Psychpolitics

Prosper Kudzanai Mushauri

“What is truth?”… John 18:36

Psychiatry has been a source of highly controversial debates in the arena of anomalous experiences. Psychiatry has been shouldered in mists of polemic debates (Sanyal 2017, p. 23). Marxist Vicent Navarro 1980 cited in Sanyal (2017p24) connected medicalization to a repressive capitalistic society. Whitaker (2010) cited in Littrell and Lacasse (2012p265) compared contemporary outcomes of problems of living before coming in of psychiatric drugs and found out that functional outcomes before advent of drugs were better for major depression and bipolar, contemporary medicinal approach aid to lifelong problems to continue to recur or become chronic. David Pilgrim (2007) cited in Moncrieff (2010p371) is of the view that the questioning has gone beyond the use of mental health classification of anomalous experiences  into diseases, rather it has moved on how these diagnosis are still extant and who does it serve. There has been an insurmountable over diagnosis of mental issues and once labelled psychotic, things one speak or act is viewed in suspicion (Gotzsche 2015p13). Psychiatry’s entrance in issues of madness has in no way elevated the welfare of those affected with madness. Rather it is apparent that its entry in the arena of anomalous experiences is iatrogenic in its pith.

FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES WITHIN BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY

Expected outcomes from use of psychotropic drugs have not been achieved they remain mythical. Rigorous science researchers have been unable to show correlation on increased use of antidepressants and falling suicide rates or the inverse of this (Gotzsche 2015, p. 19). There is a dearth of evidence which outlines lucidly that the so called mental illness would respond in a known manner as is the outcomes founded in the disease model (Moncrieff 2010p371).Reed(2013, p.3) is of the view that anomalous experiences is not an illness.  The view that it is an illness like any other as postulated by biological psychiatry and pharmaceutical companies is not research based. It is debilitating to those who happen to carry these stigmatizing psychiatric labels. Moncrieff and Cohen (2005) cited in Moncrieff (2010p371) aver that there is complete absence of any type of psychotropic drugs of either undoing any hidden physical process even iota ones that are thought as causal to anomalous experiences. Frances (2010) cited in Littrel and Lacasse (2012p266) was ambivalent over the diagnosis of prepsychosis as this had consequences were people would be labelled as psychotic and placed on ineffective psychotropic drugs with negative outcomes. Thomas Insel director of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) stated that the current regiment of drugs in anomalous experiences help a very insignificant number of diagnosed persons (Littrel and Lacasse 2012p266). North and Suris (2017p3) are of the view that psychiatric nosologies are just but a constellation of characteristics symptoms and that being the case it remains unthoughtful to an evidence-based classification system at the current period. Psychiatric drugs have results which are in the negative and are known to be inconsistent (Moncrieff 1997p64). Researchers have concluded based on sound research that antidepressants drugs exert only a placebo effect (Moncrieff 1997p66).

POLITICS OF MENTAL NOSOLOGIES

The DSM has always been a harbinger of dubious diagnostic criterions. According to Reznek (1987) cited in Maddux, Gosselin and Winstead (2012p8) in the 17th century psychiatry nosologies classified masturbation amongst females and children as a disease and treated in some instances by clitoridectomy. Maddux, Gosselin and Winstead (2012p8) aver that slaves who had a desire to have their freedom by escaping from their slave owners were said to have draptomania. Chimunhu (2014p1) commenting on a decision by psychiatrists in 1973 of repealing homosexuality from the DSM, states that the DSM abdicated science and allowed whims of politics to rule there by creating a never ending polemic debate. Psychiatric diagnosis are heavily informed by putative knowledges (Barker and Buchanan-Barker 2012p23). There is inherent corruption in the construction of the DSM-5 there are conflict of interest with those involved in its construction and pharmaceutical companies according to (Harries and Carey 2008) cited in (Littrel and Lacasse 2012p267). Luty (2014p58) cites Szasz who states that psychiatric drugs are moral judgements divorced from science. Moncrieff (2010p375) is of the view that psychiatric diagnosis is a development of an esoteric branch of knowledge. Psychiatric research which contributes to the construction of the DSM is viewed by Gotzsche (2015p14) as predominantly pseudoscience.

IATROGENIC HARM AND MURDER IN CHILDREN

Psychiatry has over diagnosed children in the pursuit to amass financial fortunes and other dubious ends. Numbered third on the controversy scale is the rise of bipolar diagnosis amongst children and adolescents as defined by current nosologies(North and Suris 2017p2). Gotzsche (2015p13) is of the view that there is too much of mental challenges. In 1939 and 1941 500 children were killed in Nazi Germany mainly those with mental illness (Luty 2014p52) this was done on progress led by psychiatrists. Domino and Swartz (2008) cited in Littrell and Lacasse (2012p265) have a record increase in use of atypical antipsychotic in children. Amongst drugs used on children which fall in the categories very few are FDA approved for children (Littrel and Lacasse 2012p266). According to investigators report given by US senator Tom Carper Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigating medication of foster children, in various states doses were maintained beyond the maximum levels approved by the FDA. Viewing it on the perspective that children have consent dilemmas they are often abused by psychiatry and its cohorts in the name of doing things in the best interests of children.

