What motivates shock therapy and lobotomy?

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More than one reason exists, depending on who you talk to.

The doctor who went from hospital to hospital performing the ice pick lobotomy wanted a certain degree of fame and money, so he managed his own little tour.

The staff at the asylums welcomed lobotomies because the procedure turned unruly patients into zombies requiring less attention and care, and could eventually be returned home to family.

The asylum administrators welcomed lobotomies because they were a way to cut costs and save money.

A belief in the "science" behind lobotomies could have been a stark rationalization. That, and the idea they were doing some good for the patient.

So, you see, The reasons behind the increase in lobotomies were multifold and varied, depending on whom you asked.

Shock treatments were not as incapacitating, but I suspect similar reasons for their implementation.

Yes, that is what I meant.

When I said "today people don't think brain damage is a good thing", I did not mean that psychologists/psychiatrists never cause brain damage through various treatments. I mentioned specifically the practice of brain surgery to limit uncontrollable seizures, which does cause brain damage. The distinction is that people don't think that brain damage is a good thing--they will avoid it whenever possible, use treatments that cause the least possible damage. Even in the cases where permanent damage is a danger (such as tardive dyskinesia, for example), they will ask themselves: Okay, will this person be more functional off the meds, or on them and with the permanent side-effects? And if they'll be more functional on the meds, despite the damage, then they'll prescribe.

You forget, I think, that mental illness itself is a cause of permanent changes in the brain. Once you've had depression, you'll always have those tendencies. The longer your schizophrenia stays untreated, the worse your episodes will get and the more you'll be affected by the negative symptoms. Medications aren't something you take casually; but neither should you casually reject them, reject them on principle, refuse to consider them. You have to balance the risk of treatment against the risk of having the untreated disorder.

i chose other.

they're all just a bunch of stupid quacks who don't understand how stupid they are because they only accept info from people who's opinions will not vary greatly from their own. that creates a herd mentality that supports all of this quackery.

it's like psychiatric drugs for example. some of them are even just more powerful versions of street drugs. it's wrong to get hooked on street drugs. it's right to get hooked on psychiatric drugs. seems an odd double standard to have don't you think? after all, these psychiatric drugs can kill you, put you into a coma (just look at abilify) give you diabetes etc.... but that's alright, because having your life destroyed by something is all right as long as a doctor prescribed it, right? it's just not the same as all that stuff that destroys your life but isn't prescribed!

and this is another issue. many times these people don't have brain chemistry imbalances that ruin their lives and make them depressed (in fact, such a theory has never been proven.). many times they just have crappy lives that they have no way to fix them. the problem occurs in that the drugs, by placebo effect only mind you (see links below), make the person temporarily feel a little better, or like they should feel better even though they don't, and then once they get off the placebo the same issues that caused the "depression", which is most likely just sadness caused by constant adversity (but we all know that constant adversity doesn't exist! it must be a brain problem! not a world problem!), are still there and the depression reasserts itself.

drugs for the mind will always be a way of drowning out the world and not a way to fix problems. and this is the problem. doctors don't take the time to look at what is the real source of the problem and try to take dangerous, even deadly, shortcuts to get around them.

also, there are rarely permanent changes in the brain without illness or physical trauma. the brain is always changing. if the world around a person can create, by means other than the previous two mentioned, changes that are viewed as damage, then why can't that world cause changes that are productive? The fact that docs overlook this and other causes of depression such as those listed below means that the drugs aren't worth the risk period. They don't even work well and the docs aren't interested in treating the actual causes of any of these problems. the drugs are just an excuse to half ass things and make money.

when was the last time you saw a shrink check for low b12 levels or high levels of heavy metals or thyroid and adrenal problems? all of which can cause "mental" illness? never i bet. and you know why? because they don't care about getting to the real cause of the problem. they care about making money easy and quick.


http://www.newsweek.com/2010/01/28/the- ... sants.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-h ... 50098.html

7 Steps to Treat Depression without Drugs

1. Try an anti-inflammatory elimination diet that gets rid of common food allergens. As I mentioned above, food allergies and the resultant inflammation have been connected with depression and other mood disorders.

2. Check for hypothyroidism. This unrecognized epidemic is a leading cause of depression. Make sure to have thorough thyroid exam if you are depressed.

3. Take vitamin D. Deficiency in this essential vitamin can lead to depression. Supplement with at least 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day.

