What do you Tell Someone Who Doesn't Believe Mental Illnesses Exist?

VeryPlainJane · Jan 13, 2006

I am not saying that there are no psych problems out there but I do believe that drug induced schitzophrenia is nothing but pure evil, the devil.

The devil causes mental illness and Pat Robertson believes God strikes down people with strokes....What a strange world we live in :saint:

StuPer · Jan 18, 2006

Ummm what if the person with a drug-induced psychosis is a Buddhist??....

Seriously though stephera I pray you are not a nurse, and even if you are not please access some information about drug-induced illness, its causes, the treatments (as Danu said if its the Devil we dont need a bible anymore we can just take Olanzapine and go to heaven). If you are a nurse... omg!!

regards StuPer

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · Jan 18, 2006

My manager, where I used to work at, before nursing school said that he does not believe in ADD/ADHD. He said that those kids are just spoiled and they were just not raised right.

LydiaNN · Jan 18, 2006

My manager, where I used to work at, before nursing school said that he does not believe in ADD/ADHD. He said that those kids are just spoiled and they were just not raised right.

And did his very good friend Tom Cruise come by to visit often?

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · Jan 18, 2006

And did his very good friend Tom Cruise come by to visit often?

:chuckle I should have asked when he made a statement. I was just stunned that I did not even respond. He thinks that ADD can not happen to the kids that were raised with good manners. :banghead:

StuPer · Jan 19, 2006

I have to say on the subject of ADHD/ADD that there is some controversy regarding the diagnosis. In Australia for example the incidence of diagnosis and treatment varies considerably across each State, now I cant for the life of me imagine we have State's that cause more ADHD/ADD than others. It seems to me while the illnesses are most certainly valid and there are many sufferers, there is also a proportion that are misdiagnosed and treated, when in fact the cause of the behaviour is not due to brain chemistry but poor behavioural management on the part of parents.

It is sometimes hard for doctors not to diagnose, when the parents are demanding to know why little johnny is throwing tv's through windows, and that if he doesnt diagnose, the parents will simply go to the next doctor who will, rather than looking at family therapy which would address the systemic problem.

As I said before I know the illness is real and have met some very unwell children, but there have been quite a few where I have been left wondering.

regards StuPer

LydiaNN · Jan 19, 2006

A misdiagnosis of a particular child doesn't speak to the non-existence of a particular disorder. I believe there is too quick a tendency to jump to the conclusion that a child has ADD/ADHD and put him on medication straight away. I think it is important to do complete developmental and medical assessments if the disorder is suspected. Due to costs or time restraints or whatever, that doesn't always happen, and that's a bad thing. The kids for whom the dx is accurate certainly benefit from treatment.

CharlieRN · Jan 20, 2006

First: Belief systems color how the world is preceived. Modern medicine is a special case of the scientific world view. It is evidenced based therapy. Modern psychiatry is a part of modern medicine. However, the disorder being treated is one of behavior. We are groping our way toward evidence based ways of treating disordered behavior. Ours is a disipline in flux, learning and trying new ideas all the time.

Older belief systems have other explanations for disordered behavior. Usually it is that the person involved is evil and chosing to do bad things. If the behavior seems to have reached the point where it is not just bad for others but also for the person doing it, then they usually blame a spiritual entity other than the person, which has influenced them. It is still volitional behavior but now it is the demon's choice.

The reality of personal choice is subjectively obvious. We all know we can chose to do one thing and not another. Just how absolutely free our choices are is debateable. There is a strong inclination to see ourselves as freer than we really are, even when this means accepting the blame for being a "bad" person. Free means being powerful and in control even when it means guilty. Being bad is less frightening then being powerless.

The flip side of this is the desire to put the blame on the other and punish his behavior. Punishing "bad" behavior is the tried and true way of dealing with it. It has been used for at least 7000 years. It's success can clearly be seen in the absence of any bad behavior now. It is a tried and failed method. But it does provide an outlet for the anger others feel at the misbehaving person.

One other way to respond to the person who does not believe in mental illness. Give them some literature from the flat earth society.

HappyJaxRN · Jan 20, 2006

Perhaps you psych nurses don't encounter many of these types of people, but I've been debating one recently. He believes that since the autopsy of the brain won't prove the deceased had bi-polar, ADHD, SAD, or any other mental illness, they don't exist. He thinks people just claim to have mental illnesses due to pride and mis-information, and that all they need is a little counseling (perferably from a "religious leader") and they'll see the error of their life of lies. Suggestions anyone?

Most mental disorders are related to a hormonal imbalance in the brain...with ADHD and bi-polar, I believe it's norepinephrine and seratonin imbalances. That's kind of hard to prove in an autopsy. Hormones regulate everything in the body, including the way we think. It's not just psychosematic.

Another factor that leads to mental illnesses is genetics. If a mother has paranoid schezophrenia (sp), most likely, she will pass that on to her offspring. That won't show up in an autopsy either. Nor will life experiences. Not everyone has a happy go lucky life. Some people, children are mistreated and don't know any different when they become adults.

HappyJaxRN · Jan 20, 2006

Well, all I believe is with schitzophrenia is that it is pure evil, nothing but the devil. I mostly believe this for ones who are drug attics. I am not saying there is no psych problems though.

You have to be kidding me. You're entitled to your beliefs, but I hope that you don't enter into the nursing field with such a narrow view on life. Not all drug ADDicts are schizophrenics and vice versa.

I'm afraid to ask what you might think a mental illness is.

HappyJaxRN · Jan 20, 2006

Like the other posters said... is this a joke? I hope you are not a nurse.
That is your choice to believe that schizophrenia is of the devil. I just didn't know the medication we have are so powerful these days that it can drive the devil out of a person with schizophrenia given I personally know more than one person with schizophrenia who has the right meds and there is no way you can tell they have this illness unless they tell you. Maybe the devil is getting weak in his old age...

:chuckle Very good response! I bet you're right!

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2006

Well, we can let him meet my husband ,he gives a new name to Bi- Polar. After he met my husband it would be he that needed the counseling....:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: