SubJeff on 10/12/2007 at 13:52
There is no doubt that stuff like that happened, but on what scale? And by that I mean lobotomies performed because people were displeased with behaviour? It's certainly in greater numbers than those in the link you provided but that doesn't mean you should jump to conclusions about every psychiatric case you read about.
Turtle on 10/12/2007 at 16:37
Mm. Juicy Fruit.
Pitch on 10/12/2007 at 18:36
Quote Posted by Subjective Effect
It's certainly in greater numbers than those in the link you provided but that doesn't mean you should jump to conclusions about every psychiatric case you read about.
Of course it doesn't. But given the widespread use of lobotomy it seams to me that early psychiatry was more concerned with "fixing" people rather than really helping them fix their problems.
SubJeff on 10/12/2007 at 19:25
Maybe you should go and read about the history of psychiatry then. In it's infancy it certainly was far more brutal than it is today (although we still use ECT that people get uppity about despite it's proven efficacy) but the aim was always to help people, not to "fix" them. Some of the early ideas were a result of scientific ignorance (see Phrenology for an excellent example - though it was the forerunner of modern neurology) and that in turn led to use of methods seen as extreme/barbaric from today's perspective.
I'll wager that much of what we do today will be seen as extremely brutal in years to come. Use of "the chemical cosh" in psychiatry, organ resection for cancer, probably even chemoradiotherapy.
The Alchemist on 10/12/2007 at 20:36
I spent 4 days in one of these places just two weeks ago, I was Baker Act'ed after a nasty yet unintentional overdose.
Not a fun weekend I must say! I didn't have any belongings to be worried about but the idea of being locked up somewhere and not being able to leave, or breathe fresh air... especially when you are locked up with loonies and everyone is questioning your sanity (and trying to get you to take meds) is no fun.
Minion21g on 13/12/2007 at 15:16
Somebody get the wrong idea and throw you into the slammer? I'd say be glad it wasn't for an extended period of time like a year or so.
