Re:  psychiatric drugs

Will someone explain to me the relationship between traditional Catholicism and so-called alternative medicine, or alternative health care?  Why is this group of people so ready to prejudge pharmaceutical drugs, especially those that treat mental illness, as harmful products of an evil industry?

Most of the mentally ill do not recognize that they have conditions that require treatment.  So you should not look to them for reliable evaluations of the effectiveness of medications they may have had experience using.  And very possibly not using according to the regimens prescribed.

A person of ordinary good judgment who was old enough to have been acquainted with mental hospitals before the advent of drugs to treat mental illness (c. 1955, Thorazine), and then again shortly afterward, would be very unlikely to deny that these drugs have been a boon to mankind!  Now, of course, after Kennedy said c. 1960 (because of the advent of the drugs) that "[we were] going to be able to clear 50% of custodial population out of the state hospitals", followed by the civil rights era, in which people who KNEW NOTHING about mental illness, decided what a terrible thing it was that anyone (even a person not playing with a full deck who was hopelessly incapable of taking care of himself and living independently) should be a ward of the State, we hardly have any of such hospitals left, and instead we have the homeless on the streets; or in the shelters, often against their will.

I think for small numbers of people, such drugs may be needed, some temporary, some long term...i work all day reading and sumarizing medical records, it is astounding to see how many people are on them..some are on 4,5,6!

many, the treating MD never gets to the root of the problem at all...

many were abused, but many more opened themselves up to evil by drugs,alcohol, promescuity and in rare cases , outright occult activity......

If one needs to be stablized, fine, but lets get at the root of problem and wean off drugs....again, only a real small number need them long term.....

Many of said drugs act as a downer or upper, just legalized

Well it's confirmed true, then.

 

It's confirmed true because the story as been around.

whether yo uare right or wrong on this point Vand, you would not believe somehing if the DNA, blood sample, signed confession on video tape was in your hands...heck, you wold not beleive it if I handcuffed the guy to me and brought him before you.....

now time for you to  

The only thing that I am right about, is in making the claim that the quote made me laugh.  I have no opinion on the matter at hand, and I don't care to dig it up either.

Belloc

Would you then agree with Dr. Droleskey, who speaks quite dogmatically on subjects in which he has NO academic or empirical credentials, when he says that mental illness is, in essence, unrepented sin? And would be almost unheard of in the well-ordered, true Catholic society?

What makes the issue complex is that most people today have character defects wound up with whatever medical problems they may have.  

But what you said about getting to the root of the problem, B., is truly a base canard, in the case of those with genetically predisposed disordered brain biochemistry -- with respect to  schizophrenics, 2% of every population, according to what I was told many years ago by an alternative doctor, a so-called orthomolecular psychiatrist.  If you add in the numbers for bipolar disorder, maybe it's several percent of every population, I wouldn't know.  

I hope that all those purveyors of the oxymoron known as 'values-free' psychotherapy, often individuals with deplorable moral values of their own, who have wasted the time and hopes of naive people who needed real medical help, by telling them drugs were only a crutch that hindered their getting to the root of their problems, will eventually reap accordingly as they have sown.

Belloc

Would you then agree with Dr. Droleskey, who speaks quite dogmatically on subjects in which he has NO academic or empirical credentials, when he says that mental illness is, in essence, unrepented sin? And would be almost unheard of in the well-ordered, true Catholic society?

What makes the issue complex is that most people today have character defects wound up with whatever medical problems they may have.  

But what you said about getting to the root of the problem, B., is truly a base canard, in the case of those with genetically predisposed disordered brain biochemistry -- with respect to  schizophrenics, 2% of every population, according to what I was told many years ago by an alternative doctor, a so-called orthomolecular psychiatrist.  If you add in the numbers for bipolar disorder, maybe it's several percent of every population, I wouldn't know.  

I hope that all those purveyors of the oxymoron known as 'values-free' psychotherapy, often individuals with deplorable moral values of their own, who have wasted the time and hopes of naive people who needed real medical help, by telling them drugs were only a crutch that hindered their getting to the root of their problems, will eventually reap accordingly as they have sown.

CM parrots the false idea of Drolesky-- that mental illness is unrepented sin. What was it you sais CM-- something about the rath of God or the like?

MK ultra is a program that induces Multiple Personality Disorder by subjecting small children to horrific mental, physical and psychological abuse that is far beyond the ability of most people to comprehend.

It is of course true that due to the fallen nature of mankind,  some are born with psycho problems.

Belloc

Would you then agree with Dr. Droleskey, who speaks quite dogmatically on subjects in which he has NO academic or empirical credentials, when he says that mental illness is, in essence, unrepented sin? And would be almost unheard of in the well-ordered, true Catholic society?

What makes the issue complex is that most people today have character defects wound up with whatever medical problems they may have.  

But what you said about getting to the root of the problem, B., is truly a base canard, in the case of those with genetically predisposed disordered brain biochemistry -- with respect to  schizophrenics, 2% of every population, according to what I was told many years ago by an alternative doctor, a so-called orthomolecular psychiatrist.  If you add in the numbers for bipolar disorder, maybe it's several percent of every population, I wouldn't know.  

I hope that all those purveyors of the oxymoron known as 'values-free' psychotherapy, often individuals with deplorable moral values of their own, who have wasted the time and hopes of naive people who needed real medical help, by telling them drugs were only a crutch that hindered their getting to the root of their problems, will eventually reap accordingly as they have sown.

if mental illness is due to unrepetant sin, than how do we explain St. Therese-an innocent, devout French girl? She suffered from melancholy and scruples, but was not actively committing sin?

all illnesses are a result of the Fall of Eden, many physical ones kicked into overdrive after the Flood, when man lived a lot less and suffered more.

I used to have a MD friend that felt that most mental illness was a result of inability to properly cope and deal with stress. He, a rosary saying SSPXer did not feel the way Drolesky expalins.

SOmething too about Drolesky, if you have read his writings over the yrs, as I have, you can see a pattern to his thinking, he has really gotten more angry, down and it shows in his stances and attitudes....not to deman him, but he I think is going through internal crisis himself...

Yes active sin plays a part often, or can result after long term depression,etc (acting out, drinking,etc) can open doors.

Pardon me, please.  I know your question was for another poster ... But in reference to:

"if mental illness is due to unrepetant sin, than how do we explain St. Therese-an innocent, devout French girl? She suffered from melancholy and scruples, but was not actively committing sin?"

One of the things that has always struck me when I've read biographies of various saints, is that they could always find things that were sinful in their thoughts or behaviors.  Even when to us viewing from the outside we could not find any evidence of sin being committed.

The closer one gets to God, the more exacting one gets about sin and the more one notices the tiniest impediments to full union with Him.

St. Therese may have been outwardly "perfect" by our measures .... but she may have continued to struggle with the sin of pride (scruples), and desperation (melancholy).  

This is only a thought ... I'm sure I could be wrong in my conclusion.  :)

God Bless,
MrsZ