The fallacy of the medical model and the dangers of psychotropic drugs as a mode of treatment for mental disorders

Abstract

With the decline of psychoanalytic thinking since the 50's and the 60's, mental disorders have been attributed to organic factors. This has been influenced by Social Darwinism, a belief in the survival of the fittest. The implication of such a philosophy is that social intervention is not the appropriate approach for the treatment of mental aberrations. The source of the problem lies within the individual. For example, schizophrenia has been attributed to brain anomalies, chemical imbalances or to the inheritance of genetic factors. To this day, in spite of the research efforts in that direction, the pursuit of these findings were proven to be illusive. Nevertheless, the search continues with a complete neglect of social factors. One problem is that writers disagreeing with this philosophy, find it difficult to publish their dissenting views. Since the source of the problem is within the individual, aberrations should be treated with drugs. However the efficacy of these drugs have not yet been confirmed and instead have been causing a lot of physical problems for patients. It is unfortunate that a number of influential clinical psychologists have adopted the medical model and are trying to obtain by legislation "prescription privileges" for psychologists. The author believes that this trend could be destructive to the profession of psychology, since it will weaken if not destroy the humanistic approach in the treatment of the mentally ill.

Dual-Brain Psychology: A novel theory and treatment based on cerebral laterality and psychopathology

“…Rolling a rock down a mountain does not easily predict where it will wind up, but the proximal cause is the initial push, and in psychology, that initial push is what hurts us severely and that will likely lead to new insults and pains and further obstacles. Biological psychiatry has been dedicated to the premise that the physical brain needs to be treated with physical modalities which Sanua (1996) and others (Pam, 1990) have criticized. "For example, schizophrenia has been attributed to brain anomalies, chemical imbalances, or to the inheritance of genetic factors.... the pursuit of these findings were proven to be illusive (Sanua, 1996)."…”

“…Biological psychiatry has been dedicated to the premise that the physical brain needs to be treated with physical modalities which Sanua (1996) and others (Pam, 1990) have criticized. "For example, schizophrenia has been attributed to brain anomalies, chemical imbalances, or to the inheritance of genetic factors.... the pursuit of these findings were proven to be illusive (Sanua, 1996)." Experiences profoundly influence the brain (Schiffer, 2019) and the fact that many severely ill patients can be restored to health in a manner of months (Schiffer, 2021b) suggests that subjective experiences in therapy are themselves a powerful intervention and that the patient is not up against a relatively immutable brain disease.…”

Personal mythology and psychotherapy: Myth-making in psychological and spiritual development.

“…As Campbell (1949) put it, in former times "all meaning was in the group" while today "all meaning is in the individual" (p. 388). In fact, as the enterprise of psychotherapy is squeezed ever more tightly into the Procrustean bed of its medical model (Sanua, 1996), new frameworks that appreciate the mythic dimension of personal difficulties are urgently needed. In fact, as the enterprise of psychotherapy is squeezed ever more tightly into the Procrustean bed of its medical model (Sanua, 1996), new frameworks that appreciate the mythic dimension of personal difficulties are urgently needed.…”

“…The culture's new mythology is being hammered out on the anvil of individual lives, and teaching people to develop expertise in this process is a viable cross-disciplinary mission for the social sciences. In fact, as the enterprise of psychotherapy is squeezed ever more tightly into the Procrustean bed of its medical model (Sanua, 1996), new frameworks that appreciate the mythic dimension of personal difficulties are urgently needed.…”

Quo vadis APA? Inroads of the medical model.

“…Great claims are being made on the discovery of some genetic or physiological component to explain the causes of mental disorders, claims that are hardly ever confirmed by later research. The history of psychiatry is replete with discredited theories and on the futility of various treatments that were found to be at best useless but most of the time quite harmful to the physical and mental health of the patients (Sanua, 1990).…”