biological psychiatry

Mental health is a concept that refers to a human individual's emotional and psychological well-being. Merriam-Webster defines mental health as "A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life." According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no one "official" definition of mental health. Cultural differences, subjective assessments, and competing professional th ...

Including:

• Mental health - Overview
• Mental health - World Health Organization definition of mental health
• Mental health - Mental hygiene concept
• Mental health - Psychopathology
• Mental health - Opposition to biological psychiatry
• Mental health - Mental health promotion

Read more here: » Mental health: Encyclopedia - Mental health

Dr. Breggin is among the world's foremost critics of psychiatric drugs, and an advocate for psychological and social human services. For over three decades, Dr. Breggin has campaigned against the myriad dangers of psychoactive drugs, electroshock, psychosurgery, coercive involuntary treatment, and biological theories of psychiatry. Breggin has scorned the pharmaceutical industry for propagating disinformation, alleging drug companies have built largely fabricated markets by relentlessly spreading a false message that psychiatric drugs ...

See also:

Peter Breggin, Peter Breggin - Early career and background, Peter Breggin - A leading biological psychiatry critic, Peter Breggin - Controversial author and expert witness, Peter Breggin - A pioneer in alternative publishing and research

Read more here: » Peter Breggin: Encyclopedia II - Peter Breggin - A leading biological psychiatry critic

MindFreedom International is rooted in the psychiatric survivors liberation movement itself, which came directly out of civil rights ferment of the late 1960's and early 1970's. The term 'psychiatric survivor' is used by individuals who identify themselves as having experienced human rights violations in the mental health system. In late 1988, leaders from several of the main national and grassroots psychiatric survivor groups decided an independent coalition was needed, and under its original name, MindFreedom Support Coalition Internationa ...

See also:

MindFreedom International, MindFreedom International - Origins and Purpose, MindFreedom International - Opposition to New Freedom Commission, MindFreedom International - Debate over 'chemical imbalances', MindFreedom International - MindFreedom Shield Program, MindFreedom International - Range of campaigns

Read more here: » MindFreedom International: Encyclopedia II - MindFreedom International - Origins and Purpose

Laura's Law - Supporters. Passage of the bill was supported by organizations such as the California Treatment Advocacy Coalition (an affiliate of the Treatment Advocacy Center), the California Psychiatric Association, the Police Chief's Association, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI has been vocally criticized by opponents, particularly members of the psychiatric survivors movement, for advocating involuntary psychiatric drug treatment and for having excessive ties to the pharmaceutical ind ...

See also:

Laura's Law, Laura's Law - Implementation at county discretion, Laura's Law - Proposition 63 impact, Laura's Law - Outpatient commitment eligibility criteria, Laura's Law - Debate over bill's efficacy and propriety, Laura's Law - Supporters, Laura's Law - Opposition, Laura's Law - Reference

Read more here: » Laura's Law: Encyclopedia II - Laura's Law - Debate over bill's efficacy and propriety

Some experts consider mental health as a continuum. Thus, an individual's mental health may have many different possible values. Mental wellness is generally viewed as a positive attribute, such that a person can reach enhanced levels of mental health, even if they do not have any diagnosable mental illness. This definition of mental health highlights emotional well being, the capacity to live a full and creative life and the flexibility to deal with life's inevitable challenges. Many therapeutic systems and self-help books offer methods and philosophies espousing presumably effective strategies and techniques for further improving the me ...

See also:

Mental health, Mental health - Overview, Mental health - World Health Organization definition of mental health, Mental health - Mental hygiene concept, Mental health - Psychopathology, Mental health - Opposition to biological psychiatry, Mental health - Mental health promotion

Read more here: » Mental health: Encyclopedia II - Mental health - Overview

The MindFreedom Shield Program is an "All for one and one for all" registration system and network of members seeking as much protection as possible from coerced psychiatric treatment. If a member is known to be subjected to coerced psychiatric treatment, an alert is sent to the MindFreedom Solidarity Network on that person's behalf. Members of the network are expected to participate in constructive, nonv ...

See also:

MindFreedom International, MindFreedom International - Origins and Purpose, MindFreedom International - Opposition to New Freedom Commission, MindFreedom International - Debate over 'chemical imbalances', MindFreedom International - MindFreedom Shield Program, MindFreedom International - Range of campaigns

Read more here: » MindFreedom International: Encyclopedia II - MindFreedom International - MindFreedom Shield Program

Dr. Breggin's work provided the scientific basis for the original Wesbecker Prozac lawsuit, and for label changes in many psychiatric drugs. All doctors have an implied duty to report new adverse drug reactions to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) MedWatch [1], prompting frequent and common label changes. An example of consequences possibly attributable to medication is the murders committed by Andrea Yates of her own children. [2]. Breggin's point of view is questioned by some of his critics, as he has a no-holds barred, polemic ...

See also:

Peter Breggin, Peter Breggin - Early career and background, Peter Breggin - A leading biological psychiatry critic, Peter Breggin - Controversial author and expert witness, Peter Breggin - A pioneer in alternative publishing and research

Read more here: » Peter Breggin: Encyclopedia II - Peter Breggin - Controversial author and expert witness

In 1971, Breggin founded the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP), a nonprofit research and educational network. The Center is dedicated to shedding light upon the impact of mental health theory and practices upon individual well-being, personal freedom, and family and community values. He also founded the peer-review journal, Ethical Human Sciences and Services. Since 1964 Dr. Breggin has published many peer-reviewed articles and medical books in his subspecialty of clinical psychopharmacology, and ...

