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  1. D

    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    I like Frances' "The golden rule: an underlying medical illness or medication side effect has to be ruled out before ever deciding that someone's symptoms are caused by mental disorder."
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    An article by Allen Frances about the dangers of mislabeling medical illness which he posted prior to release of DSM-5. I perused some of his other posts and so far really like this guy. I haven't read his "Saving Normal," but it also sounds interesting...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    @Roy S . I had difficulty with the link; could you kindly repost? I just posted about so-called conversion disorder and the Justina Pelletier case on my disequilibrium1 blog. It's an entirely new level of harm from psych industry turf grabbing.
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    Just read up on the Justina Pellettier case. Yikes. Bad enough the mental health industry reduces some worried well to rock groupies, disciples and dependent children. Their unfounded notion they can psych away illness, the somatoform diagnosis, is an entirely different level of mayhem and...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    Writings from avid psych clients convey a worshipful obedience to their therapist/priests/parent figure, and a submission to the duty of therapy, as if it were some penance or purification that anoints them into a selective inner circle of evolved species. Defectors, more like heretics, are...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    @Roy S I enjoyed the Sunday Times article which started me thinking. I'm amused that someone has to do a categorical exploration of why psych practitioners resist scientific research. I would be far more colloquial and less kind why therapists resist scientific evidence. (A couple of...
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    Congressional Oversight Hearing ASAP &

    I also found shrinks seemed unable to suspect a client's troubles actually might be a PHYSICAL symptom. It's like they have a cure-in-a-box waiting for anyone who walks in. I have a different chronic ailment, then undiagnosed, and had a group therapy shrink scream at me for not being "present,"...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    @Alex-- Clinicians numerous efficacy studies to defend their modality or psychotherapy in general. Some participants on my blog--with much better science/academic backgrounds than me--have cited other studies and analysis poking holes in that research. It seems self-critique seems thin in the...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    I think that's a very important list, and one I see no practitioners discussing. I found the mere social hierarchy creation --the therapist the cool, able one; me the beseeching child--harmful. Therapists could purport to "boost my self esteem" until the cows come home, but the underlying...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    Thanks so much for reading those posts and bumping this thread. I'm struggling with the obstacles of other projects--but yes, I should get started with a page devoted just to hyperlinks. I'll touch base with you to get the ones you selected. Another blogger, trytherapyfree, did compile links...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    Roy S, I'll put that links page on my to-do list, also known as the canyon of good intentions. o_O * I'm certain that therapy temporarily can sooth, or hype with hope, I'm more agnostic how often therapy directly creates permanent, positive life changes. I suspect there's much suggestibility...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    I'm sorry anyone has to go through this. This notion that the mind has the certain power to heal the body doesn't have foundation in real science, otherwise everyone would be doing it. Psychologists represent themselves as rigorously educated and based on science. That they practice these...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    Roy S Roy, I'm sorry you had those experiences, compounding and complicating health challenges. I found this blog in a search for harm in therapy. The Heart and Soul of Change post was made by author Dr. Barry Duncan, who advocates for using a system of ongoing client feedback to tailor...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    Esther, exactly. If a consumer knowingly chooses paternalistic treatment, fine. The problems starts when one blindly is manipulated into a relationship she wouldn't have wanted. And likewise, people who are severely disabled may need decisions taken out of their hands. I'm at a...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    Exactly Esther. Both blogs are an exploration both of the paternalism, the absolutism and the pseudo-science, which is why I was moved to share them. Some of the contributions are from articulate academicians on the thread discussing proof, research biases etc. I'll be truthful. I don't have...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    I believe this relates. These are skeptical examinations of the structure that assigns the therapist the role of expert, sometimes leaving the client as the invalidated subordinate. http://disequilibrium1.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/a-disgruntled-ex-psychotherapy-client-speaks-her-piece/...
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    Psychological Treatments That Cause Harm

    Is it all right if I post links to mine and another blog discussion about harmful therapy that I think might be relevant?