Chemical imbalance in brain' myth debunked

[ILG]

Once, at a ladies retreat, I saw a woman "delivered" from her mental issues. She gave the speaker her bottle of meds, which the speaker held up for all to see and the speaker announced that the woman had been delivered and no longer needed her drugs. It made me shudder. If the woman had been delivered, great, but if not, the speaker is partly responsible for whatever outcome a woman with mental issues who gives away her meds might have.

[The Matt]

Originally Posted by Esaias

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/...l.pmed.0030318

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/...l.pmed.0020392

http://www.cchr.org/quick-facts/real...-disorder.html

http://www.academyanalyticarts.org/fores.htm

Just a few links to articles refuting the idea that mental disorders from ADHD to depression etc are caused by a 'chemical imbalance in the brain'.

Wow. Simply amazing. You know, I feel so much better now. I realize, everything that's been wrong with me for the last 25 years, all the depression, all the hurt, the inability to cope with things like normal people can, the crushing anxiety, the racing thoughts, the near death experiences, the worry my loved ones have had for me, the physical manifestations of mental disorder in my body....It in fact, never existed. It's completely been debunked by internet articles! Wow, all the science was just...propaganda! Mythology! Of the same level as Zeus, 9/11, and Hitler's death! It's ALL BEEN IN MY HEAD! This is awesome, I guess tomorrow I can just begin my completely normal life, with no problems. Why, maybe I'll even start a new career. I'm thinking....doctor. No, nuclear physicist. A nuclear physicist who performs surgery. Thank you so much for these articles. They truly changed my life! It just blows my mind. The years I completely WASTED by allowing myself to be treated by various medications for chemical disorders that went on to this very day...and all I had to do was just decide there was nothing wrong with my mind. Wow.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by The Matt

Wow. Simply amazing. You know, I feel so much better now. I realize, everything that's been wrong with me for the last 25 years, all the depression, all the hurt, the inability to cope with things like normal people can, the crushing anxiety, the racing thoughts, the near death experiences, the worry my loved ones have had for me, the physical manifestations of mental disorder in my body....It in fact, never existed. It's completely been debunked by internet articles! Wow, all the science was just...propaganda! Mythology! Of the same level as Zeus, 9/11, and Hitler's death! It's ALL BEEN IN MY HEAD! This is awesome, I guess tomorrow I can just begin my completely normal life, with no problems. Why, maybe I'll even start a new career. I'm thinking....doctor. No, nuclear physicist. A nuclear physicist who performs surgery. Thank you so much for these articles. They truly changed my life! It just blows my mind. The years I completely WASTED by allowing myself to be treated by various medications for chemical disorders that went on to this very day...and all I had to do was just decide there was nothing wrong with my mind. Wow.

The articles do not suggest that depression or other issues aren't real, just that they are not likely to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

'Just deciding there is nothing wrong' doesn't solve anything and never did. And neither I, nor any poster here, nor the authors of the articles I linked to, suggest any such thing.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by ILG

Once, at a ladies retreat, I saw a woman "delivered" from her mental issues. She gave the speaker her bottle of meds, which the speaker held up for all to see and the speaker announced that the woman had been delivered and no longer needed her drugs. It made me shudder. If the woman had been delivered, great, but if not, the speaker is partly responsible for whatever outcome a woman with mental issues who gives away her meds might have.

I have seen people delivered. I have also seen people testify to being delivered and then fall right back into their original condition. Sometimes we mistake zeal for faith. I have myself on occasion.

[The Matt]

Originally Posted by Esaias

I have seen people delivered. I have also seen people testify to being delivered and then fall right back into their original condition. Sometimes we mistake zeal for faith. I have myself on occasion.

You see amazing things that happened to wonderful people with plenty of faith, who didn't really deserve it being sinners, but received it anyway. I see an angry God who has cursed me for being a rotten person, with promises that I can't understand or see as graspable, an impossible standard or goal set for only people much stronger, goodlier, and charitable than me. Subject to change of course. Tomorrow I may see the light. Today, it's a Lot got the bad end of the deal sort of day.

[The Matt]

But then again maybe putting a prayer cloth in my wallet and having some vegetable oil rubbed on my head will make things much more better.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by The Matt

But then again maybe putting a prayer cloth in my wallet and having some vegetable oil rubbed on my head will make things much more better.

Naw, you just need a good woman with long uncut hair.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Esaias

The articles do not suggest that depression or other issues aren't real, just that they are not likely to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

'Just deciding there is nothing wrong' doesn't solve anything and never did. And neither I, nor any poster here, nor the authors of the articles I linked to, suggest any such thing.

I have no doubt that what are commonly referred to as "chemical imbalances" (or more likely -bad wiring of the brain) are real and occur in every single person, only the degree to which it happens being the only difference. Deciding how to FIX these imbalances and bad wiring's is where it gets really dicey. In some ways trying to cure mental issues with drugs is still at the stage of "blood letting" from the middle ages. Granted scientists are developing better maps of the mind and know, in general terms, where specific things happen, but it is still like trying to fix a computer program containing millions and millions of lines of code and not being able to look at more than a single screen full of them at a time. You can try to fix some code but will have NO IDEA what it will mess up in other areas of the program.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by The Matt

You see amazing things that happened to wonderful people with plenty of faith, who didn't really deserve it being sinners, but received it anyway. I see an angry God who has cursed me for being a rotten person, with promises that I can't understand or see as graspable, an impossible standard or goal set for only people much stronger, goodlier, and charitable than me. Subject to change of course. Tomorrow I may see the light. Today, it's a Lot got the bad end of the deal sort of day.

Hey, Matt, I understand your anger. Go ahead and be ticked. I don't believe that God has cursed you. I don't understand the injustice in the world either. But don't let anyone tell you you can't be mad about it. Stay the course though and don't do anything regrettable. When you are in that deep hole and people keep on shoveling the dirt onto your head, get mad and stomp your feet. One day, you could step out from all the dirt pressed underneath those feet.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

I have no doubt that what are commonly referred to as "chemical imbalances" (or more likely -bad wiring of the brain) are real and occur in every single person, only the degree to which it happens being the only difference. Deciding how to FIX these imbalances and bad wiring's is where it gets really dicey. In some ways trying to cure mental issues with drugs is still at the stage of "blood letting" from the middle ages. Granted scientists are developing better maps of the mind and know, in general terms, where specific things happen, but it is still like trying to fix a computer program containing millions and millions of lines of code and not being able to look at more than a single screen full of them at a time. You can try to fix some code but will have NO IDEA what it will mess up in other areas of the program.

I prefer trepanning to leeches, my self.