The Madness Taboo
13 hours ago
- #madness-taboo
- #psychiatry
- #mental-health
- The author describes their 16-year-old daughter, Alma, as exhibiting clear signs of madness, including delusional behavior, lack of theory of mind, and social obliviousness.
- Despite obvious signs, psychologists and psychiatrists fail to diagnose Alma's condition, instead attributing her behavior to other causes like anorexia or autism.
- The author argues that psychiatry is politically influenced, prioritizing public comfort over scientific accuracy, leading to a 'madness taboo' that obscures functional madness.
- The 'madness taboo' prevents acknowledging everyday delusions, protecting societal order but harming genuinely mad individuals by isolating them and blaming others for their behavior.
- Alma's case illustrates the consequences: she is institutionalized, with psychiatry avoiding confrontation of her madness, focusing instead on symptoms like starvation.
- The author suggests psychiatry's incentives (financial, professional) discourage admitting incurable conditions, perpetuating ineffective treatments and diagnoses.
- The article critiques psychiatry's role in obscuring human complexity to align with societal preferences, sacrificing accurate understanding for political and economic stability.