May 18, 2007

Promoting Mental Illness

Promoting Mental Illness

The discussion about mental health allegedly addressing "stigma" sounds
more like a promotional seminar by industry lobbyists. (ARIANNA MARKEL,
"Barreira Clarifies Mental Illness," Harvard Crimson, April 24, 2007) It is what
NAMI does. NAMI gets $2 to $3 million per year from drug companies to promote
drug treatment. They masquerade as an advocate for patients. Their idea of
addressing stigma is to accuse the legislature of discrimination if they do not
appropriate enough money.
Stigma is in the minds of people who shun and fear other persons accused of
mental illness, not in the minds of the patients. The rationale for this
"discussion" spins the idea of stigma to recruit more patients to accept their
"illness" which they did not know they had.
If stigma was the real focus Professor Barreira would hold seminars with
police, prosecutors, lawyers and journalists. That is where the most offensive
stigma comes from.
Harvard's administration is just recruiting more patients with this
perspective. Teaching people about fake illnesses without explaining how they
are created (by consensus) is misleading more of the students. This is a
business seminar masquerading as a discussion of health.

Roy Bercaw, Editor ENOUGH ROOM

Barreira Clarifies Mental Illness
Psychiatry professor tries to remove mystery from mental disorders
Published On 4/24/2007 5:01:49 AM
By ARIANNA MARKEL
Harvard Crimson
Contributing Writer

Depression is as much a thinking problem as it is a mood problem, a psychiatry
professor told students at a discussion last night intended to reduce stigma
about mental illness.

Paul J. Barreira, director of Behavioral Health and Academic Counseling for
University Health Services, met with students in the Lowell House Junior Common
Room yesterday for an information session called Mental Illness 101.

The discussion dealt with general definitions of mental illnesses, but did not
extensively address their prevalence in a college setting or delineate the
mental health resources currently available at Harvard.
[...]

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=518464

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