And the extremely dangerous.

All right, so what exactly are the objective facts here?

Paragrpah 1.
1) When he was 18 months old, he fell down a flight of stairs and briefly lost consciousness; he was taken to the hospital, where a CT scan was read as normal
2) arrested for shoplifting
3) cut school
4) two residential treatment programs

Paragraph 2.
1) A SPECT study showed … damage to T’s left prefrontal cortex, left occipital lobe, and both temporal lobes.
2) A combination of an anticonvulsant … and a psychostimulant … was prescribed
3) the school placed him in a program for brain-injured child

As far as truly objective facts goes, that’s it.

Everything else is subjective.

Now if you want to talk about the subjective aspects, that’s fine.

I could quote all the subjective statements, but if you’ll allow me to, I’d like to simply skip to the results, since that is ultimately what it’s all about.

So what is the final subjective result? I think it would be fair to summarize them as “parents and son appear to be less negatively effected by the son’s behavior”. This is a “good” thing – or at least “better” than it was before.

Fine, that’s the subjective results. No problem with that.

Now lest’s look at the objective results.

The boy is taking psychostimulant and anticonvulsant drugs.

Now here’s where my main concern comes in… Is he cured?

Well there is a very simple objective test for that – take him off the drugs and see if he reverts. If he does, he’s not cured. Simple enough.

Now I will take a “leap of faith” here and assume that he would be proved to not be cured if that simple objective test were done.

So objectively speaking, the final result is a boy who is, by any reasonable definition of the term, a “drug addict” for the rest of his life.

Now there is a big difference between this scenario and, for instance, a diabetic, who could also be considered a “lifetime drug addict”.

With the diabetic, there is an objective aspect that is not present in the boy example. We can take blood samples and objectively measure the levels of the chemicals that constitute the known causes.

But with the boy example, unless I miss my guess, there is no such objective test. The alleged cause is “brain lesion”. So has the treatment affect the brain lesions in any objectively measurable way? Well considering that a “cure” would mean that the alleged “cause” was eliminated, and there is no mention of the alleged “cause” being eliminated, I’ll assume that the brain lesions were not elimintated, and thus, the boy was not cured.

And this exact same situation is the “final result” with virtually all of the “mental disorders” in the DSM.

Just remember that the condition is the behavior. Nothing more, nothing less. The whole overriding purpose of any treatment is to eliminate or change something. So what is the ultimate purpose of the boy’s treatment? To change his behavior. Not, as may be claimed, to eliminate the brain lesion. In other words, even if the brain lesion were eliminated, the “treatment” would only be considered successful if the behavior changed.

So again, as far as “mental disorders” (all 374 of them) are concerned, there is no “cure” for any of them. But there are plenty of “treatments” – i.e. prescriptions for mind-altering drugs. And since those treatments don’t actually cure anything, the patient (or “customer” if you’re in the psychopharmeceutical industry) is effectively a patient/customer for the rest of his life.

And what is the ultimate purpose of all these treatments? To change behavior. So from the viewpoint of the APA (i.e. 75 million U.S. citizens have “treatable mental disorders”) there are now 75 million U.S. citizens whose behavior should be changed.

And there’s nothing at all wrong with this picture???

Ok, let’s.

What are they? By definition, as given in the DSM, they are behavior patterns.

Are the casues known? No.

Are they curable through any form of phychiatric treatment? No.

Are they “treatable”. Yes.

What is the treatment? Lifetime drug addiction in most cases.

Ok, let’s.

Are there any scientific tests that incontrovertibly show any of those things to be the causes of mental disorders? No.

Ok go ahead.

What are the tests, what do they show, and how are the results used in the treatment of bi-polar disorder?

Considering that the APA says that more than one-quarter of the population of the U.S. suffers from “mental disorders”, I heartily agree.

I hope you don’t think I have been trying to say that your or anyone else’s condition is not real, or that I don’t believe you or anyone else has any condition.

I most humbly apologize for anything that you feel I have said or implied to that effect.

And I will condemn anyone who says anyone else’s problems are not “real”.

I heartily agree that such “denial” does nothing but exacerbate the problem.

