Are mental illnesses real?

I think it is hard to tell because the definition of a "normal mental state" is rather fuzzy. But, idk, it felt real when I was diagnosed with depression.

>>8609058
Of course it's over-diagnosed. Prescription drugs is a billion dollar industry.

If you go about it based on actual diagnoses instead of tumblr special snowflakes the number of misdiagnosed people decreases substantially, but there's still a fair amount of 'muh prescribe amphetamines to five-year-olds'. The conditions themselves are real, I've said it here before but adhd patients specifically have shown an imbalance of dopamine and noradrenaline in their brains.

"Mental illnesses" are the symbols we use to describe exceptionally apparent variance from the human psychiatric archetype. What an individual considers to be normal is the superposition of things they have observed, and abnormality is gauged from this. As a species, we have had an increasing supply of raw data on the social object of the internet, and so we have a hyper-refined notion of "normality." This is why people have to label their sexuality extravagantly, and why psychiatric diagnoses are both skyrocketing and becoming more complex. I guess there is such a thing as mental illness: it's called individuality, and the more virulently you express yours, the more society will see that you are "ill."

>>8609088
where could i find these studies? and what other types of imbalances are there? Im not quite sure i have enough medical knowledge to even understand what an imbalance is (seeing on how its thrown around here like Humarism), but i think it would be an interesting read.

Also, im assuming this connection (between dopamine and noradrenaline) cause is unknown. Im guessing is postulated to be caused by the organs that produce these chemicals? Or is it based on some sort of cellular level issues with how they react the the chemical itself?

>>8609082
What do you get when you take Sir out with a syringe and drop by the sea to drop your evidence?

That's right children, cringe.

>>8609104
Because, if you haven't noticed, I'm a little busy?

You see? This is sort of my fucking job dude. I didn't get to pick it though. I had to create a memetic virus/understand the true danger towards 'humanity'. I had to become both cure and curse.

You have to come to me if you want to see me dude.

Why do you think a cadence is not someone who I live WITH? I'm homeless dude, but I have a home.

In her heart.

>>8609058
Yes. And females are the cause.

>>8609094

OP this is the best answer so far.

If you go into medicine or higher level sciences, you will discover that practical issues bump up against philosophical issues.

Mainly, there is no real "normal". We only have models of what we are considering ideal/normal (e.g. Dentures).

The definition of these "normal" models are particularly ambiguous and changing in psychological fields. For example, being gay was classified as a mental illness until only relatively recently (I think in the 2000's if I remember correctly).

>>8609114
Schizos get off my board. none of your posts made LOGICAL sense past whining.


TO op they make a lot of money and the early 1900s equivalent of sending ur wife to a loony bin to get rid of her has changed. Now you can send your kids for indefinite amounts of time.

t. 6 months wasted because parents didn't want to raise me.

Of course mental illness exists you absolute fuckwit. What kind of a question is that.
>>8609094
Having psychosis isn't 'individuality'.

>>8609584
My answer was more descriptive than yours... why is the "collective reality" any more objectively correct than someone's delusions? (Protip: a utilitarian stance doesn't count as objective.)

>>8609058
Yes they're real. Self diagnoses are often bullshit. Your classmates' idiocy doesn't mean professionally studied and diagnoses mental problems are fake.

>>8609588
By the literal definition of mental illness. Next you're going to be telling me that somebody with the flu isn't any more ill than somebody without it.

>>8609094
>I guess there is such a thing as mental illness: it's called individuality

Post-modernist detected

>>8609592
Nah mate having the flu just makes you more of an individual

>>8609592
>By the literal definition of mental illness.

Diff. anon here.

Where do you think those definitions come from?

The flu just has a more stable definition which identifies it as something no one wants that interferes with day to day life.

Mental problems are more ambiguous because they are much more complicated and often less understood.

For example, context can change whether someone would be considered to have a mental problem. Context could include things like age, location, culture, etc.

