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The Death of Psychiatry
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September 1, 2024
A PSYCHIATRIST CRITIQUES HIS PROFESSION, AND PROPOSES A NEW MODEL
Edwin Fuller Torrey (born 1937) is an American psychiatrist who is executive director of the Stanley Medical Research Institute; he has written many other books, such as 'Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients, and Providers,' 'Out of the Shadows: Confronting America's Mental Illness Crisis,' 'Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families, and Providers,' etc.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1974 book, "This book is both an attack upon the medical model of psychiatry and a proposal for an alternative model. As an attack, it is certainly not the first, nor will it be the last. Criticism of the medical model has come from within the psychiatric profession and from without... The medical model was an honest and humanitarian attempt to solve the problems of deviant human behavior. That it has not turned out to be a very good solution should not detract from its original intent."
He notes, "In addition to his client-centered 'therapy,' [Carl] Rogers was also one of the architects of the humanistic psychology movement which has mushroomed into T-groups, sensitivity groups, and encounters all across America... Both T-groups (the 'T' stands for training) and 'therapy' groups are composed of people who want to function more effectively... The major differences between the two kinds of groups are superficial---where they are held and how the people think of themselves.... It would appear, then, that T-groups and 'therapy' groups form a continuum and cannot be separated into neat medical and nonmedical compartments." (Pg. 30)
He observes, "Evidence points strongly toward the fact that mental 'patients' are NOT dangerous, contrary to our stereotype. In 'patients' followed up after their discharge, studies have almost unanimously shown a lower arrest rate than that of the general population." (Pg. 75)
He states, "The evidence that [schizophrenics] have a true brain disease has become increasingly strong in recent years. In one study, 60 percent of 'schizophrenics' were shown to have neurological impairment, a sign that some disease process or damage was occurring in their central nervous system... Many 'schizophrenics' have been shown to have abnormal proteins in their blood and spinal fluid..." (Pg. 158)
Though nearly forty years old, this book still has some value for those looking for critiques of psychiatry/psychology---particularly from the "medical" perspective.
Edwin Fuller Torrey (born 1937) is an American psychiatrist who is executive director of the Stanley Medical Research Institute; he has written many other books, such as 'Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients, and Providers,' 'Out of the Shadows: Confronting America's Mental Illness Crisis,' 'Surviving Manic Depression: A Manual on Bipolar Disorder for Patients, Families, and Providers,' etc.
He wrote in the Preface to this 1974 book, "This book is both an attack upon the medical model of psychiatry and a proposal for an alternative model. As an attack, it is certainly not the first, nor will it be the last. Criticism of the medical model has come from within the psychiatric profession and from without... The medical model was an honest and humanitarian attempt to solve the problems of deviant human behavior. That it has not turned out to be a very good solution should not detract from its original intent."
He notes, "In addition to his client-centered 'therapy,' [Carl] Rogers was also one of the architects of the humanistic psychology movement which has mushroomed into T-groups, sensitivity groups, and encounters all across America... Both T-groups (the 'T' stands for training) and 'therapy' groups are composed of people who want to function more effectively... The major differences between the two kinds of groups are superficial---where they are held and how the people think of themselves.... It would appear, then, that T-groups and 'therapy' groups form a continuum and cannot be separated into neat medical and nonmedical compartments." (Pg. 30)
He observes, "Evidence points strongly toward the fact that mental 'patients' are NOT dangerous, contrary to our stereotype. In 'patients' followed up after their discharge, studies have almost unanimously shown a lower arrest rate than that of the general population." (Pg. 75)
He states, "The evidence that [schizophrenics] have a true brain disease has become increasingly strong in recent years. In one study, 60 percent of 'schizophrenics' were shown to have neurological impairment, a sign that some disease process or damage was occurring in their central nervous system... Many 'schizophrenics' have been shown to have abnormal proteins in their blood and spinal fluid..." (Pg. 158)
Though nearly forty years old, this book still has some value for those looking for critiques of psychiatry/psychology---particularly from the "medical" perspective.
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