Mental illness is most likely a fiction

[Rudd-O]

Child abusers can break a bone, but we would not call the child's broken bone an 'illness.'

Child abuse tends to break minds. The result is not mental illness, any more than a stab wound is a physical illness.

https://www.facebook.com/stefan.molyneux/posts/10151546940781679

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[davout]

Child abusers can break a bone, but we would not call the child's broken bone an 'illness.'

Child abuse tends to break minds. The result is not mental illness, any more than a stab wound is a physical illness.

https://www.facebook.com/stefan.molyneux/posts/10151546940781679

You're the living proof of the opposite

[fornit]

maybe you should make another sockpuppet before you run out of list space. plus its always better to multi-ignore people.

[casascius]

My personal experience leads me to strongly believe that people can be mentally ill without having been abused, the same way they can be born blind or deaf or with any other disability.

[davout]

Davout - Can you be more clear on exactly what your saying?   I am still trying to contempt his OP.

I sure could but can't be bothered

[Dalkore]

Davout - Can you be more clear on exactly what your saying?   I am still trying to contempt his OP.

I sure could but can't be bothered

I think Mike above actually did.  Thanks though.

[Rudd-O]

My personal experience leads me to strongly believe that people can be mentally ill without having been abused, the same way they can be born blind or deaf or with any other disability.

Sup man, hope you're okay.

Modern science of mental health and neurology says otherwise -- in the vast majority if not all cases of mental illness (exception made for provable congenital defects affecting the brain), there is always an environmental trigger associated.  This is why there isn't a "schizophrenia gene" or a "psychopathy gene", but rather genes that make people propense to schizophrenia or psychopathy.

If you are interested in the topic, I suggest these conversation starters:

http://fdrurl.com/bib

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOScYBwMyAA <- this one in particular

http://reason.com/blog/2010/08/19/reasontv-three-ingredients-for <- famous neurologist

Stef has a few interviews with (inb4 "fringe!") well-known mental health professionals about the topic.  I suggest you take a look at these too.

Please do ignore the two other people in this thread -- they are attempting to sabotage this post by either provoking me or derailing the topic.  Some people just have virulent and abusive reactions to discussing the (pretty much taboo) topic of child abuse; I won't speculate as to why they do that, but you can see for yourself that they definitely do, right here.

[drakahn]

Is autism a mental illness?

[casascius]

My personal experience leads me to strongly believe that people can be mentally ill without having been abused, the same way they can be born blind or deaf or with any other disability.

Modern science of mental health and neurology says otherwise -- in the vast majority if not all cases of mental illness (exception made for provable congenital defects affecting the brain), there is always an environmental trigger associated.  This is why there isn't a "schizophrenia gene", but rather genes that make people propense to schizophrenia.

Well of course... just like every time you flip a coin (exception made for all the times it lands tails) it lands heads!

Congenital means you're born with it.  Some people have mental illness resulting from congenital defects affecting the brain, just like you said.

[Rudd-O]

Is autism a mental illness?

It's so not a mental illness, that it's being phased out from the DSM in the DSM-V.  They're eliminating it and inventing a whole new category of "mental condition" called "Autism spectrum disorder", lumping "aspies" and profound autist children in a single category.

Psychology / psychiatry are by and large not sciences.  They are not evidence based.

Note that I'm not saying "autistic children have nothing wrong with them" above.

[Rudd-O]

My personal experience leads me to strongly believe that people can be mentally ill without having been abused, the same way they can be born blind or deaf or with any other disability.

Modern science of mental health and neurology says otherwise -- in the vast majority if not all cases of mental illness (exception made for provable congenital defects affecting the brain), there is always an environmental trigger associated.  This is why there isn't a "schizophrenia gene", but rather genes that make people propense to schizophrenia.

Well of course... just like every time you flip a coin (exception: all the times it lands tails) it lands heads!