For example, if an adult acted like a child, the adult might be diagnosed with a mental illness. Notice, how the diagnosis was age dependent.

File: realz.jpg (58KB, 866x700px) Image search: [Google]

58KB, 866x700px

How can mental illness be real
if brains arent real ?

>>8609606
Yes, of course mental illnesses are harder to diagnose. And the diagnostic is often very hand-wavy or situational. But when somebody is hearing voices that doesn't exist and having visions there has to be a term for that. That term is mental illness.

>>8609592
Are you insinuating that diagnosis of the flu is even remotely similar to diagnosis of a mental illness? Come on, that's silly. The flu is a very "dense" symbol, in that we check members of the set of "people with the flu" by testing for a virus, which has very good success. Diagnosing a mental disorder beyond the point of spouting platitude is a long process of evaluation and subjective analysis, which itself is checking for an ad hoc set of symptoms which were assembled because it's the best we can do.

I'm not saying that mental illness should go undiagnosed, unstudied, or untreated. I am saying only that mental illness is simply the state of being deviant from some relativized psychological standard. I never realized how prevalent reductionism has become on this board, which is especially ironic since most of you tend to hate on psychology when the village psycho isn't present to play devil's advocate.

t. diagnosed and treated for obsessive-compulsive disorder

>>8609632
I'm glad you agree with me that mental illnesses exist.

>>8609058
No, just Satan corrupting people's mind. Pray to God to cleanse your illnesses.

>>8609619

Yep. Agreed, but the name is not simply "mental illness" and diagnosing someone is not as simple as you are implying.

The actual definitions, based on modern research and understanding, are much more precise and rigorous. Interpreting symptoms and prescribing medicine based on a diagnosis requires a medical degree.

If you are interested in reading about some of the definitions, you might want to check out DSM-5.

>>8609667
I'm familiar with DSM-5. I'm aware of the problems with diagnosis, I don't think I ever tried to imply otherwise.

The OP question was are mental illnesses real. Yes they are.

>>8609632

Yep, I am on the same page as you.

You bring up great points. In addition to being more complicated and context dependent to diagnose, as you have pointed out, our understanding of the brain is still very much evolving. After all, not too long ago, we were handing out pre-frontal cortex lobotomies and electroconvulsive therapy like it was candy.

> Are you insinuating that diagnosis of the flu is even remotely similar to diagnosis of a mental illness?

I do, however, see a great similarity in that both diagnosis of the flu and diagnosis of a mental illness is the practice of medicine that depends on the medical definition of a "normal" model.

People without "issues" do not adopt an illness label, and sane, stable people certainly wouldn't swallow society's man-made chemicals.
Emotional and spiritual issues should be seen in addition to mental issues, though all three present themselves to some degree. Even people's body posture easily shows their immaturity, that they look for physical before spiritual and emotional, sex before love, exhibitionism before humility and modesty, looks before spirit.
Mental issues are bad because people cannot function so they are chaotic and completely unpredictable; unable to contribute. Often, they destroy infrastructure.
People with emotional issues are bad because, while they seem superficially normal to the shallow people, these people use and then blame, rage and revenge when the other person doesn't want to be used any more. Lots of seriously inadequate, incompetent and insecure people out there. The guys take it out on the females and the gals take it out on children.
Spiritual issues are bad because these represent people who lack the spirit of cooperation and sharing and a sense of belonging. Worst case scenarios of spiritually-dead people are ceo's and other leaders who are pathological liars (psychopaths). Others are the religious types who depend on their god to carry them across the desert, and believe their prayers and beliefs are useful in any way.
You've had a gloriously privileged life if you have to question if people are suffering; and an ignorant life if you fail to note all the suicides and overdoses lately. They are suffering so much that their only hope is an end to their pain in death.

>>8609929
Well said anon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h4Yea2dG8U
him and robert sapolsky's work
basically our society is making predisposed illness much worse.