Out of the Shadows : Confronting America's Mental Illness Crisis

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Summary: Documents the Stuggle Among Mental Health Professionals
Review: Dr. Torrey once again published a book that highlighted a critical issue among mental health professionals. He once again tries to prod the American public into becoming aware of what is happening among the mentally ill in this country. He wants his profession to take a hard look at how they are responding to the crisis of mental illness. He desperately wants them to evaluate how they are responding. And he wants the system changed.

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Summary: Torrey wrestles with his intellectual schizophrenia
Review: In his earlier book, The Death of Psychiatry, Torrey wrote this:

A mental "disease" is said to be a "disease" of the mind... But a mind is not a thing and so technically it cannot have a disease... There are many known diseases of the brain ... But these diseases are considered to be in the province of neurology rather than psychiatry... None of the conditions that we now call mental "diseases" have any know structural or functional changes in the brain..."

Now in his days of fame Torrey says the very opposite. In this book, despite his painfully transparent attempts to explain away the reality he earlier acknowledged, he is unsuccessful. We are still left with the fact that genuine brain diseases are treated not by psychiatrists like Torrey, but by neurologists. Psychiatrists "treat" non-existent diseases in a non-existent location called the mind. The metaphor of "the mind" didn't change, but Torrey did. And we are left bewildered as to why he now embraces views that he once blasted. It deserves a clear explanation that he doesn't offer.

This book, and Torrey's other popular titles, can be read as an extended attempt to justify his devotion to something he formerly identified as useless pseudoscience. It is a case study in the cognitive dissonance of a well respected man.

Rating:
Summary: Torrey wrestles with his intellectual schizophrenia
Review: In his earlier book, The Death of Psychiatry, Torrey wrote this:

A mental "disease" is said to be a "disease" of the mind... But a mind is not a thing and so technically it cannot have a disease... There are many known diseases of the brain ... But these diseases are considered to be in the province of neurology rather than psychiatry... None of the conditions that we now call mental "diseases" have any know structural or functional changes in the brain..."

Now in his days of fame Torrey says the very opposite. In this book, despite his painfully transparent attempts to explain away the reality he earlier acknowledged, he is unsuccessful. We are still left with the fact that genuine brain diseases are treated not by psychiatrists like Torrey, but by neurologists. Psychiatrists "treat" non-existent diseases in a non-existent location called the mind. The metaphor of "the mind" didn't change, but Torrey did. And we are left bewildered as to why he now embraces views that he once blasted. It deserves a clear explanation that he doesn't offer.

This book, and Torrey's other popular titles, can be read as an extended attempt to justify his devotion to something he formerly identified as useless pseudoscience. It is a case study in the cognitive dissonance of a well respected man.

Rating:
Summary: Seeking advice for troubled teen
Review: My l4 year old daughter who is a freshman in High School and who attends several classes with her cousin is concerned about his behavior. She and her best friend told me recently that her cousin sits in class poking his arm with a needle. When I asked what the teacher does they told me they send him down to the Guidance Counselor. My understanding is that they have notified his mother. We are not sure if they've gotten him in therapy or not. I suspect they havn't because she is very very quiet and displays some forms of depression. I was also told that he wrote an essay for school entitled "Why doesn't anyone love me" looking for some input.