Society is unfair to the diagnosed mentally sick

[136913691369]

Why does our society punish those with paranoid delusions, imaginary friends, etc. by basically locking them up, forcing them to take meds to 'fix their brain' and such. Yet, mostly celebrate those who believe in God, which to many non-believers is the same paranoid delusion that the mentally sick suffer from?

It is quite a bit of a double standard to me. Either everyone should be able to talk, pray or whatever to imaginary things without fear of being thrown in a hospital or no one should.

Theists can no more prove that their 'imaginary friend' exists than the diagnosed mentally sick can, so why are the mentally sick punished and theists held in such high regard (well at least by other like minded people).

To add to the irony, it is often conservative minded theists that fear these crazy mentally sick people the most and want to get them off the streets no matter what the consequences to that person are.

Way back when the idea of God was first thought up by some guy trying to put fear in people's minds how did that society distinguish between who's imaginary person was acceptable and who's was crazy?

This is a semi-serious post so does anyone have any opinions on why this is so?

[DougShrapnel]

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Why does our society punish those with paranoid delusions, imaginary friends, etc. by basically locking them up, forcing them to take meds to 'fix their brain' and such. Yet, mostly celebrate those who believe in God, which to many non-believers is the same paranoid delusion that the mentally sick suffer from?

It is quite a bit of a double standard to me. Either everyone should be able to talk, pray or whatever to imaginary things without fear of being thrown in a hospital or no one should.

Theists can no more prove that their 'imaginary friend' exists than the diagnosed mentally sick can, so why are the mentally sick punished and theists held in such high regard (well at least by other like minded people).

To add to the irony, it is often conservative minded theists that fear these crazy mentally sick people the most and want to get them off the streets no matter what the consequences to that person are.

Way back when the idea of God was first thought up by some guy trying to put fear in people's minds how did that society distinguish between who's imaginary person was acceptable and who's was crazy?

This is a semi-serious post so does anyone have any opinions on why this is so?

[/ QUOTE ]Good firstish post in SMP. Yes most religions need to be classified in the DSM-IV. Yet the big falicy is appeal to majority.

[arahant]

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Why does our society punish those with paranoid delusions, imaginary friends, etc. by basically locking them up, forcing them to take meds to 'fix their brain' and such. Yet, mostly celebrate those who believe in God, which to many non-believers is the same paranoid delusion that the mentally sick suffer from?

It is quite a bit of a double standard to me. Either everyone should be able to talk, pray or whatever to imaginary things without fear of being thrown in a hospital or no one should.

Theists can no more prove that their 'imaginary friend' exists than the diagnosed mentally sick can, so why are the mentally sick punished and theists held in such high regard (well at least by other like minded people).

To add to the irony, it is often conservative minded theists that fear these crazy mentally sick people the most and want to get them off the streets no matter what the consequences to that person are.

Way back when the idea of God was first thought up by some guy trying to put fear in people's minds how did that society distinguish between who's imaginary person was acceptable and who's was crazy?

This is a semi-serious post so does anyone have any opinions on why this is so?

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Society doesn't punish the mentally ill. At least since the early 80's, people are only locked up or forced to take meds if they committ a crime or are considered an imminent danger to themselves or to others (at least, this is the intent, subject to abuse as with all things).

[chezlaw]

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Why does our society punish those with paranoid delusions, imaginary friends, etc. by basically locking them up, forcing them to take meds to 'fix their brain' and such. Yet, mostly celebrate those who believe in God, which to many non-believers is the same paranoid delusion that the mentally sick suffer from?

It is quite a bit of a double standard to me. Either everyone should be able to talk, pray or whatever to imaginary things without fear of being thrown in a hospital or no one should.

Theists can no more prove that their 'imaginary friend' exists than the diagnosed mentally sick can, so why are the mentally sick punished and theists held in such high regard (well at least by other like minded people).

To add to the irony, it is often conservative minded theists that fear these crazy mentally sick people the most and want to get them off the streets no matter what the consequences to that person are.

Way back when the idea of God was first thought up by some guy trying to put fear in people's minds how did that society distinguish between who's imaginary person was acceptable and who's was crazy?

This is a semi-serious post so does anyone have any opinions on why this is so?

