Final thoughts on mental illness

Just some final thoughts about the theme of mental illness:

1) Based on the evidence provided by empirical scientific observation of the human brain and nervous system, I cannot accept that notion that the concept of mental illness has no physical reflection in the material world
2) The term mentally ill is a term which can be marginalizing given the treatment of those who are mentally ill it is clear that this cultural group faces both social and political oppression in various forms
3) Without question given the relative newness of psychiatry and psychology, our understanding of mental illness is still met with difficulties in defining, identifying and properly treating mental health conditions
4) There exists a variety of factors which complicate the discourse on mental illness including the nature of pharamaceutical interests in the diagnosis of certain conditions, the social misconceptions of mental illness, and the power relationship that exists between doctors/counselors etc. and patients
5) While the social construction of mental illness has traditionally been discriminatory and oppressive towards those with the conditions, that is not to discount any progress and change that has occurred in our current definition of mental illness and how to treat and diagnosis it

On the spectrum

The link provided is to an article related to our several discussions about people being on the spectrum for autistic behaviors and personal characteristics:

http://nymag.com/news/features/autism-spectrum-2012-11/