Psychiatry and Religion?

Question

In relation to the film the Exorcism of Emily Rose vs One flew over a kookoos nest, I am curious to know how many people have turned away from psychiatry because of its history. Every doctor I've ever talked to told me psychiatry isn't an exact science and that psychiatry is based more upon hypothesis than fact. What is your view?

AB The question is what is the difference between casting religion aside based upon history and casting religion aside? I am not correlating the two. They have absolutely nothing to do with each other. The point is neither has been proven and both have bad histories but when it comes to legal matters science seems to have a legitimate claim even though it is no more factual than religion. If what you say is true then God would definately be factual because that concept has been around a lot longer than psychiatry. : (

Ab I meant casting aside religion vs casting aside psychiatry, my bad. : )

If you read the real history of (Emily Rose) you will find that she was first diagnosed with depression. She began treatment and as her treatment progressed so did her illness. She did not see demons at first. After several years of intense treatment she began seeing them. After her death it was automatically assumed she was murdered by her parents because they agreed to an exorcism Emily requested because psychiactric treatment was not helping her. They performed the exorcisms as a last resort. Why haven't the doctors been investigated? Maybe the drugs they gave her caused her to become the way she was. That is what common sense and the facts of the case tell me.

What gives any human being the right to use another human being as a guinea pig?

I feel for you sweetpea because I have been there, and I actually began having hallucinations while on psychiatric drugs. That is why I have turned to God for my answers instead of the psychiatric community. Who knows I might have been the next Emily Rose if I wouldn't have discontinued my treatment. The funny part is that no matter what I told them they continually claimed my condition was improving. Living with depression isn't as bad as some things I could be living with. : )

That is if I were to continue to live at all under psychiatric care. : )

Answer 1

I work for a psychiatrist in a building that houses about 30 other psychiatrists. Very few of these Doctors are effective. I do believe that there are benefits to GOOD psychiatric care - I just think the ability to find GOOD psychiatric is EXTREMELY rare and super hard to find. Most of these "doctors" do seem to turn people into drugged out shells of their former selves. I could go on and on - but suffice to say, the longer I work in the world of psychiatry the less and less Tom Cruise's remarks about it seem crazy.

By the way, what you describe in your last details paragraph - that Emily was first diagnosed with depression but her illness got worse the longer her treatment went on - that is exactly what you find in about 95% of our patients files. It's horrifying. I'm currently looking for another job to get out of it.

Answer 2

Psychiatry is based on centuries of scientific discovery and philosophy. When something doesn't work, a true scientist will admit his/her mistakes and try something else. Does the church? How long did it take 'the church' to admit the world was round, even though Copernicus showed them centuries ago? They even killed him. No psychiatrist has PURPOSELY killed anyone. How long did it take 'the church' to admit Mary Magdalene was not a whore? BTW, that was a mistake in some bishops speech in the 1400's and 'the church' didn't bother to correct it until 1969!
I'm sorry I'm getting so defensive but my father suffers from depression and it affects everyone and he has the same attitude. 'Well, science made a mistake so Im going to put my trust into somethng I have no proof of'.
I totally understand not wanting to take any medication or try some treatment but psychologist's are not allowed to use medication. A psychiatrist may try to persuade you to b/c he/she is too lazy to find the root cause....there's nothing stopping you from trying different ones.
Plus, how accurate of an 'answer' are you going to get praying to an imaginary creature who's bi-polar and unnatural? For example, what if you have an issue with some person? Do you 'turn the other cheeck' or is it 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'?
Since when have singular, perfect beings ever get motivated to start creating? Being perfect, it can't get bored or lonely...
On top of that, if you believe it is masculine, where is there evidence of male anything being able to reproduce on it's own?
I definitely would keep trying to find a good and/or compatible psychologist/psychiatrist.

Answer 3

It isn't an exact science. How could it be? My mother was a psychiatric nurse for many, many years. She helped come up with electric shock treatments and instructed doctors on how to do it. Of course, as in "Koo Koo's Nest," some always took advantage and were a bit off. Nurser Raget would have made a good Nazi! They still use the electric shock treatments today, but they sedate patients first.

Not all "pocessed" people are nuts and not all nuts are pocessed. I don't think pocession happens very often, though. That said, you can't just throw out psychiatry simply because it doesn't work as well as one would hope all the time. That would be foolish and cruel.

Answer 4

Well, of course psychiatry isn't an exact science! What has that got to do with religion? But it's rather strange to talk about hypothesis versus fact. All science is hypothesis until disproved. If it survives a long time with nothing disproving it, we take it as 'fact'.

