Customer Reviews

Ill Not Insane

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"The medical model for psychiatric illnesses recognizes that some individuals have physical diseases which affect the brain, disrupt its activity and make it incapable of processing information, thinking and feeling in ways accomplished effortlessly by a normal brain. It also recognizes that there are some people who suffer from psychological trauma and stress that interfere with their every day functioning, and that the ability to cope with these stresses can be learned through insight-oriented therapy. But the medical approach to these illnesses carefully searches for physiological problems which could cause the behavior before assuming the problem is of psychological origin....

The mental health system needs to move forward. Its professionals need to do more than just talk to patients. They need to become expert in all the possible causes for their patients' behaviors and then diagnose. They need to be aware of and take advantage of the many advances in medical technology that can help them in this process. They need to treat each patient as an individual and prescribe treatment based on the cause of the condition, not just on its symptoms.

The care given those displaying psychiatric behaviors can no longer be based on either/or theories. Mental health and legal professionals must recognize that psychological problems can be caused by both socio-enviromental stresses and diseases of the brain. Failure to do so violates each patient's rights to the most appropriate treatment that will cure or control his or her symptoms in the least restrictive setting."
--- excerpts from book's Introduction