A HISTORY OF MEDICAL ASSASSINATIONS

The incidents which have been highlighted so far cement the argument that history has taught nothing to psychiatry. It is from this perspective when we look back to the history of psychiatry in the past that we can learn to understand it as more of a mischivieous discipline. In between 1939-1941 close to 100000 people living with anomalous experiences were killed in Nazi Germany and 400000 sterilizations took place mainly of people with anomalous experiences under eugenic laws instigated and enabled and facilitated by psychiatrists (Luty 2014p52). According to Kuechenhoff (2008) cited in Luty (2014p52) Emil Kraeplin, Eugen Bleuler and Auguste Forel, initiated the maiden sterilizations without consent in Germany talking nations in 1886. Torrey and Yolken (2009 p26) states that the highest criminality in the history of psychiatry was in the Nazi genocide of psychiatric patients. Drs Ernst Rudin and Franz Kallmann amongst others held to the diabolical view that people with madness should not have childbirth so that they would not contaminate those with strong genes, in barring them conception of children they did this via compulsory sterilizations (Torrey and Yolken 2009p26). The approach of psychiatry from antique has been diabolical in that it has instigated sterilization led to the killing of those deemed to have mental illness and suppressing civil liberties of child bearing to those living with madness. Vine (2009p13) avers that unlike other branches of psychology psychiatrists have not yet distanced themselves from their predecessors.

SUBJUGATIVE VIEWS AND CONTROL TOOLS

 Psychiatry has long held viewed life of those living with madness as unworthy lives. Alfred Hoche a psychiatrist by profession created the phrase “life unworthy life” putting across his views that people with madness weighed negatively to society and should be killed (Vine 2009p2). Torrey and Yolken (2009p27) cited that Karl Binding, a lawyer and Alfred Hoche in 1920 conceptualized the killing of people with madness who were in hospitals. In a paper with headline called permission for the destruction of life unworthy of life, they cited those living with madness as ‘mentally dead’ and comparing their intellectual capacity to be way below those of animals. The nosological systems in psychiatry which led to diagnosis are just signals for the application of pre-existing institutional arrangements. Foucault, 1965, Szasz, 1994; Conrad 2009 cited in Moncrieff (2010p376) opine that psychiatry is an institution of controlling society and it is common. Views by Moncrieff of (2010) explicitly show that psychiatry allows society to be whooped into submission of the dictates of society and it paves way for the release of funds.

RESEARCH MANIPULATION AND MONETARY GAINS

Scientific principles were sacrificed at the altar of monetary expediency. Psychiatric drugs make global sales of around 19 billion per year (Kirsch 2009p1). During the Third Reich those who manipulated data secured funding sources, Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Brain Research managed to access double its funding during war (Vine 2009p5). Dubious researches by psychiatrists lead to the slaughter of human life on the pretext of heredity preservation via eugenic sterilizations and killings, Erbwissenschaft of Heredity studies laid the ground for these ruthless acts of sterilization and killings(Vine 2009p6). Research has been controlled by drug companies publishing only research which supports the efficacy of psychiatric drugs and it is on record that the repeat of psychiatry evils in which manipulated research is still extant within contemporary research in issues of madness, were 40% of unfavourable research is hid and unpublished because it proffers negative results to psychiatric drugs (Kirsch 2008p1). In the manner in which psychiatry conducted itself it relegated its practice to the morasses of pseudoscience were science and its praxis was more founded on political ideologies and beliefs than science. Medication of madness via psychiatric nosologies, the DSM 111 was aimed only to protect the discipline from rivalry competition, so that psychiatry had a dominant role to play in the management of madness and mental distress (Wilson 1993) cited in (Moncrieff 2010p373). Hence psychiatry’s gusto in malice is based on accessing a dominant role in madness. Following guild interests has made it unable to comport to the mores of psychological ethics.

HOPES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

In conclusion it is the ever wish of this paper that the praxis within mental health comports to the mores of psychological ethics. Achievement of this can be done by ensuring that beneficence of clients is upheld. Our hope is that psychiatry as a discipline it reviews its curriculum and focus more on aspects to do with tranquilizing and professional withdrawal of drugs from users. We also hope more is done in informing and further educating the prescribers of psychotropic drugs on the dilemmas of drugs side effects they prescribe.

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