And that is essentially my whole point. They truly do not know what they’re dealing with when it comes to mental illness.

sci⋅ence  /ˈsaɪəns/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [sahy-uhns] Show IPA
Use science in a Sentence
See web results for science
See images of science
–noun 1. a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences.
2. systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.
3. any of the branches of natural or physical science.
4. systematized knowledge in general.
5. knowledge, as of facts or principles; knowledge gained by systematic study.
6. a particular branch of knowledge.
7. skill, esp. reflecting a precise application of facts or principles; proficiency.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Origin:
1300–50; ME < MF < L scientia knowledge, equiv. to scient- (s. of sciēns), prp. of scīre to know + -ia -ia



myth  /mɪθ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [mith] Show IPA
Use myth in a Sentence
See web results for myth
See images of myth
–noun 1. a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, esp. one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
2. stories or matter of this kind: realm of myth.
3. any invented story, idea, or concept: His account of the event is pure myth.
4. an imaginary or fictitious thing or person.
5. an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Origin:

Thanks Earthy for pointing it out that I never stipulated exactly which definitions I intended, and presenting me the opportunity to do so.

I am a firm believer that most, if not all, communication bogs down because the definitions of the terms being used are not agreed upon.

So here are the definitions I was using:

Science definition: #2

Myth definition: #5

Today, many medical conditions are invented and/or and given a name so that a drug can be prescribed.

Then they give them an abbreviation.

Take "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome." What does that label tell you? Is it a disease? What does it actually mean? It means that you are tired all the time. (Chronic) Is that a disease? Well I don't think so. It is a symptom that can be caused by many many things.

So, they find symptoms and they create drugs to mask the symptoms and they give them both names and call them "disease" and "treatment."

90% of medicine today is just glorified drug pushing.

Yeah, that’s pretty much my viewpoint too.

The one thing I’d like to stress is that there is a very clear and distinct difference between a “medical” condition and a “mental” condition. A “medical” condition is physiological. A “mental” condition is behavioral.

That is, the purpose of treating a medical condition is to correct undesirable physiology. The purpose of treating a “mental” condition is to correct undesirable behavior.

Now if one looks at some statistics regarding both, there is a striking contrast.

How many new physilogical disorders have been discovered in the last 60 years?

I don’t know for sure but I’d be willing to bet that it’s not much more than a dozen or so.

And how many of those dozen or so new physiological conditions have a known cause? Again, I don’t know for sure, but I’d be willing to bet it’s all of them.

On the other hand, how many new behavioral disorders have been invented in the same amount of time.

Over three hundred and fifty!

And how many of those 350+ new behavioral conditions have a known cause? Zero.

In short...
Medical: 12 with 100% known causes
Mental: 350+ with 0% known causes

Again... what's wrong with this picture???

I will answer these in a separate posts.

The fact that lithium acts to control rather than cure bipolar disorder is important. It means that if successfully treated people stop taking lithium, manic or depressive episodes will be more likely to occur.

Controlling rather than curing a disorder with a specific drug is actually a common practice. A well known example is the use of insulin to control certain forms of diabetes. Insulin does not cure the underlying disease of diabetes, but it does help to control symptoms so that the diabetic patient is able to live a more normal life. If the insulin is stopped, symptoms of the disease reappear. Although insulin helps control many symptoms and prevent many of the damaging effects of the disease, the diabetes itself is still present. Other examples of diseases controlled with medication are high blood pressure, heart failure, hypothyroidism and arthritis.

Many people with bipolar disorder experience frequent episodes of mania and depression before beginning treatment with lithium. If they improve on lithium and then stop taking it, they will almost certainly have frequent episodes again. The bipolar disorder would no longer be controlled.

A lithium blood test may also be called a "lithium level," "a serum lithium level," or a "plasma lithium level." This test is important because it enables the doctor to monitor the amount of lithium present in the bloodstream, which is a good guide to the amount of lithium present throughout body tissues. Too little lithium is not effective in stabilizing mood swings, whereas too much may lead to unwanted and sometimes serious side effects. So a lithium blood test helps in two ways: to ensure that the dose of lithium is effective, and to ensure that the dose of lithium is safe.

