As reported in an article in Forbes titled, Researchers Doubt That Certain Mental Disorders Are Disorders At All, a recent study questioned the validity of labeling depression, anxiety and even ADHD as mental disorders. [1]
The researchers in the study based their conclusions in part on the fact that “medical science has never been able to prove that anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are inherited conditions.” [2]
Another fact that helped the researchers come to the conclusion that behavior which is being labeled as mental illness is simply a response to adversity is “that despite widespread and increasing use of antidepressants, rates of anxiety and depression do not seem to be improving.” [3]
This conclusion is one which the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) has been proclaiming for decades stating that psychiatry has repackaged normal emotions, responses to adversity and behaviors as “disease” in order to sell drugs. [4]
CCHR, a watchdog organization that investigates abuse in the field of mental health, has long reported on studies and papers which have pointed to the marketing of human behavior as mental illness creating an $80 billion psychotropic drug industry. [5]
“With 1 in 6 Americans taking a psychiatric drug and 1 in 10 of these being an antidepressant, drugging human behavior has become big business,” said the President of the Florida chapter of CCHR. “More and more people are being evaluated, labeled and then drugged.” [6,7]
According to the article in Forbes, reconsidering how anxiety, depression or ADHD are labeled is important since these labels are used to define a person and their capabilities. Using ADHD as an example, the article goes on to report that when the behavior associated with the ADHD disorder label was instead addressed as a learning difference and not a disorder, the problems associated with the behavior often disappear. This same article elaborated on the labeling of ADHD as a disorder by referencing the difference between ADHD rates in Finland and the United States. Finland has very low rates of ADHD and physical activity is a substantial part of the school day. Conversely, in the United States “elementary school students often get only 15-20 minutes of recess a day” and the ADHD rates have gone up over the last 15 years.
“There are almost 3.4 million children in this country taking psychiatric drugs for ADHD and almost 70,000 of these children are age 5 and under,” said Diane Stein. “It is known that children labeled with ADHD are at a greater risk for suicide yet the fact that the psychiatric drugs prescribed to ‘treat’ ADHD have suicidal ideation as a side effect is ignored.” [8,9,10]
CCHR has long suspected that one of the reasons so many young children are prescribed psychiatric drugs, is through Medicaid, which is state and federal funding for low income families, their children, as well as foster children. There is a financial incentive for child drugging because of Medicaid, as states receive funding based on costs incurred for treating children, including with psychotropic drugs. [10] This is why CCHR is calling upon lawmakers to investigate the psychiatric drugging of children in America.
Sources:
[1] Mental health is biological health: Why tackling “diseases of the mind” is an imperative for biological anthropology in the 21st century; By Kristen L. Syme and Edward H. Hagen
First published: 24 November 2019 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajpa.23965
[2] Researchers Doubt That Certain Mental Disorders Are Disorders At All; By Alison Escalante Published Aug 11, 2020 https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisonescalante/2020/08/11/researchers-doubt-that-certain-mental-disorders-are-disorders-at-all/#2d011dde15a6
[3] Ibid.
[4] Real Disease vs. Mental “Disorder” https://www.cchr.org/quick-facts/real-disease-vs-mental-disorder.html
[5] The Marketing of Madness Are We All Insane? https://www.cchr.org/documentaries/marketing-of-madness/introduction.html
[6] 1 in 6 Americans Takes a Psychiatric Drug; Scientific American; By Sara G. Miller Published December 13, 2016 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/1-in-6-americans-takes-a-psychiatric-drug/
[7] Astounding increase in antidepressant use by Americans; Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School; Peter Wehrwein Published OCTOBER 20, 2011, 12:46 PM , UPDATED MARCH 06, 2020 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/astounding-increase-in-antidepressant-use-by-americans-201110203624
[8] ADHD and Youth Suicide: Is There a Link? Published August 2o, 2019 https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2019/08/adhd-and-youth-suicide#:~:text=Youth%20with%20ADHD%20are%20at%20an%20increased%20risk%20of%20suicide,behaviors%20during%20times%20of%20distress
[9] https://www.cchrint.org/psychdrugdangers/
[10] Number of Children & Adolescents Taking Psychiatric Drugs in the U.S. https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-drugs/children-on-psychiatric-drugs/
[11] https://www.fightforkids.org/call-to-action
Amen. Folks like me reacted to being tossed nine feet across a room in my home, then held down and drugged by 3-6 EMS techs and 4 deputies. A nasty woman called 911 asking for me to be taken to the VA hospital after she argued with me more than 15 minutes about having a colonoscopy. Repeating over and over, “You have to have it done. You had a FIT+ test. You have cancer.”
I reacted by turning my back and refusing to speak or acknowledge her. She’s a couples therapist at the VA. Then she called 911 and unleashed Unholy Hell. After a paramedic lost his cool and tossed me backwards, realizing he hurt me, asked for cops to respond lights and sirens.
When they arrived, I was beyond angry. I’ve had three spine surgeries and almost every major joint replaced – AND, hut my head so hard I saw stars. Then the creep and his EMT partner held me down while the PMD injected me with a contraindicated drug (5 mg Droperidol). Then they radioed for police assistance for “Patient is Combative and Physical”. Even IF that were true, it would be a very human response to being assaulted – in one’s home – and frightened to death.
I’m 76 and he was about 30, physically strong and talker than me, and had a Warrior attitude. Reactions to threats and assaults is not a mental illness. SO, he told the cops I was being treated for PTSD by a VA psychiatrist — BOTH lies – but even if true, I’ve always believed PTSD is a natural response to traumatic experiences. We are built that way to protect our minds and our bodies – or possibly risk putting ourselves in danger when faced with something similar.
Being protective is NOT a mental illness – it is to preserve life – ours or someone else’s.
The Baker Act is used far too often for retaliation and/or punishment. Then the greedy healthcare providers glom on when an individual has insurance coverage not caring about co pays and deductibles. They just see $$$$ and don’t care who they hurt. The Baker Act is a huge money making scheme used against kids and adults who are deprived of due process and their constitutionally protected rights. The hospitals violate the clear letter of the law because they rarely if ever are held accountable. Why! Good luck finding a law firm or attorney who gives a flying F¥¢k.
In the meantime, the unconstitutionality of Baker goes unchecked, and people like me suffer permanently.
BTW, the injuries I sustained from being tossed and drugged into a heart attack and coma will require neck (C1-2/ cervical junction injury – injury) surgery to prevent possible paralysis or death AND shoulder surgery to remove bone fragments from the joint.
As soon as lawyers hear “Baker Act” mentioned they close the door. Like most, their bias against “mental illness” transcends common sense and empathy.
If you have not already done so, please call our office at 800-782-2878 and make a formal report of this abuse. Thank you.
Nice information, thanks!
It’s a chance that that kind of study begin to rise in that field – like in other medical fields where treatment are often based on biased interpretations studies, and mainly financed by drug industry.
Thanks for the report.