by an expert panel at the National Institutes of Health. The practice of meditation has also been linked with various favourable outcomes that include: “effective functioning, including academic performance, concentration, perceptual sensitivity, reaction time, memory, self control, empathy, and self esteem.”(Oman et al., 2008, pg. 570) In their evaluation of the effects of two meditation-based programs they were able to conclude that meditating had stress reducing effects and cogitation, and also increased forgiveness. (Oman et al., 2008)

In a cross-sectional survey research design study lead by Li Chuan Chu (2009), Chu demonstrated that benefits to the psychological state of the participants in the study arose from practicing meditation. Meditation enhances overall psychological health and preserves a positive attitude towards stress. (Chu, 2009)

Mindfulness Meditation has now entered the health care domain because of evidence suggesting a positive correlation between the practice and emotional and physical health. Examples of such benefits include: reduction in stress, anxiety, depression, headaches, pain, elevated blood pressure, etc. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that those who meditated approximately half an hour per day during an eight-week period reported that at the end of the period, they were better able to act in a state of awareness and observation. Respondents also said they felt non-judgmental. (Harvard’s Women’s Health Watch, 2011)

I suppose you believe the campaigns to get people to exercise and eat right are attempts to push an 'evil' agenda. Yes, they have an agenda. They want to improve people's physical and psychological health. Ph34r!

I genuinely do believe this meditation thing is an agenda, since the psychiatrists who devised this treatment were people from Cali most likely who hate "soulless" Western thinking.

As for healthy eating, well duh, in the 50s and 60s there was little public knowledge of the unhealthiness of fried foods. Today, it's considered medical fact that fried food is unhealthy if eaten in excess. This is based on objective research, not the beliefs or morality of doctors.