Mental illness
According to this article, nearly 1 in 5 of every teenager is bipolar. Actually, upon closer read, you realize that the 1 in 5 number is among current psychiatric disorders, not just normal people. But even allowing for sensational media statistic, one has to wonder at this 'increase' in mental illness. Is it just me, or does this seem, pardon the expression, insane? The more we study people, the more it seems that they don't fit in these nicely defined parameters. The obvious reason must be that they're crazy... so let's just drug them up. Kids acting up in school, give them some Rytalin. Everybody needs something, from 'mothers little helper' to the latest designer drug to hit the club scene.
As someone who has been inside and outside the psychiatric health industry (psycho-pharmacology, counseling, etc..), like most things, I have found that the people involved really do think that they are helping. But I think they will be surprised when they pay attention to the actual science comes in, showing that inequality, violence and greed are in fact, more natural than the nonviolent compassion we hold as the ideal. Learning to fight and get along with ignorant people in school is the best social education one can ask for, as dysfunctional as it may sound.
Stop medicating people, let them fight it out- you'll be surprised to see how people's happiness and mental stability improves. We've evolved for millions of years to surive amidst powerful and dangerous beasts and inhospitable climates, not to mention the wars among our own people, but now we can't handle the soft life of modern living? Give me a break. Let the chips fall where they may.
As someone who has been inside and outside the psychiatric health industry (psycho-pharmacology, counseling, etc..), like most things, I have found that the people involved really do think that they are helping. But I think they will be surprised when they pay attention to the actual science comes in, showing that inequality, violence and greed are in fact, more natural than the nonviolent compassion we hold as the ideal. Learning to fight and get along with ignorant people in school is the best social education one can ask for, as dysfunctional as it may sound.
Stop medicating people, let them fight it out- you'll be surprised to see how people's happiness and mental stability improves. We've evolved for millions of years to surive amidst powerful and dangerous beasts and inhospitable climates, not to mention the wars among our own people, but now we can't handle the soft life of modern living? Give me a break. Let the chips fall where they may.
posted by sunguh5307 at
7:40 PM
3 Comments:
check the article again: that's 20% of teenagers in PSYCHIATRIC UNITS
By
Anonymous, at 7:31 PM
ie.. having existing psychiatric disorders that need to be hospitalized. Another way to put it would be what I wrote in the sentence following that:
"Actually, upon closer read, you realize that the 1 in 5 number is among current psychiatric disorders, not just normal people. "
There were two points I was making, not just illuminating the high prevalence of diagnosed severe mental illness, but the sensational aspect of it's presentation.
By
sunguh5307, at 6:30 PM
on possibly a related topic,WashPost Outlook section for 1/29 has an article entitled "tough love" about "boot camps" that deal with drug addiction. Maybe you can access this.
By
Anonymous, at 11:25 PM
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