[/ QUOTE ]Good firstish post in SMP. Yes most religions need to be classified in the DSM-IV. Yet the big falicy is appeal to majority.

[/ QUOTE ]
This seems very wrong to me. Mentally ill people are 'treated' (punished if you prefer) because they are unable to function without damaging themselves or others without help. Many want this treatment though it often requires supervision. Others are so dangerous, carrying out random acts of violance that they have to be forcibly treated - the alternative is to not judge them as ill but as criminals.

This is nothing like suffering from religon. Sure some religous people are treated as mentally ill or criminals - try going round killing prostitutes because you hear gods voice telling you to (or shooting abortionists), but even some of our nuttiest posters on SMP are perfectly functional in the real world.

chez

[FortunaMaximus]

Silly me. I thought DSM-IV was a how-to guide. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

Seriously, though. A high percentage of those living in mental institutions are there because their actions are unsafe to themselves or to others. chez is correct.

And most of these patients do not successfully transit back into reality despite treatment. The current state of mental hospitals these days is hardly the Bedlam of yore. And the patients seem content to live that routine.

And for a lot of mental patients, the reinforcement of a regular routine and very little change keeps their conditions stable.

As for organized religion, well, this planet is isolated enough that it is its own mental institution.

Sane enough most days, and wistful for the time when I wasn't.

[BigBuffet]

The mentally sick in biblical times were able to do magic tricks to bolster their claim of superiority versus being crazy. The general population was more gullible about the "god told me to tell all of you that we need to do such and such, and by the way I am the new leader..."

Successive generations just drank the religious kool-aid.

Religion is not bad if it helps one to live a good daily life. But anything carried to extremes causes problems. That goes for any religion, any philosophy, any poker school of thought, etc.

[revots33]

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This seems very wrong to me. Mentally ill people are 'treated' (punished if you prefer) because they are unable to function without damaging themselves or others without help.

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I agree with this, although there are certainly people who do great damage to themselves (refuse medical treatment, for ex.) based on the imaginary god-voice they hear. And I think 9/11 shows the delusions can do great damage to others as well.

I don't think that having religious belief is a form of mental illness. But certainly people who actually think they hear god's voice, or who think god is instructing them to do specific actions, or who shake and convulse when touched by a faith healer, likely have a psychological illness of some kind.

If you're going to be delusional and not be hassled, your best bet is to have the same delusion as a lot of other people.

[DougShrapnel]

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Why does our society punish those with paranoid delusions, imaginary friends, etc. by basically locking them up, forcing them to take meds to 'fix their brain' and such. Yet, mostly celebrate those who believe in God, which to many non-believers is the same paranoid delusion that the mentally sick suffer from?

It is quite a bit of a double standard to me. Either everyone should be able to talk, pray or whatever to imaginary things without fear of being thrown in a hospital or no one should.

Theists can no more prove that their 'imaginary friend' exists than the diagnosed mentally sick can, so why are the mentally sick punished and theists held in such high regard (well at least by other like minded people).

To add to the irony, it is often conservative minded theists that fear these crazy mentally sick people the most and want to get them off the streets no matter what the consequences to that person are.

Way back when the idea of God was first thought up by some guy trying to put fear in people's minds how did that society distinguish between who's imaginary person was acceptable and who's was crazy?

This is a semi-serious post so does anyone have any opinions on why this is so?

[/ QUOTE ]Good firstish post in SMP. Yes most religions need to be classified in the DSM-IV. Yet the big falicy is appeal to majority.

[/ QUOTE ]
This seems very wrong to me. Mentally ill people are 'treated' (punished if you prefer) because they are unable to function without damaging themselves or others without help. Many want this treatment though it often requires supervision. Others are so dangerous, carrying out random acts of violance that they have to be forcibly treated - the alternative is to not judge them as ill but as criminals.

This is nothing like suffering from religon. Sure some religous people are treated as mentally ill or criminals - try going round killing prostitutes because you hear gods voice telling you to (or shooting abortionists), but even some of our nuttiest posters on SMP are perfectly functional in the real world.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]Chez, I don't mean to say that all religious people deserve to be classified. But classifing some of the more outragoues behavior, like suicide bombings, and abortion clinic bombings.

