In no field is the corruption as deeply imbedded & institutionalized as in psychiatry

[Bob]

Here's an interesting article about corruption in the field of psychiatry... It specifically relates to the corruption of psychiatrists working for large drugs companies, but it seems to me that it also applies to the psychiatrists working in the field of ME/CFS.

It's an article about a review of books which was written by Marcia Angell, MD, former Editor in Chief of The New England Journal of Medicine. She worked as an editor of the Journal for two decades.

Article:
http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/733/61/

Original Book reviews:
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2009/jan/15/drug-companies-doctorsa-story-of-corruption/

Dr. Angell writes: "It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine."

In no field is the corruption as deeply imbedded and institutionalized as in psychiatry. Unlike other fields of medicine, psychiatry lacks objective diagnostic tests or even valid definitions of pathology: "since there are no objective tests for mental illness and the boundaries between normal and abnormal are often uncertain, psychiatry is a particularly fertile field for creating new diagnoses or broadening old ones. Diagnostic criteria are pretty much the exclusive province of the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM], which is the product of a panel of psychiatrists."

The current roster of psychiatrists who are plotting to expand psychiatry's ill-defined diagnostic "Bible," the DSM-V are, with just a few exceptions, professionally compromised by copious financial conflicts of interest.

And another, related, article in the LA Times:

DSM psychiatry manual's secrecy criticized.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is being revised under a cloak of confidentiality. Critics say the process needs to be open, and cite potential conflicts of interest. By Ron Grossman
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-mental-disorders29-2008dec29,0,3418306.story

 

[markmc20001]

good

Good. We need to see more exposing what is really going on. I want to know the truth especially when some of our institutions held in the highest esteem are allowing this kind of corruption to go on. If they want to be in research and academics, stock ownership should be out of the question for those in the position of influencing and persuading the meidcal community on approvals.

 

[pictureofhealth]

Excellent topic for a thread and serious debate Bob.

 

[floydguy]

Good. We need to see more exposing what is really going on. I want to know the truth especially when some of our institutions held in the highest esteem are allowing this kind of corruption to go on. If they want to be in research and academics, stock ownership should be out of the question for those in the position of influencing and persuading the meidcal community on approvals.

I've been somewhat amazed by how little oversight there is of institutions and their staff. I certainly appreciate academic freedom and all but it seems like academics can write just about anything they want on Harvard (or other institution) stationery and get automatic credibility just because of the institution's prestige - no matter what crap they have to say.

 

[Wayne]

Thanks for posting this Bob. If I had the time and energy, I might well spend the rest of my life exposing the psychiatry profession for what it is. And it isn't pretty.

Wayne

 

[paddygirl]

Nice to see the DSM held up to the spotlight.

 

[markmc20001]

I've been somewhat amazed by how little oversight there is of institutions and their staff. I certainly appreciate academic freedom and all but it seems like academics can write just about anything they want on Harvard (or other institution) stationery and get automatic credibility just because of the institution's prestige - no matter what crap they have to say.

Got to love these forums though where the truth gets out, becuase looks like the tide has just gone out and many of these folks have been caught with their pants down! (even though there are also many good researchers at those institutions who mean well).

 

[pictureofhealth]

Thanks for the chuckle Markmc! Not a pretty image is it? Especially when thinking about our lot in the UK!
No 'psychiatrists with pants down' icon available on the forum, so opted for :tear: 'tears of laughter' instead.

 

[guest]

Like Karl Kraus said: "Psychoanalysis is that mental illness for which it regards itself as therapy."

 

[maryb]

Bob would you mind if I picked some of the thread out and sent it to my MP - of course I want to name some prominent UK psychs in my letter.

 

[Bob]

Bob would you mind if I picked some of the thread out and sent it to my MP - of course I want to name some prominent UK psychs in my letter.

Hi Mary,

None of the quoted words are mine... I was just quoting the articles... So you don't need to ask me.

If you are writing to your MP, then may I suggest that you mention how the MRC are not giving enough funding to biomedical research into ME, and how nearly all of their funding for ME goes towards psychological research. And maybe quote Jonathan Kerr, at the Invest in ME conference, who said that his funding applications were getting blocked by psychiatrists on the panel of referees (there's a quote of his somewhere on the forum - If you want it and can't find it, then please let me know).

Enjoy the letter writing!

Bob

 

[Merry]

The War on Unhappiness

Hi, Bob.

In a recent issue of Harper's Magazine there was a thoughtful article about psychotherapy, mainly a report on a recent American psychotherapy conference. It was called "The War on Unhappiness" by Gary Greenburg.

In the article Dr. Greenburg takes a critcal look at celebrity therapists who spoke at the conference and their views. He includes some information on the history of CBT that I had not known.

Here's the link to the online version

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2010/09/0083100

but I am not positive that just anyone can access this by using the link. I subscribe to the magazine (print) and am registered at the website, and the website recognizes my computer without my logging in.

I tried to include an attachment of the article, but I discovered that this system will accept only Word documents as text attachments, and I no longer have Word on my computer, just Works.

Oh brother! This is more trouble than it is worth. For you and for everyone else. Sometimes I wonder why I even get up in the morning (not that I am exactly up).

Anyway, Bob, I have been thinking about this thread. Thanks for starting it.

Merry

 

[Bob]

Hi Merry,
Thanks for the link to the article...
Yes, you're right, I can only read the first paragraph.

But, by doing a quick google search, I found that someone has conveniently placed the full article online here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/38856474/The-War-on-Unhappiness

Sounds interesting, but I haven't read it yet... will have a look at it later,
thanks for that, Merry,
Bob