A lithium blood level that is both safe and effective is called a "therapeutic" level. Higher therapeutic levels may be necessary to treat acute episodes. This level varies among individuals but generally is between 0.8-1.2 milli-equivalents per liter (mEq/l) for acute episodes and 0.6-1.0 mEq/l for preventive use. Many people do well at levels between 0.6-0.8 mEq/l and some between 0.4-0.6 mEq/l. At blood levels higher than therapeutic, lithium is unlikely to be any more effective but does begin to cause more side effects. At blood levels below therapeutic, lithium may be less likely to be helpful. People taking lithium should ask their doctors what their lithium levels are and how to interpret them.

Remember that the lithium blood level is only one of the aids used by the doctor to determine proper lithium dose. The most important guide to proper dose is how the person taking lithium is feeling and functioning.

People sometimes wonder why lithium therapy requires blood tests while therapy with many other drugs (aspirin, penicillin, cold tablets, for example) does not. There are several reasons. First, lithium is a drug that can be easily measured in the blood. Next, peoples bodies handle a given dose of lithium quite differently due to variations in absorption into the bloodstream, distribution to the body tissues, and excretion from the body by the kidneys. Thus, the same oral dose of lithium may produce quite different blood levels in different individuals. Finally, lithium differs from many other drugs in that the amount needed to be effective is close to the amount that can produce toxicity (sickness caused by too much medication). Knowing the blood level helps the doctor adjust the dose to avoid toxicity while maintaining therapeutic benefit.

Source: Lithium and Bipolar Disorder: A Guide, July, 2004

February 25, 2008

Mood Markers Isolated In Blood Open Informative Window Into Brain Functioning and Disease, May Alter Approach to Psychiatric Treatment

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have isolated biomarkers in the blood that identify mood disorders, a breakthrough that may change the way bipolar illness is diagnosed and treated. The report will be published in the February 26 advance online edition of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

The panel of markers is present in differing amounts in individuals suffering from high or low mood states. The concentration of the blood markers also varies depending on the severity of the depression or mania the individual experiences.

"This discovery is a major step towards bringing psychiatry on par with other medical specialties that have diagnostic tools to measure disease states and the effectiveness of treatments," said Alexander B. Niculescu III, M.D., Ph.D., lead author and assistant professor of psychiatry, medical neurobiology and neuroscience at the IU School of Medicine Institute of Psychiatric Research.

"Although psychiatrists have been aware that bipolar illness and other psychiatric conditions produced molecular changes in the brain, there was no way to measure those changes while the patient was living," Dr. Niculescu said. "Blood now can be used as a surrogate tissue to diagnose and assess the severity of the illness."

The researchers discovered that the molecular changes in the brain are reflected in the blood producing biomarkers whose levels correlated with the severity of the symptoms. This gives psychiatrists an objective tool to assess the effectiveness of a medication on individual patients without the typical lengthy waiting period, said Dr. Niculescu.

The researchers isolated the blood biomarkers in 96 patients involved in the initial research, which was supported by National Institutes of Health grant funding, NAESAD and funds from Eli Lilly and Company. Next the Indiana University researchers are planning a larger study looking at these mood markers in response to treatments, and they will use their unique methodology to seek biomarkers for other psychiatric diseases.

Dr. Niculescu, who also is a staff psychiatrist at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, said the discovery could have an impact on how a wide range of mood disorders are treated including post-partum depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and assessments for bereavement interventions. This research also may facilitate the development by pharmaceutical companies of much needed targeted new medications with greater efficacy and decreased side-effects.

Other IU faculty involved in the research are Helen Le-Niculescu, Ph.D., John I. Nurnberger, M.D., Ph.D. and Howard J. Edenberg, Ph.D. National collaborators in this study are Daniel R. Salomon, M.D. and colleagues from Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and Ming T. Tsuang, M.D., Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego.

http://www.medicine.indiana.edu/news_releases/viewRelease.php4?art=819

It has been known for many years that schizophrenia is genetic. It can be passed on through the generations.

