A Discussion of the New Open Letter From The Task Force on Psychiatric Diagnostic Alternatives
Welcome to From Insults To Respect. As several of my earlier blog posts have indicated, many professionals, mental health service users, involuntary patients, and the general public have little, to no respect, for the American Psychiatric Association’s most recent version of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Just before the DSM-5 was published, early drafts were made available, and in 2011 the British Psychological Society…
Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Today we once again take up the controversial topic of the usefulness of the group of drugs referred to by psychiatrists and the pharmaceutical industry as “antipsychotics.” In most of the articles that I have read that have been written by psychiatrists, “antipsychotic” drugs are the first line of treatment for schizophrenia. And yet, a growing number of mental health…
Welcome to From Insults To Respect. Today’s post takes a close look at an exchange that Senator Martha McSally of Arizona had with CNN Reporter Manu Raju while he attempted to ask her a question in a Capitol Hill hallway. The exchange went like this: RAJU: Senator McSally, should the Senate consider new evidence as part of the impeachment trial? McSALLY: You’re a liberal hack. I’m not talking…
Welcome to From Insults to Respect. “Blowin’ In The Wind.” “With God On Our Side.” “Masters Of War.” These are songs Bob Dylan has written and performed expressing deep emotions about the wisdom of going to war. As I began to reflect on these songs, to my mind came the pounding of war drums, the cries of vicious insults emanating from a deadly divide, images of…
Welcome to From Insults to Respect. I hope all of you are having a fine holiday season. This, of course, is the time of year when the longing for peace on Earth and good will to all is beautifully expressed in songs and stories. Despite this longing, over the centuries, during the holiday season, for many, it brings a lamenting because we have not achieved this…
Welcome to From Insults to Respect. Recently I came upon an article in the October 2019 edition of the American Psychologist about using timeouts with children from 2 to 8 years of age. As a grandfather, it caught my attention. According to the authors, Mark R. Dadds and Lucy A. Tully, the use of this technique is quite controversial. Well, it just so happens I love dealing with controversial…
Welcome to From Insults To Respect. Today’s topic involves life and death issues. When some people become concerned about their emotions, moods, behavior, or the ups and downs of life, they often seek professional mental health services. If they go to someone in the medical profession, they typically find that after a visit of somewhere between ten minutes to an hour they have been labeled as having…
Welcome to From Insults To Respect. Last year I published a post titled “Are Antipsychotics Beneficial?” (see HERE). Although I had personally reviewed the research, I relied on my method of presenting this information to readers by summarizing a free PDF written by the highly regarded science writer, Robert Whitaker, titled, “The Case Against Antipsychotics: A Review of Their Long-term Effects.” By clicking on the blue…
Welcome to From Insults To Respect. As I write this, it is the time of year that for most Americans the fresh new school year is well on its way. It is also the time when we begin to see some teachers becoming frustrated with some of their new students because they won’t sit quietly during lessons, or their attention too frequently wanders. And so, parents…
Welcome to From Insults To Respect. I’m Dr. Jeffrey Rubin. Typically, here on this blog I aim to write posts that suggest how we might deal with various intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts in a manner that will enhance the respect that we have for ourselves, and others have for us. But today we will look at a set of circumstances that is a bit more complicated….
