Why psychology as a discipline is a mess

Angela

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See:
http://lukemuehlhauser.com/so-appar...t-not-evidence-based-psychological-treatment/

"[FONT=equity_text_aregular]APA presidents are supposed to have an initiative and… I thought mine could be “evidence-based treatment and prevention.” So I went to my friend, Steve Hyman, the director of [National Institute of Mental Health]. He was thrilled and told me he would chip in $40 million dollars if I could get APA working on evidence-based treatment.[/FONT][FONT=equity_text_aregular]So I told CAPP [which owns the APA] about my plan and about NIMH’s willingness. I felt the room get chillier and chillier. I rattled on. Finally, the chair of CAPP memorably said, “What if the evidence doesn’t come out in our favor?”"[/FONT]
 
So the correlation between cat/dog breed preference and depression isn't true? Seriously, some of the worst studies I've ever read (indirectly from crappy news sites such as dailymail.uk) were studies done by psychologists. They can correlate anything with any psychological ailment. Like, for example I read one study that stated that those with a weak sense of smell will get dementia or something. To me, a weak sense of smell is a sign of a weak olfactory nerve. The cognitive areas of the brain can live without the nerves that allow us to smell things.
 
Real people are suffering while they refuse to submit their protocols to actual testing. It's a disgrace imo.

I suppose I should admit my bias. I've known people who spent a fortune on "therapy" of all kinds and I could never see that it made a real difference. I'm not aware of any drug rehab program that has high success rates for hard core, long term, drug addicts other than long term in house very intense programs focusing on a "higher power" of some kind. Court mandated rehab is a waste of time and money. If someone doesn't want to get off drugs they won't. It has to be something they seek out. I've seen medications cause as much harm as good. It can take months and years for them to stumble on the right ones.

Sorry, but that's what I've seen. That's why a lot of psychiatrists and psychologists don't want their methods tested.
 
I have mental issues. I'm a real person speaking to you with menal issues. Those issues are clinical. As I write this, I have those issues.

Now, just so you know I've been seeing all kinds of shrinks and counselors since pre school. I vividly remember saying "I don't like myself" when I was 5. Suffered my first panic attack when I was 10.

I used to take ssris but came off them as they were interfering with my adderall. I suffer both a serotonin and dopamine deficiency!!

Ironically, I'm very intelligent, especially when it comes to computer science and math. I'm able to undrstand very abstract concepts and I love math and logic puzzles! I have a high GPA in my masters in software development program.

But at times I tend to break down and forget the basics (including my own phone number or NAME) and my father would accuse me of "not being normal" (GUESS WHAT!! IM NOT NORMAL!!!!). I'm not normal!! At times I would want to run and scream and lay in the fetal position. That's how bad it gets.
 
As you have periods you're normal and periods you tend to break down, could it be due to some unknown temporal chemical imbalances inside your body?
 
Problem with mainstream psychology:
- Still holding on to teachings of Freud and some of his successors
- Refusing all the ideas (theories) that are outside of the box (new theories that confront theirs')
- It has become a club of pseudo-scientist who feed one anothers' ego and not letting a new way of thinking

Some old school psychologist has no potential to understand people like davef, young people who are diagnosed with ADHD and the like. Those are only labels, like in archaic times when humans did not understand wind, or rain, or whatever, they would simply assign a "god" to it - label.

The biggest mistake is that people expect psychology to apply equally to all people no matter their biology & life conditions. They do not see that there are so many layers of human developmental phases (let me call it "levels").

If I am at level three developmental phase, and I am psychologist educated on level three, of course I will mark all the developmental levels that are above me as "abnormal". But if they are two or three levels above me, I will keep them heavily sedated all the time because they scare me, their world is frightening, in comprehensive to me, therefore of course they are not normal! See, they do not think as I do, they do not pay attention as I do, they cannot function as I do, etc, etc,....therefore we classify them them in a cluster and put then on drugs. Hyperactive! - well let us numb them.......and you know the rest...

Clare W. Graves has a perfect answer for this but he was not accepted in the "club".
 
Bicicleur, FBS

It basically comes down to a lack of dopamine production. I think I read that schizophrenia involves the opposite, meaning dopamine production is excessive whereas adhd and depression involves a lack of dopamine production. This is the main neurotransmitter involved in so many different things such as attention, motivation, pleasure, reasoning, etc.

FBS, yeah sadly a lot of people don't know how to approach these things and may offer suggestions such as prayer or toughening it out which don't work out well. I engage in regular exercise (tough exercise, not some silly 2 mile walk) which at least helps somewhat but sadly I kinda need meds to relieve myself effectively.
 
@davef

I understand that you are self aware and you are managing it quite well. Keep up the good work!
 
@davef

I understand that you are self aware and you are managing it quite well. Keep up the good work!
I second that.
 
Thanks guys, I most certainly am.
 
Bicicleur, FBS

It basically comes down to a lack of dopamine production. I think I read that schizophrenia involves the opposite, meaning dopamine production is excessive whereas adhd and depression involves a lack of dopamine production. This is the main neurotransmitter involved in so many different things such as attention, motivation, pleasure, reasoning, etc.

FBS, yeah sadly a lot of people don't know how to approach these things and may offer suggestions such as prayer or toughening it out which don't work out well. I engage in regular exercise (tough exercise, not some silly 2 mile walk) which at least helps somewhat but sadly I kinda need meds to relieve myself effectively.

I'm sure your excercising has a positive effect and it's good that you are well aware of your own condition.
 
The only scientific branch of psychology is Neuropsychology.
 
I exercise intensely bc i would do whatever it takes to escape. I motivate myself by reminding myself that exercising helps me escape my mind.

And even prescription meds are of no guarantee. I used to abuse prescription amphetamine because at times a higher than prescribed dosage would make me feel heathy. I would gain the motivation to work, the clarity to work more efficiently and I would gain a sense of accomplishment that normal people would expect me to gain. Only issue: at times body physiology would not allow me to experience these things and would instead throw me into an amphetamine PSYCHOSIS! I remember thinking that a woman who I never even met was against me and I panicked. I never said a word to her or made it so she would know I was afraid of her. And this one time I chugged down protein shakes bc I had no appetite and I was so badly bloated and strung out that I was convinced my stomach was separating from the rest of my body and I wanted to grab someone and scream for help. This is self medication gone bad. At times, taking more prescription amphetamine helps clear my mind but I feel like I'm gambling with the devil every time I do so.
 
I apologize in advance since I've been warned not to discuss drug experiences on this forum, but hopefully this post would deter people from abusing amphetamines so in that regard it serves a good purpose.
 
I exercise intensely bc i would do whatever it takes to escape. I motivate myself by reminding myself that exercising helps me escape my mind.

I'm not aware of having a disorder myself, but I excercise regularly and I know if I don't I become less sharp physically and gradually more depressed mentally.

I'm told that being prone to depression is influenced by genetics. I guess I'm prone, but not to the extent that I actually get severe depressions.
 
Yeah in fact adderall helps me even more. When I was a freshman or sophomore in high school, that stuff helped turn me into a cross country freak...I rember going from being in horrible shape to running a painless 10k and I remember leaving a local female sports team from a catholic school nearby where I live in the dust and man did they rant! They hated me for kicking dust in their faces all bc the adderall kept saying "keep going keep going". Then when it was autumn and cross country season, my fellow team mates kept telling me to slow down all because they weren't comfortable being behind the once out of shape davef lol.
 

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