"Experts now agree that schizophrenia develops as a result of interplay between biological predisposition (for example, inheriting certain genes) and the kind of environment a person is exposed to. These lines of research are converging: brain development disruption is now known to be the result of genetic predisposition and environmental stressors early in development (during pregnancy or early childhood), leading to subtle alterations in the brain that make a person susceptible to developing schizophrenia. Environmental factors later in life (during early childhood and adolescence) can either damage the brain further and thereby increase the risk of schizophrenia, or lessen the expression of genetic or neurodevelopmental defects and decrease the risk of schizophrenia. In fact experts now say that schizophrenia (and all other mental illness) is caused by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors, and this understanding of mental illness is called the bio-psycho-social model.

The Path to Schizophrenia - The diagram above shows how biological, genetic and prenatal factors are believed to create a vulnerability to schizophrenia. Additional envronmental exposures (for example, frequent or ongoing social stress and/or isolation during childhood, drug abuse, etc.) then further increase the risk or trigger the onset of psychosis and schizophrenia. Early signs of schizophrenia risk include neurocognitive impairments, social anxiety (shyness) and isolation and "odd ideas". (note: "abuse of DA drugs" referes to dopamine affecting (DA) drugs). Source: Presentation by Dr. Ira Glick,"New Schizophrenia Treatments" Read below for an indepth explanation of the genetic and environmental factors linked to schizophrenia.

How Genes Contribute to Schizophrenia:

There is no doubt a strong genetic component to schizophrenia - those who have immediate relatives with a history of this or other psychiatric diseases (for example, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, etc) have a significantly increased risk for developing schizophrenia over that of the general population. However, twin studies have shown that simple genetic transmission is far from the whole story - if one identical twin has schizophrenia, the risk for the other twin (who has the exact same genes as his/her sibling) is only about 50%. This indicates a complexity of genetics and environment that is not yet well understood, rather than a case of single or multiple gene presence in the body automatically conferring a certain risk for developing schizophrenia.


http://www.schizophrenia.com/hypo.php#intro

What are the causes of major depression?

There is no single cause of major depression. Psychological, biological, and environmental factors may all contribute to its development. Whatever the specific causes of depression, scientific research has firmly established that major depression is a biological, medical illness.

Norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine are three neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that transmit electrical signals between brain cells) thought to be involved with major depression. Scientists believe that if there is a chemical imbalance in these neurotransmitters, then clinical states of depression result. Antidepressant medications work by increasing the availability of neurotransmitters or by changing the sensitivity of the receptors for these chemical messengers.

Scientists have also found evidence of a genetic predisposition to major depression. There is an increased risk for developing depression when there is a family history of the illness. Not everyone with a genetic predisposition develops depression, but some people probably have a biological make-up that leaves them particularly vulnerable to developing depression. Life events, such as the death of a loved one, a major loss or change, chronic stress, and alcohol and drug abuse, may trigger episodes of depression. Some illnesses such as heart disease and cancer and some medications may also trigger depressive episodes. It is also important to note that many depressive episodes occur spontaneously and are not triggered by a life crisis, physical illness, or other risks.


http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=54&ContentID=26414

The objective facts are that the final diagnosis was done with a brain scan that showed exactly what parts of the brain were injured. You keep stating that this type of medicine does not exist. This diagnostic method is exactly like that of a broken bone or clogged artery.

Oops.

Tourette’s syndrome.

"What causes these symptoms?

Although the cause has not been definitely established, there is considerable evidence that Tourette’s syndrome arises from abnormal metabolism of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Other neurotransmitters may be involved.

Can Tourette’s syndrome be inherited?

Genetic studies indicate that Tourette’s syndrome is inherited as an autosomal dominant gene but different family members may have dissimilar symptoms. A parent has a 50 percent chance of passing the gene to one of his or her children. The range of symptomatology varies from multiple severe tics to very minor tics with varying degrees of attention deficit-disorder and OCD.

How is Tourette’s syndrome diagnosed?

No blood analysis, x-ray or other medical test exists to identify Tourette’s syndrome. Diagnosis is made by observing the signs or symptoms as described above. A doctor may wish to use a CAT scan, EEG, or other tests to rule out other ailments that could be confused with TS.

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=54&ContentID=23053

What causes OCD?

