Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Psychiatry's Guide is Out of Touch with Science

5/8/13. So says the Director of the National Institute for Mental Health. We should develop theories about the causes of mental maladies based on biology and genetics --- says Dr. Thomas Insel.

There are psychiatric disorders that fit the disease model such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and more. We don't know what causes these psychiatric diseases  We know that these diseases have a strong genetic component but as yet do not understand the complexity of the contributions of nature and nurture.

We do know that not all twisted thoughts are the result of twisted neurons in the brain. We can suffer mental distress from combinations of diseases,  life events such as death of a parent, behaviors such as addiction,  personality traits such as impulsivity and challenges of low intelligence.

What is missing from our attempts to focus on reliable and valid clusters of mental disorders (DSM-V), and begin to learn the etiology of psychiatric disorders based on understanding the brain is our answer to the following question:

HOW DOES THE BRAIN CREATE THE MIND?

answer:

WE DON'T KNOW.

We have no idea how the brain creates the sense of self-consciousness. We are the only creatures who know we have in-laws.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/health/psychiatrys-new-guide-falls-short-experts-say.html?src=rechp&_r=0

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