The Post-Partisan Emporium

  Staying Sane in the Land of Lunatics Manufactured madness or rule by insanity DONALD JEFFRIES When I was a young rebellious lad, I discovered the works of Dr. Thomas Szasz. I devoured his books  The Manufacture of Madness  and  The Myth of Mental Illness.  While working at the hospital, I would quote from them to the more interesting patients on the psych ward. This usually just happened to be the more attractive female patients. As Dr. Szasz noted, any of us can look “crazy” under a microscope. If you’re early for an appointment, the psychiatrist will label you “anxious.” If you’re on time, you’re too “anal.” If you’re late, you’re “rebellious.” I’ve met people whom I considered perfectly normal, but when they told me they’d spent time in a mental hospital, I instantly looked at them differently. It’s like being accused of child abuse. You may be perfectly innocent, but the allegation will always hang over your head. Once you’ve been labeled “mentally ill,” i...

  monetizing munchausen by proxy how the mental health industry was eaten by adverse selection EL GATO MALO this is an interesting insight that i’d like to amplify LINK around basic issues of mental well being, being told “you are ill, it’s not your fault” is worse than a wubbie or a crutch, it’s actual harm. it tells you there is something wrong with you and increasingly vilifies and stigmatizes the absolutely totally normal. it makes you into a mark. worse, it makes you into a “repeat customer” and you want to be seriously circumspect on that one. let’s look. past a certain point, “psychologists” (and even worse, psychiatrists who want to treat this with some truly unpleasant and dangerous drugs) are the scientology hucksters standing on the sidewalk looking for broken people to invite inside by asking questions like “do you ever feel sad or lonely for no reason?” i used to watch this in san francisco as team l ron hubbard had a mother ship downtown near my one time office. “woul...