4. Take omega-3 fats. Your brain is made of up this fat, and deficiency can lead to a host of problems. Supplement with 1,000 to 2,000 mg of purified fish oil a day.

5. Take adequate B12 (1,000 micrograms, or mcg, a day), B6 (25 mg) and folic acid (800 mcg). These vitamins are critical for metabolizing homocysteine, which can play a factor in depression.

6. Get checked for mercury. Heavy metal toxicity has been correlated with depression and other mood and neurological problems.

7. Exercise vigorously five times a week for 30 minutes. This increases levels of BDNF, a natural antidepressant in your brain.

oh, and here's one noting that many ADHD patients will be the recipients of the symptoms of schizophrenia thanks to these drugs docs are pushing.

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/ ... 108849.htm

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FDA NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
P07-26
February 21, 2007


Media Inquiries:
Sandy Walsh, 301-827-6242
Consumer Inquiries:
888-INFO-FDA

FDA Directs ADHD Drug Manufacturers to Notify Patients about Cardiovascular Adverse Events and Psychiatric Adverse Events

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today directed the manufacturers of all drug products approved for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to develop Patient Medication Guides to alert patients to possible cardiovascular risks and risks of adverse psychiatric symptoms associated with the medicines, and to advise them of precautions that can be taken.

"Medicines approved for the treatment of ADHD have real benefits for many patients but they may have serious risks as well," said Steven Galson, M.D., MPH, Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). "In our ongoing commitment to strengthen drug safety, FDA is working closely with manufacturers of all ADHD medicines to include important information in the product labeling and in developing new Patient Medication Guides to better inform doctors and patients about these concerns."

Patient Medication Guides are handouts given to patients, families and caregivers when a medicine is dispensed. The guides contain FDA-approved patient information that could help prevent serious adverse events. Patients being treated with ADHD products should read the information before taking the medication and talk to their doctors if they have any questions or concerns.

ADHD is a condition that affects approximately 3 percent to 7 percent of school-aged children and approximately 4 percent of adults. The three main symptoms are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. People with ADHD may have difficulty in school, troubled relationships with family and peers, and low self-esteem.

An FDA review of reports of serious cardiovascular adverse events in patients taking usual doses of ADHD products revealed reports of sudden death in patients with underlying serious heart problems or defects, and reports of stroke and heart attack in adults with certain risk factors.

Another FDA review of ADHD medicines revealed a slight increased risk (about 1 per 1,000) for drug-related psychiatric adverse events, such as hearing voices, becoming suspicious for no reason, or becoming manic, even in patients who did not have previous psychiatric problems.

FDA recommends that children, adolescents, or adults who are being considered for treatment with ADHD drug products work with their physician or other health care professional to develop a treatment plan that includes a careful health history and evaluation of current status, particularly for cardiovascular and psychiatric problems (including assessment for a family history of such problems).

As part of the Agency’s ongoing regulatory activity, in May 2006 the FDA directed manufacturers of these products to revise product labeling for doctors to reflect concerns about adverse cardiovascular and psychiatric events. These changes were based on recommendations from the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. To help patients understand these risks, an additional part of this revised labeling process is the creation of a Patient Medication Guide for each individual product.

The medicines that are the focus of the revised labeling and new Patient Medication Guides include the following 15 products:

Adderall (mixed salts of a single entity amphetamine product) Tablets
Adderall XR (mixed salts of a single entity amphetamine product) Extended-Release Capsules
Concerta (methylphenidate hydrochloride) Extended-Release Tablets
Daytrana (methylphenidate) Transdermal System
Desoxyn (methamphetamine HCl) Tablets
Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine sulfate) Spansule Capsules and Tablets
Focalin (dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride) Tablets
Focalin XR (dexmethylphenidate hydrochloride) Extended-Release Capsules
Metadate CD (methylphenidate hydrochloride) Extended-Release Capsules
Methylin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) Oral Solution
Methylin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) Chewable Tablets
Ritalin (methylphenidate hydrochloride) Tablets
Ritalin SR (methylphenidate hydrochloride) Sustained-Release Tablets
Ritalin LA (methylphenidate hydrochloride) Extended-Release Capsules
Strattera (atomoxetine HCl) Capsules

The draft Patient Medication Guides for each product can be found at http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/ADHD/default.htm. For more information please visit www.fda.gov.

Yes even doctor prescribed forms of speed like adderall and those others can cause psychosis after long term use...who would have ever guessed?