A Tragedy of Error
 
 

In Part 1 of The New Priests I suggested that the new religion of Psychology stands poised to do great damage to a society which it professes to want to help.  I knew it would not be long before examples of this showed up in the pages of the local newspapers.

A few days ago one Mrs. Andrea Yates drowned her five children in her bathtub and then called police to tell them she had killed her children.  The public attention to the case focused primarily on the role of Child Protection Services, and whether they should be given more or less latitude in these situations.  Not a single person involved questioned the ethics of her priest (I mean her psychiatrist), who doped her up on heavy psychoactive drugs for years - apparently to control her post-partum depression.  Her psychiatrist, indeed, took no difficult questions in the interview I saw, saying simply that there were no indications that Mrs. Yates was a danger to herself or her kids.

To me, this is an indication that such psychiatrists are a danger to their clients, and their clients' families.  The fact is, all psychoactive drugs currently in use - approved or not - are experimental.  They are experimental because they are new.  They have no long track record.  This in itself should cause great concern among 'professional' psychiatrists, who should subscribe these drugs sparingly, for short periods and under careful observation.

But why do I say 'for short periods'?  Let me explain something that only those in denial or in the grip of a philosophical theory could possibly ignore: people who are on psychoactive drugs for long periods of time will (not may) eventually lose all touch with reality.  People who lose touch with reality may not for that reason become dangerous - although they may, and there is really no way to stop them if they have no touchstones in the real world - but that is almost beside the point.  They lose their ability to think, to deal themselves with the world and to think and act independent of the drugs.  This is not a theory.  This is borne out over and over and over again in the world.

Mrs. Yates psychiatrist seemed to have no clue about this rather simple fact.  This is frightening enough, and is probably the result of brainwashing, ego or both.  What is almost more frightening is that the heavy drug use sanctioned by these idiots go without question, scrutiny or skepticism.  Not a single person has asked whether it is strange that a person was prescribed heavy drugs for years to solve a problem that normally lasts weeks (months in the worst cases).  Not a single person has even asked what those drugs were, apparently because if they are prescribed by a 'doctor', they must be safe.

Let me say this again.  It is arguable whether in fact any of these drugs are 'safe', and these people who prescribe them are not doctors, they are priests.  To date, they are responsible for  incarcerating innocent people on the basis of shaky theories (like 'recovered memory') and releasing criminals on the basis of mental incapacity (i.e. drug use), unnecessarily drugging school children to get them to behave or just calm down (I actually heard a psychologist say that an 8-year-old student should go on drugs because he 'was acting like a child'), and sending clients with mild problems into surreal episodes of psychoactive addiction.

Let me reiterate: I have no problem with good people trying to help folks cope with life.  But when these good people stop questioning themselves and their theories and adhere simply to a prescribed set of ideas which have been handed down by the 'elders' (I mean the relevant psychiatry boards) no matter what the outcome, and hide behind their goodness when somebody comes to inquire on the issues, the situation becomes dangerous.  There is no difference between the old and the new religions on this point.  Any who have read me know what I think about religion in general.  I must say, however, that if the choice is between the old priests and the new ones, the old priests are ultimately less dangerous.

Or, in words you are used to hearing: if you feel a little depressed, anxious or paranoid, and start thinking about spending that $50 to go see a psychologist - don't do it.  It is the gateway to years of addiction which will take your money and can ruin your life and the lives of your family.
 

June 23, 2001