See also:

Peter Breggin, Peter Breggin - Early career and background, Peter Breggin - A leading biological psychiatry critic, Peter Breggin - Controversial author and expert witness, Peter Breggin - A pioneer in alternative publishing and research

Read more here: » Peter Breggin: Encyclopedia II - Peter Breggin - A pioneer in alternative publishing and research

According to MindFreedom, scientific evidence does not support the contention that mental illness results from chemical imbalances in the brain. In 2005, debate over the chemical imbalance theory of psychiatry was sparked by Tom Cruise's criticism of the theory as pseudoscience (viewable here along with a response by the president of the American Psychiatric Association). MindFreedom director David Oaks responded to the debate, stating that "The APA failed to come up with even one piece of scientific evidence for a chemical imbalance. The APA cannot name one scholarly citat ...

See also:

MindFreedom International, MindFreedom International - Origins and Purpose, MindFreedom International - Opposition to New Freedom Commission, MindFreedom International - Debate over 'chemical imbalances', MindFreedom International - MindFreedom Shield Program, MindFreedom International - Range of campaigns

Read more here: » MindFreedom International: Encyclopedia II - MindFreedom International - Debate over 'chemical imbalances'

Among the causes championed by the coalition is the campaign to thwart President George W. Bush's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Since 1992, Dr. Patch Adams, a physician and advocate for alternative medicine, has taken a leading role on behalf of the coalition in campaigning against the New Freedom Commission's attempts to expand the use of mental health screening programs, supported by the pharmaceutical industry and based upon the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. Adams has volu ...

See also:

MindFreedom International, MindFreedom International - Origins and Purpose, MindFreedom International - Opposition to New Freedom Commission, MindFreedom International - Debate over 'chemical imbalances', MindFreedom International - MindFreedom Shield Program, MindFreedom International - Range of campaigns

Read more here: » MindFreedom International: Encyclopedia II - MindFreedom International - Opposition to New Freedom Commission

Because the legislation authorizing Laura's Law did not include state funds for implementation (estimated at more than $300 million for the entire state), the decision is entirely up to counties whether or not to underwrite the costs. Laura's Law allows California counties to decide whether to opt into implementing an community-based, court monitored outpatient treatment program. A major obstacle, for counties that implement the law, is that they cannot use funds ...

See also:

Laura's Law, Laura's Law - Implementation at county discretion, Laura's Law - Proposition 63 impact, Laura's Law - Outpatient commitment eligibility criteria, Laura's Law - Debate over bill's efficacy and propriety, Laura's Law - Supporters, Laura's Law - Opposition, Laura's Law - Reference

Read more here: » Laura's Law: Encyclopedia II - Laura's Law - Implementation at county discretion

Opposing viewpoints to biological psychiatry theories include those of anti-psychiatry advocates, who contend psychiatric patients do not necessarily have a mental illness, but in fact are individuals who do not ascribe to the conventional belief system, or consensus reality, shared by most other people in their culture. Dr. Glasser defines mental health as an entity completely separate from mental illness, explaining that as long as the Western medical model prevails, the mental health profession will be unable to affordably deliver ...

See also:

Mental health, Mental health - Overview, Mental health - World Health Organization definition of mental health, Mental health - Mental hygiene concept, Mental health - Psychopathology, Mental health - Opposition to biological psychiatry, Mental health - Mental health promotion

Read more here: » Mental health: Encyclopedia II - Mental health - Opposition to biological psychiatry

Dr. William Glasser, a psychiatrist engaged in therapeutics and counseling, describes 'Mental Hygiene' in his book Mental Health or Mental Illness (1961), following the dictionary definition of hygiene as the establishment and maintenance of health, i.e. mental health. Currently, many mental health professionals focus less upon enhancing mental health than on treating psychological symptoms with psychoactive medications. Mental health, as a concept, is quite distinct from mental illness, and enhancement of mental health plays n ...

See also:

Mental health, Mental health - Overview, Mental health - World Health Organization definition of mental health, Mental health - Mental hygiene concept, Mental health - Psychopathology, Mental health - Opposition to biological psychiatry, Mental health - Mental health promotion

Read more here: » Mental health: Encyclopedia II - Mental health - Mental hygiene concept

Mental health promotion works from the principle that everyone has mental health needs, not just people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Mental health promotion is essentially concerned with making changes to society that will promote people's mental well-being. Mental health promotion is a term that covers a variety of strategies. These strategies can be seen to occur at three levels: Individual - encouragement of invidual resources by promotion of interventions for self-esteem, coping, assertiveness ...

See also:

Mental health, Mental health - Overview, Mental health - World Health Organization definition of mental health, Mental health - Mental hygiene concept, Mental health - Psychopathology, Mental health - Opposition to biological psychiatry, Mental health - Mental health promotion

Read more here: » Mental health: Encyclopedia II - Mental health - Mental health promotion