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Understanding psychology chapter 2
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Thomas Szasz a renowned psychiatrist, a professor at Syracuse Medical University teaching psychiatry, and an author of many successful books covering the topic of psychology. Szasz left a mark on modern psychology by maintaining his belief of not being a anti coercive psychiatry and not approving of involuntary psychiatric treatment. His book “The Myth of Mental Illness” challenges psychology and the definition of mental illness. He confronted the idea of mental illness as a disease and a label placed upon people. Hie gave a new perspective on psychology gave other psychiatrists and psychologists a new controversial insight on mental illness. Thomas Szasz wrote “The Myth of Mental Illness” whose own book questioned psychology. His own
George W. Bush Szasz, Thomas Stephen, "The myth of mental illness: foundations of a theory of personal conduct", New York : Hoeber-Harper, 1961. Torrey, E. (2011, March 18). Restoring reason for treating mental illness.
Forcing someone to take medication or be hospitalized against their will seems contrary to an individual’s right to refuse medical treatment, however, the issue becomes complicated when it involves individuals suffering from a mental illness. What should be done when a person has lost their grasp on reality, or if they are at a risk of harming themselves or others? Would that justify denying individuals the right to refuse treatment and issuing involuntary treatment? Numerous books and articles have been written which debates this issue and presents the recommendations of assorted experts.
“When Dad went crazy, we all had our own ways of shutting down and closing off…” (Walls 115).In Jeannette Walls memoir, The Glass Castle, Walls enlightens the reader on what it’s like to grow up with a parent who is dependent on alcohol, Rex Walls, Jeannette’s father, was an alcoholic. Psychologically, having a parent who abuses alcohol is the worst thing for a child. The psychological state of these children can get of poorer quality as they grow up. Leaving the child with psychiatric disorders in the future and or being an alcoholic as well.
8. Szasz, Thomas. (1974) The Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct Harper Paperback, New York, NY
In the 1950’s, it was common so see people with frightened, uneasy, rejecting, and even arrogant attitudes towards people with mental illnesses. They considered those who were mentally ill as psychotic, violent and frightening. In the today, people are more accepting and understanding when it comes to mental illness, but some people are still ignorant with their responses, just like back then. In the 1950’s mental health treatment was typically provided in large state hospitals and other intuitions. Back then, topics like mental health were kept hush hush; people much rather putting those who were mentally in away in a state facility where someone else could monitor them. Today, people are more understanding.
Yerks, R.M. (1932). Robert Mearns Yerkes. In a History of Psychology in Autobiography, Vol II.
... Psychoses.” Criticism & Lacon. Eds. Patrick Colm Hogan and Lalita Pandit. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1990. 64–73.
From the 1930's to the 1960's, early attempts to combine the psychiatric goals of restoring mental health with new advances in medical science would produce tragic results for many of those who trusted modern psychiatry to provide comfort and healing. During this time, science, psychiatry, ambition, power, and politics came together to leave behind a controversial history of events that destroyed the trust and hope placed by many upon modern science and left behind a trail of scarred minds and ruined lives.
James T. Fisher, a psychiatrist also noted: “If you were to take the sum total of all the authoritative articles ever written by the most qualified of psychologists and psychiatrists on the subject of mental hygiene-if you were to combine them, refine them, and cleave out the excess verbage-if you were to take the whole of the meat and none of the parsley, and if you were to have these unadulterated bits of pure scientific knowledge concisely expresses by the most capable of living poets, you would have an awkward and incomplete summation of the Sermon on the Mount. And it would suffer immeasurably through comparison.” – (Fisher, J. T., & Hawley, L. S. (1951). A few buttons missing: The case book of a psychiatrist. pp. 273 Philadelphia: Lippincott.)
A severe economic depression, as well as the beginning of psychology as a social science, marked the 1890’s. Paranoia is known to be a thought process, heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid beliefs can also be associated with the feelings of powerlessness and victimization. When Christian von Ehrenfels founded gestalt psychology, William James also published “Principles of Psychology”, which introduces readers to four methods of psychology: analysis, introspection, experiment, and statistical studies. This period experienced a tremendous amount of growth within the scientific studies of the psychological mind, and can be known as the experimental stage of social sciences.
K. Freedheim (Eds.) , History of psychotherapy: Continuity and change (2nd ed.) (pp. 485-496). American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/12353-029
Maher, B. A., & Maher, W. B. (1985). Psychopathology: II. From the eighteenth century to modern times. In G. A. Kimble & K. Schlesinger (Eds.), Topics in the history of psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 295-329). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Hergenhahn , B. (2008). An inroduction to the history of psychology. (6th ed. pg. 17-18).
Sigmund Freud is known as the founding father of psychology. If it wasn’t for Freud and his work, psychology probably wouldn’t be around today (Javel, 1999). Although Freud had many followers, there were some who didn’t agree with his work and found his work to be very controversial. There were also many who criticized his work, one of his most controversial and criticized work was his psychosexual stages of development and his belief in the famous “Oedipus Complex.” Psychoanalysis is the first known modality used to treat individuals with psychological disorders.
Unfortunately not much was known about the cause or treatment of mental illness until very recently in our history.