Medicine isn't an exact science either. Just look at the history of physical medicine! Things that were believed even a few years ago are no longer current. In both physical medicine and psychiatry, people keep trying to do it better and more effectively in order to relieve suffering. Psychotherapeutic theory (which may be what you're meaning when you say 'psychiatry') keeps developing and adapting in the light of new understandings - just as the way doctors treat people with fevers has changed in the last 100 years.

What is your real question?

PS in response to your clarification - there is a difference between the situation of science and scientific endeavours, and religion. In all scientific fields, there is the attempt to reproduce results, using ever-stricter protocols. Observing the motion of very distant stars using radio telescopes, for example, has to produce the same results each time for it to be accepted as fact. Religion doesn't work that way. I am saddened that you are trying to argue for the accuracy of religion by comparing it to science. These are two entirely different enterprises, speaking to a different aspect of human experience. Conflating the two results in so many totally avoidable difficulties. The scientific truth of evolution (the one that seems to cause some Christians considerable problems) does not in any way contradict the spiritual truth of God's creation of the world, which is told in the most beautiful metaphorical and symbolic terms in Genesis. It's taking that as a scientific treatise which results in this lunatic opposition of science and religion.

Answer 5

Psychiatry isn't in accordance with faith. Its regularly in accordance with biology and neurological technology. Anti-psychiatric strikes from the Hippie-days of the 60s has trickled down over the years, bu the great examine on the reliability of many psychiatric practices have over-shadowed particularly some the stated stream. merely because of the fact some ecu ancestors have been Christians does not inevitably have a reason-and-consequence relationship to the "theory" psychiatry is linked with non secular sin. That looks a evry unsuitable good judgment.

Answer 6

I hate psychiatry.

I love my psychologist--he's a peach. He's really a very nice guy and very smart and helpful and he's committed to helping me.

But psychiatrists have always been a real sore spot with me. As far as I'm concerned, they're only good for getting meds (because my insurance policies have made me get them from psychiatrists, which is ridiculous.)

I had one OK-ish psychiatrist, but the rest have been quacks or a*sholes, or both. I realize I've gotten some bad ones...but I don't think I'd like "good" ones much, either.

I'm talking, asking me uncomfortable, unnecessary questions about my sexuality, bailing on appointments, making judgments about my physical health (without, say, examining me or even going over test results), giving me meds that did far more harm than good (like, I was prescribed two drugs that both had a risk of liver damage...and I got serious liver damage), failing to fill out necessary paperwork, and basically being condescending, rude, and obnoxious.

They think since they can cure some things by throwing meds at them, they're gods or something.

But, by way of a disclaimer, they're quick to point out that it's not an exact science and prescribing is often a lot of trial and error.

What f*cking good is that? No other doctor would make such outrageous claims. As far as I can tell, my psychiatrists were total washouts in med school and decided to work with patients who weren't "credible" witnesses since we're all "crazy."

And I've made complaints to officials, like my insurance companies and state medical examiners, and they haven't done squat about my complaints.

Man, my psychiatrists didn't even LIKE working with mentally ill people! I've seen plenty of therapists, some so-so, one bad, most good, and I've never gotten the impression that they didn't like my mental illness, much less me.

But I get that impression all the time from psychiatrists. I don't know why they work with mentally ill people if they fundamentally dislike working with us.

Oh...wait...it's that washout thing I was talking about.

And if you don't think psychiatrists do that, you read The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout and see if it doesn't make sense.

Edit: and BTW, I get my meds from a GP. Not a psychiatrist. If it's trial and error...I'll just get them from my family doc, thank you very much.

I'm not anti-meds...they're very helpful, if you happen to get the right stuff. But I'd rather see a psychopharmacologist or a "regular" doctor than a psychiatrist.

Answer 7

as one who is a Christian and goes to a psychiatrist every three months it is just like any other field of medicine it's all trial and error. why do yiu think they call it practicing ?they haven't got it right yet. but past that. it is sometimes necessary to go to a doctor for a problem same thing with psychiatry sometimes it's just necessary in order to deal with mental illness that one has to go for ones mental health and for the meds that keeps one from doing stupid things in their life. it does not have any effect on my being a good Christian or not.

Answer 8

I'm not against psychiatry, your right it's not an exact science.
But what is.........We are hearing about new discoveries in all fields, proving that what was fact, no longer is fact. The one that come to mind is carbon dating, first they said it was etched in stone. Now they're some researchers that disagree.
Who knows?

Answer 9

Psychology is based on human feelings. Actually Biblical religion is based on consequence of human feelings although it is not stated that way. It just says "thou shalt not" and "do unto". Feelings are what sin is all about though. I am a Forgive Affirmed Spirit.

Answer 10

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I see the psychiatrist's power as scary. you can add Kill Bill to your list, where a psych ward employee had a scam going, pimping an unconscious catatonic beauty.