32 — Wednesday. September 16. 1998 - North Shore News

Drug compan

Eugene Kaellis
Contributing Columnist

WHEN a book comes
along questioning con-
ventional assumptions
and widespread prac-
tices, it can be refresh-
ing.

Making Us Crasy
(Kutchins and Kirk, 1997)
does just that.

Carefully researched, well
documented and annotated,

a critique of DSM
(Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental
Disorders), called the paychi-
atnsts’ bible, a compendium
of the diagnestic criteria and
suggested treatment for hun-
dreds of alleged mental dis-
orders, the number of wh
grows with cach edition.

For over 40 years, 3
minority has challenged the
basic assumptions of psychia-
try. Thomas Szasz’s The Myth
of Menta Ulaess claimed that
the concept of mental disease
is based on marching th:
preferences and personal
behavior of the allegedly dis-

A those of the psv-
chiatric community, the
worse the match, the greater
the i

x to Michel
Foucault, the Jate French
philosopher of history, there
are no objective ci
deviance: it was always so

Eugene
Kaellis

Wy and culturally defined.
Jesus, Amos, feremial,
Moses, and Mohammed
would definitely fall ander
the shadow of at feast a half
dozen DSM tistings, while
being “sane” often meant
accepting and acting out
some of the most dangerous
and disgusting practices of
humanity —~ aggressive war,
genocide, racial and religious
hatred, and tomenting pollu
tion.

Although DSAE goes to
great lengths co demonstrate
the “scientific” nature of its
classiticution, Makai Us
Crasy cites three instances in
which public pressure caused
serious revisions in listing
alleged mental disorders.

One was the Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder,
the inclusion of which was
instigated by Vietnam war

rans, another was the

tien of homesexuality
after prewure trom gay and
lesbian groups, a third was
the dropping of proposed
disorders which aroused fem

Lions Gate relay
to run Sunday

THIS year’s Lions Gate Hospital 9-1-1 Relay

les dominating psychiatry

IAT tre.

While the authors favered
these outeomes, the
them to demonstrate how, in
spite of its Chums to scientific
objecovity, DSAL is very
nich tntluenced by political
and cultural pressures.

Of at least equal impor
tance in the dhagnosis and
treatment or dleged mental
disarders is the increasing:
domination of psychiatry by
pharmaceutical corporations.

The clisstie model of pss
chiatry in the past was some
form of analysis in witch the
paticnt would discover what
in-earh lite contributed to
his emouonal problems,
thereby emerging frein the
coeoon of neurosis ite a
mere emononally satistyins
eNstenee.

Thats itt the parent «
educated, aruculate, contes
sional, and bad cnough time
and money to complete the

process, Lacking any of
these, he might be consigned
to aninstitution, sncn siowk
or dsaliny treatment orm
evtreme wes. a loborenn
remember One Few Ores
the Curbas’e Nev Now the
treatment as drugs

Ptizer paid tor the devel
opment ofa 26 item cheek
Ist wha pacents cin fH out
weight minutes, providing a
practtnoner woth tevery

“needed tor a diagnosis

or reterral

No wonder that che US,
National Instrut. of Mfental
Health chimed that

50,000 000 Americans
exhibited some mpe af mien
tal diserder within a 12
month period. What else
sould vou expect with the

eh nmunute quickie and the

900 page DSME

Phe overwhelming mayor
Hvoob parents” trom
bereaved seniors to troubled
schoolchildren -- are then
treated with medicines ke
Prozac, Xanax, and Ritalin,
paving offen the investment
of Pizer and other drug
companies

A basic protien is that,
because there ts often some

money avaible tor the drug
treatment of people with
“mental disorders.” itis thes
who are “patholegized” not
the conditions that helped
create ther problents -- lack
OF social support systems,
belaton, concern about
health and finances, discrimi-
nation, poverty, chaos in dvs-
functional homes, bad par
enting, poor nutrition, and
hosts of other environmental
factors and circumstances
which society should be
addressing.

— Enqeuy Racelits isa
Buruaby writer

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will raise money to purchase four bedside moni-
tors and one resuscitation room monitor for the
emergency department at the hospital.

“Is private property on the table?

NO. Private land is not part ‘of the’ * ug

aw,  Nisga’a Final Agreement and won't
} be onthe table in any, treaties the |
B.C. Government negotiates. :

The relay, sponsored by the North Shore News, takes
place between 9:1] acm. and 12:1) pam. on Sunday, Sept. 20
at Ambleside Fark in West Vancouve

ch relay ream member takes turns walking, jogging or ; ae .
running around a wo-kilometre course in Ambleside Park. : ; Cd \

Teams raise funds trom family, friends and co-workers to : a a
help purchase the hospital's emergency department equip-
ment,

Highiights for the 6th annual fundraiser include;

pountain bike trials featuring Canada’s best rider;

ive band
@ a chance to meet Lui Passaglia of the B.C. Lions;

tlero Olympi
§ a salmon and ¢
@ pertormances by RNB
Gymnastics;
@ a children’s area featuring Castle Top Characters, Gizeh
Shrine Clowns, balloon twisters, face painters, London Drugs
Child ID Program, Discovery Toys, and coloring.

The Lions Gate Hospital 9-1-1 Relay event is a communi-
ty fundraising event for emergency services at Lions Gate
Hospital.

To date more than $500,000 has been raised, making the
event one of Vancouver's most successful fundraising events
of it’s type. For more information, please call the Relay
Hotline at 984-3782.

rn ‘
. .

will my taxes go.

up to pay for this?:

NO B. Cufexpaye rs.are
only ‘paying one

fitth of the total cash |

ken barbecue;
Dance Group

and Flicka o

cost - the-rest will,

he paid tor by_all +; — . : .
Will the Nisga’a pay
_ taxes just like me?

YES

and tederal taxes and are the :

_ Canadians.

ihe Nisga’a will be |
subject to all provincial, ”

first aboriginal group in
C «nada to agree to give
up their Indian Act

tax exemptions. ‘
Lote . ‘

: ore "PAY FOR2 igh TE oO DO a
© ceeech ~ . . o
BALANCING Ri F GET 2 FREE pe a q Q
~ : , : ‘ For YOUR COPY OF THE Nisca’a’ Treaty: _
: or FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE cA!
Ve ist $0 .
ree 0 : S IG e S$ customers

-1800- 280 1022

sat Brookshank zs ‘ ae 985-4221 a pe a “accu aaf.gov.bc cana
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