Personality Disorder of a Religious Nature - Anti Social.
1. Speaks of a "special" relation between oneself and a higher, invisible being.
2. Comits acts of agreesion in the name of a higher being. Number 2 is a Necessary and Suffiecient cause.
3. Believes that the end of the world is near
4. Exhibits a Stockholm Syndrome relationship with a high ranking religious leader.

And such. It's a special type of delusion, that has a large enough base to consider categorizing it. Eventually lighter versions of the disorder can be added. Also a category regarding the hopelessness and anger that some people fall into when they come to terms with the religion of thier parents being an long shot to be correct also deserves it's own category and treatment.

[Seraphim]

Mentally ill people need to be sterilised or preferably killed.

[madnak]

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Mentally ill people need to be sterilised or preferably killed.

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You wanna try it? /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Seraphim]

Once I get into power, yes.

All men are not created equal, only the healthy, intelligent, beautiful, and strong should prosper.

You won't be able to comprehend this however.

[madnak]

Yeah yeah. You're strong, sure. When you have your armies and fortunes and sycophantic minions. But true strength? I know it better than you ever will.

[Seraphim]

However, you're mentally sick.

[thylacine]

Unfortunately, society provides far more favorable conditions for narcissistic psychopaths than it does for their victims. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[DougShrapnel]

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Why does our society punish those with paranoid delusions, imaginary friends, etc. by basically locking them up, forcing them to take meds to 'fix their brain' and such. Yet, mostly celebrate those who believe in God, which to many non-believers is the same paranoid delusion that the mentally sick suffer from?

It is quite a bit of a double standard to me. Either everyone should be able to talk, pray or whatever to imaginary things without fear of being thrown in a hospital or no one should.

Theists can no more prove that their 'imaginary friend' exists than the diagnosed mentally sick can, so why are the mentally sick punished and theists held in such high regard (well at least by other like minded people).

To add to the irony, it is often conservative minded theists that fear these crazy mentally sick people the most and want to get them off the streets no matter what the consequences to that person are.

Way back when the idea of God was first thought up by some guy trying to put fear in people's minds how did that society distinguish between who's imaginary person was acceptable and who's was crazy?

This is a semi-serious post so does anyone have any opinions on why this is so?

[/ QUOTE ]Good firstish post in SMP. Yes most religions need to be classified in the DSM-IV. Yet the big falicy is appeal to majority.

[/ QUOTE ]
This seems very wrong to me. Mentally ill people are 'treated' (punished if you prefer) because they are unable to function without damaging themselves or others without help. Many want this treatment though it often requires supervision. Others are so dangerous, carrying out random acts of violance that they have to be forcibly treated - the alternative is to not judge them as ill but as criminals.

This is nothing like suffering from religon. Sure some religous people are treated as mentally ill or criminals - try going round killing prostitutes because you hear gods voice telling you to (or shooting abortionists), but even some of our nuttiest posters on SMP are perfectly functional in the real world.

chez

[/ QUOTE ]Chez, I don't mean to say that all religious people deserve to be classified. But classifing some of the more outragoues behavior, like suicide bombings, and abortion clinic bombings.

Personality Disorder of a Religious Nature - Anti Social.
1. Speaks of a "special" relation between oneself and a higher, invisible being.
2. Comits acts of agreesion in the name of a higher being. Number 2 is a Necessary and Suffiecient cause.
3. Believes that the end of the world is near
4. Exhibits a Stockholm Syndrome relationship with a high ranking religious leader.

And such. It's a special type of delusion, that has a large enough base to consider categorizing it. Eventually lighter versions of the disorder can be added. Also a category regarding the hopelessness and anger that some people fall into when they come to terms with the religion of thier parents being an long shot to be correct also deserves it's own category and treatment.

[/ QUOTE ]Chez, I have since changed my mind. I have come to a more correct conclusion that religious persons, are behaving in exactly the way a healthy brain would force them to behave. But, I still would like to see something regarding the cause of the nature of some of the more outragous behavior. There must be something unhealty there. But I don't see any reason to create a special case for relious type extreme bahavior, and other dangerous behavior. Thanks for pointing that out.