A large body of scientific evidence suggests that OCD results from a chemical imbalance in the brain. For years, mental health professionals incorrectly assumed OCD resulted from bad parenting or personality defects. This theory has been disproven over the last 20 years. OCD symptoms are not relieved by psychoanalysis or other forms of "talk therapy," but there is evidence that behavior therapy can be effective, alone or in combination with medication. People with OCD can often say "why" they have obsessive thoughts or why they behave compulsively. But the thoughts and the behavior continue.

People whose brains are injured sometimes develop OCD, which suggests it is a physical condition. If a placebo is given to people who are depressed or who experience panic attacks, 40 percent will say they feel better. If a placebo is given to people who experience obsessive-compulsive disorder, only about two percent say they feel better. This also suggests a physical condition.

Clinical researchers have implicated certain brain regions in OCD. They have discovered a strong link between OCD and a brain chemical called serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps nerve cells communicate.

Scientists have also observed that people with OCD have increased metabolism in the basal ganglia and the frontal lobes of the brain. This, scientists believe, causes repetitive movements, rigid thinking, and lack of spontaneity. Successful treatment with medication or behavior therapy produces a decrease in the over activity of this brain circuitry. People with OCD often have high levels of the hormone vasopressin.

In layperson's terms, something in the brain is stuck, like a broken record. Judith Rapoport, M.D., describes it in her book, The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing, as "grooming behaviors gone wild."

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=54&ContentID=23035

Autism Spectrum Disorders:

The ASDs are Autism (the defining disorder of the spectrum), Asperger Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Rett Syndrome, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD).

Diagnosis requires a two-stage process. The first stage involves developmental screening during “well child” check-ups. Several screening instruments have been developed to quickly gather information about a child’s social and communicative development within medical settings.

The second stage of diagnosis must be done by a multidisciplinary team composed of a psychologist, a neurologist, a psychiatrist, a speech therapist, or other professionals who diagnose children with ASDs.

What are the causes of ASDs?

There is no known direct cause of the disorders, which is one of the reasons why ASDs continue to remain elusive to doctors in the field. ASDs are complex disorders and have remained relatively inaccessible for study. It can be said with great certainty, however, that autism is not the direct cause of a psychological disturbance caused by detached or uncaring “refrigerator” mothers, as once suggested in the 1940s by Dr. Bruno Bettleheim. There is also significant evidence from large-scale studies that refute the proposed link between thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism.

Researchers believe that it is probably a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Studies of people with ASDs have found abnormalities in several regions of the brain, including the cerebellum, amygdala, hippocampus, septum and mamillary bodies. Neurons in these regions appear smaller than normal and have stunted nerve fibers, which may interfere with nerve signaling. This suggests that autism results from a disruption of normal brain development early in fetal development. Other studies suggest that people with an ASD have abnormalities of serotonin or other signaling molecules in the brain. These findings, however, are preliminary and require further study.

In recent studies it has even been suggested that some people have a genetic predisposition to ASDs. Scientists estimate that families with one child living with an ASD run the risk of approximately 5 to 10 percent of having a second child with one of the disorders—greater than the risk for the general population. Research continues into clues about which genes contribute to this increased susceptibility. Parents and other relatives of an autistic person show mild social, communicative, or repetitive behaviors that allow them to function normally but appear linked to ASDs. There is evidence that those who do not have a history with an ASD have a 0.1 to 0.2 percent change that the family will have a child with an ASD.

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Helpline1&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=65961

Understood. Maybe next time we would not refer to mental illness as myth? It is very real.

As for the docs being unable to cure it. They are in that position with a lot of medical conditions mental and physical. In those situations all they can do is treat the symptoms. They are not capable of curing them.

Why beat anybody up because our technology is not there yet?

One of the symtoms of MS is exhaustion. They (docs) don't know why but it is. If chronic fatigue is anything like what I have experienced then it is very real and very hard to deal with. You are mentally and physically so tired you cannot think nor function to do any of your daily responsibilities to yourself or others.

Dismissal of all of these conditions is dangerous at best and damaging at worst.

How can another person dismiss what someone else feels or goes through?

after thought: Pharmecuetical companies are monsters and almost uncontrolled. That is why we have so many of them getting sued over their medication. Whether they help to name conditions or not, I don't know, but they are way bigger than they should be.