ask a Pure O sufferer

[Longhorn]

I'm currently writing a blog titled "Is Mental Illness a Sham".

Um. No. Please, please, please don't go there.

Are you aware that something that is socially abnormal behaviour forms the basis for the definition of mental illness?For instance due to its clear deviant behaviour, homosexuality was listed in the original edition of the DSM as a mental illness - specifically as a sociopathic personality disturbance.

The fact that some things in the past have been classified as mental disorders which we now know are everything but does not imply that everything that is categorized as a mental disorder is as harmless as homosexuality.

And well DUH. That doesn't mean that mental disorders are just personality quirks.

I think it's fascinating, for instance, that the DSM lists Gambling Disorder as an addictive disorder, yet no one has developed a interventional treatment that is more effective than Gamblers Anonymous which is based on 75-year old system that they refuse to change. Don't get me wrong they do have effective treatments - effective in the fact that they are as statistically relevant as Gamblers Anonymous - but they haven't improved upon the effectiveness.

But I know what you're thinking. Psychologists have a clever way of framing this little problem. They will claim that "some people with OCD can be cured, but others will need long-term management". They don't admit to the fact that actually they don't understand the first thing about mental illness, all they think they understand is that it's a problem and they have trial-and-error based treatments. Maybe what they need is a better theory - because the cognitive and behavioural theories are wearing thin; and if they were so valid they should be able to achieve much better outcomes for patients with mental illness than they presently do.

Ok, first off, mental illnesses are more in the field of psychiatry, not only psychology. Second... who are you to say psychologists don't understand the first thing about mental illnesses?

"all they think they understand is that it's a problem"

And it's NOT?

"and they have trial-and-error based treatments"

and they DON'T?

Believe it or not, some people get better thanks to treatment. Just because some do doesn't mean the treatment is shit or that mental disorders don't exist.

Interesting to think about do you not think?

I'll give you something interesting to think about. Mental disorders are debilitating and severely impact a person's life quality. And the worst thing you can say to someone who is suffering from one is that their problems are imaginary, or like you did, a sham.

If you're going to insist on debating this, please start a new thread. That sort of discussion isn't for my nerves.