Criticisms of Psychiatry: The Religion of Bio-psychiatry - DaveEdmunds

[R3g3CiDe]

If we examine the term 'psychotherapy' we will see that it literally means the 'healing of the soul'. Much of emotional distress is actually a spiritual problem, where an individual has lost meaning and hope. In today's society, we have lost sight of spiritual values and many have in turn decided to turn to the religion of bio-psychiatry.



Bio-psychiatry has a creed, the creed is that all problems of life are the result of so-called chemical imbalances. Any professional or individual challenging such conception is branded a heretic and subject to sanction.

The psychiatrist is the priest, and in some cases is also looked upon as a messianic figure. As the priest, the psychiatrist defines the Social Law and the infractions thereof.

The religion of bio-psychiatry has its 'sacraments.' The sacrament of initiation occurs at intake, and confirmation occurs when the individual is indoctrinated into the credo of bio-psychiatry and led to believe that their problems lie in 'wiring' problems in their brains.

The religion of psychiatry has absolution. Through their ritual, adults and institutions are able to be completely absolved from taking any responsibility for meeting the real emotional needs of a person or examining how their own actions and choices could have impacted the challenges faced by the individual.

Ordination occurs at the conferring of the Medical Degree and the completion of a residency in psychiatry.

The religion of bio-psychiatry has the 'sacrament' of Matrimony. Bio-Psychiatry is wedded to the pharmaceutical industry, and what a generous dowry the pharmaceutical industry has provided!

The American Psychiatric Association serves as the "Ecumenical Council" to promulgate the creed of bio-psychiatry and to institute the definitions of the Social Law and the infractions thereof.

The Bible of bio-psychiatry is the DSM-IV.

The Deity is the enormous ego of the bio-psychiatrists themselves


Dan Edmunds is a noted psychotherapist and critic of bio-psychiatry. His website can be found at www.danedmunds.com

[Joe L. Ogan]

It isn't that people are stupid or ignorant, it is just that they know so many things that are not true.  I wish I could claim credit for that statement but, alas, I am not that deep of a thinker.  I no longer remember who originated the statement.  Joe L. Ofan

[squid]

As someone who has studied neuroscience and biopsychology for the past 8 years, I would disagree with OP's assertions.

[SWM]

this a particularly provocative op any way.  is there something particular you take issue with?

or are you disagreeing with the mind set of the op in general?

[squid]

this a particularly provocative op any way.  is there something particular you take issue with?

or are you disagreeing with the mind set of the op in general?

I disagree with the religion comparison.  And also that many of the mental disorders have been shown to have physical abnormalities such as atrophy in schizophrenia.

[voodoo scientist]

I completely agree with the religion comparison. I mean, he's way off the hyperbole scale about some of it, but the gist of it is right. Psychology is essentially a vast improvement on older religions - frankly, the average person would be a lot happier if "Cognitive Psychology" was a major religion.

[squid]

I completely agree with the religion comparison. I mean, he's way off the hyperbole scale about some of it, but the gist of it is right. Psychology is essentially a vast improvement on older religions - frankly, the average person would be a lot happier if "Cognitive Psychology" was a major religion.

I think we may differ on what constitutes "religion".  My definition is the one put forth by F.C. Wallace (1999):

...a set of rituals, rationalized by myth, which mobilizes supernatural powers for the purpose of achieving or preventing transformations of state in man and nature (pp. 384)

I fail to see where supernatural powers and myth enter the picture.  If you use a more loose sense of the term you could apply it to psychology and just about anything else that is an organized field or group - Star Trek could be a religion.

What is it about the field of psychology you see as parallel with a religion?

[Enigma]

Everything psychological is simultaneously biological.  OP's article fails.