Congenital means you're born with it.  Some people have mental illness resulting from congenital defects affecting the brain, just like you said.

I would love to have a conversation about the research exposed in the videos with you.  I understand they are very long, so I don't expect any kind of immediate feedback, but rest assured I would still love to have a conversation about it in a few days.

[Dalkore]

I love a guy that does exactly what he says other do to him and topics he responds or creates.  I am glad to find out that I am not the only one who feels Rudd-O is really rough when he responds.


Now to your point to stay on topic - Yes, I agree many mental illnesses are created by environmentally conditions, I would even say the majority (large majority).  I don't want to go on about this but I will leave it that our modern society has some very counter-productive messages that start with what the parents were taught as children up those each step of contact we make through society, schooling, media, peer-groups and straight-up propaganda.  

[davout]

They are not evidence based.

Same goes for math : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axiom

[evolve]

Welp, time to tell all those skizophrenics that there really are leprachauns telling them to burn things...

Who knew?

[matthewh3]

My personal experience leads me to strongly believe that people can be mentally ill without having been abused, the same way they can be born blind or deaf or with any other disability.

Sup man, hope you're okay.

Modern science of mental health and neurology says otherwise -- in the vast majority if not all cases of mental illness (exception made for provable congenital defects affecting the brain), there is always an environmental trigger associated.  This is why there isn't a "schizophrenia gene" or a "psychopathy gene", but rather genes that make people propense to schizophrenia or psychopathy.

If you are interested in the topic, I suggest these conversation starters:

http://fdrurl.com/bib

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOScYBwMyAA <- this one in particular

http://reason.com/blog/2010/08/19/reasontv-three-ingredients-for <- famous neurologist

Stef has a few interviews with (inb4 "fringe!") well-known mental health professionals about the topic.  I suggest you take a look at these too.

Please do ignore the two other people in this thread -- they are attempting to sabotage this post by either provoking me or derailing the topic.  Some people just have virulent and abusive reactions to discussing the (pretty much taboo) topic of child abuse; I won't speculate as to why they do that, but you can see for yourself that they definitely do, right here.

The current research is that schizophrenia is caused part genetic and part behavioural reasons.  Proved by the reasons that mental health problems can be heritable and by the fact when identical twins are born and one develops schizophrenia.  That the other twin is only 50:50 likely to develop schizophrenia as well.

[420]

well that guy's usually right. and I met him

[Rudd-O]

Welp, time to tell all those skizophrenics that there really are leprachauns telling them to burn things...

Who knew?

You know, I try to be pleasant... http://youtu.be/KLODu02R_gA?t=16m15s

I'd appreciate you actually participating in the conversation rather than making a mockery out of a very serious topic that affects millions of people.  But if you can't, please do disrupt the conversation once again, so I can file you in my ignore list.

[evolve]

No, I think I'd rather mock you for your stupid beliefs some more.

You're correct, this is a very serious and important issue. Millions of people suffer from mental illnesses, and your contention that their illnesses don't exist is borderline offensive. More importantly, the lack of recognition and treatment of these illnesses leads to tragedies like the Aurora theater shooting and the Connecticut school shooting. You are simply adding to the stigma that mental health treatment already has.

Basically, you are part of the problem.

[myrkul]

No, I think I'd rather mock you for your stupid beliefs some more.

You're correct, this is a very serious and important issue. Millions of people suffer from mental illnesses, and your contention that their illnesses don't exist is borderline offensive. More importantly, the lack of recognition and treatment of these illnesses leads to tragedies like the Aurora theater shooting and the Connecticut school shooting. You are simply adding to the stigma that mental health treatment already has.

Basically, you are part of the problem.

He's not denying that the conditions exist. What he is denying is that they are illnesses. A more accurate term would be injury.

[fornit]

He's not denying that the conditions exist. What he is denying is that they are illnesses. A more accurate term would be injury.

how is that even relevant as long as he doesnt point out what implications that distinction should have, in his opinion?