Didn't read through comments, but just wanted to clarify a few things:
Therapist - Commonly masters degree + certifications
Psychologist - Ph.D in psychology or closely related doctoral degree.
Psychiatrist - Medical Doctor degree, have gone through the same training every other doctor has gone through, except with (likely) a fellowship in a Psychiatric unit or some other relevant aspect.
>Both Psychologists and Psychiatrists have a very, very, very good understanding of neurons and atoms and other such things. Therapists, not always - depends on if they came from a psychology background or social work background.
Remember, there are MANY methods used by these individuals to help their patients. Psychiatrists are the only ones allowed to proscribed medicine - in that regard, they are the only ones influenced by pharma naturally.
Psychologists usually specialize in a sub-field and are often more research and therapy based.
Therapists are social workers who purely work with patients and enacting/providing certain therapies.
I would challenge your notion that people cannot be mentally ill, however, I agree that those who still believe in possession and other such beliefs are a bit .. well, yeah.
On the notion of mental illness however, I'm not sure you'd find many educated individuals agreeing with you. The biological side of mental illness is quite easy to prove today, and has been able to be proven for many decades. Such illness does exist, and it effects the most important organ in your body
Quote (xxx_aria @ Apr 5 2016 12:08am)
This is not how science progresses. Admission of ignorance is necessary to science. If the mental health profession stuck with scientific research, it would be whittled down to a handful of behavioral patterns (much of which has been known for ages) and hundreds of medications with unclear molecular mechanisms and obscure physiological responses. The growth of the mental health profession is socially, economically, and politically fueled, not scientifically. I think we agree that there is a correct way to go about this, and we may reach it in the future. I'm claiming the profession has strayed off the righteous path and is in the hands of businesses, rather than the medical profession.
I started reading through the comments and found this.
I couldn't agree with you more - you're absolutely right as well.
Just keep in mind, not everyone in the system/going into the system is "apart of the system" though, if that makes sense.
This post was edited by Textbook on Apr 15 2016 05:19am