Thomas Szasz: Does mental illness exist?

There is a link below to a book where Thomas Szasz expands on some of the themes discussed in these videos:

The Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct
It was published around the same time that these films were recorded.

A conversation with Thomas Szasz. Filmed at the Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Mental Health where he discusses 'does mental illness exist?'

[randomfullywonderful]

Violently restraining people, holding them down, and injecting them with a neuroleptic, rendering them unconscious, can easily cause a lifetime of PTSD.
If you want to argue that it's sometimes necessary, we can't even begin that discussion until you concede that it is by far most often done unnecessarily.

[RandoOnline_]

This man knows! My god the damage that has been done to so many people through all these "treatments"

[davidzaiser]

The idea that forced psychiatric detention prevents suicide is rediculous. If it's ever happened to you, you'd know that it increases your problems exponentially. It is like pushing someone off a cliff because you are concerned they are going to jump.

[Finne]

OMG I wish I'd known Thomas Szasz.
"You have to know history to appreciate the absurdity of the medical model".

[birkrollo]

This man is a real genius. He understands the questions and answers appropriately and properly.

[planetagonzo]

Psychiatrist are scammers. I'm happy I left those corrupt individuals behind.

[kenoath]

"Medicine has become an arm of the state".-Thomas Szasz.

[mysoulsintent]

I have seen Dr. Szasz as a brilliant healer since learning of him during my Graduate Studies in Counseling Psychology in the late 80's. What a great loss to humanity...he passed on at age 92 two months after this presentation!!!

[buzzlghtyear]

I used to wake up everyday feeling a bodily sensation that was indescribable which would cause me to just not get up. I would sleep until my mind/body wouldn’t let me sleep any longer forcing me out of bed. I would feel like life wasn’t worth living and would get angry and stressed out suicidal all day. I fixed it unintentionally after trying a fruit/vegetable smoothie that I enjoyed so I continued drinking one everyday until I noticed I wasnt waking up in despair and suffering. I finally understood that the shit food being peddled these days definitely is a huge culprit for “mental illness” which is actually illness by poisoning from all the chemicals in processed foods/sodas etc.

[themonrovian]

I view doctors as incredibly dangerous agents of the state. Anyone who isn’t completely terrified of them is a fool. When you walk into a doctor’s office and say something you might as well be walking into a police station to make a formal statement.

[whiff]

Exactly. Psychiatry, as Dr. Szasz aptly pointed out, is a moral-legalistic enterprise. Its main function is that of relieving others of the suffering that the so-called mentally ill bring to bear. To conceive of human suffering as disease, in many respects, is of social and political necessity. If you have read enough of Thomas Szasz, you will understand the context of this latter statement.

[atwaterpub]

7:40 "Historically, Psychiatric diagnosis were made against people's will."

[John-rjnv]

Society causes much suffering not "mental disorders". Society decides what is socially unacceptable. Pills are demanded for anxiety and socially awkward problems Wich society causes.

[tnkman]

I agree. Thanks for helping me understand. I worked in mental health for 20 years & I am still unlearning a lot of programming.

[bobeden]

Oppression leads to depression, leads to suicide! THe pain of depression is a wound of the soul and has nothing to do with the mind.

[YZFMANIAC]

I've been diagnosed with GAS and other anxiety-related disorder, was put on effexor for 1, 5year, only supressed my emotions and anxiety further without going to the source. Turned out I developed severe Adrenal fatigue due to a very stressfull job and extremely hard training regiment. All the doctors and psychologists adviced to do sports to 'clear' the mind while making my adrenal fatigue and anxiety way way worse. If you experience 'psychological' problems contact a endocrinologist instead of a doctor or psychologist, there is a 95% chance your hormone and thyroid function are out of wack. Depression and anxiety is a healthy reaction towards an unhealthy lifestyle work/relationship situation or behavior like excessive working, eating, drinking, drug use, mental abuse and so on...

[MarkBH]

Where does "COERCIVE TREATMENT" fit in a "free society"?

[atwaterpub]

18:55 "In America, in...again forgive me for being very down to Earth, psychiatry and psychiatrists have often been called 'the sewers of society.' That expresses this idea: it deals with subjects and people that most doctors don't want to deal with.""

[wielowymiarowosc]

Dziękujemy Profesorze za ważną wiedzę dla wszystkich ludzi.

[palianshow]

such a wise man. ( makes one aware how we are missing on the wisdom of the older generation). i feel like half of the time he had to defend his views. so many well educated people, yet so closed minded.