Is mental illness over-diagnosed or a vast spectrum we all are on?

[OddBeMe]

I can see arguments for both. Kinda like autism, there could be a spectrum where 90% of humans have.01% of mental illness, for example.

Spectrum

Over-diagnosed

Both?

Don’t know

[Sevenpointfive]

i know for a fact that there are mentally ill people out there that think they are perfectly normal living normal lives. it's scary. to think that those people are also killers with no remorse.

[msc545]

How do you know they are mentally ill? How can you tell?

[Sevenpointfive]

@msc545 i was at an office depot one day doing a job there. and this transvestite started having a conniption fit. i had seen this person before doing the same routine at a different store. i felt really bad for him/her. there was something terribly wrong with them.

[msc545]

And from this infer what exactly?

[Juxtapose]

You do not have autism, not even a little bit. Normal people don't know what it's like.

The way mental illness is treated now is just a scheme for big pharma to get rich. A lot of these people would be fine if they just had a good community and actually got some goddamn exercise with a proper diet.

[Sevenpointfive]

he wasn't just talking about autism. he said spectrum

[Juxtapose]

@Sevenpointfive I don't believe in spectrums for mental illness either. You either have it or you don't

[Sevenpointfive]

yes and no. i do think there are degrees to an affliction.

[SlothySlob]

If everyone has a mental disorder, that means that noone has a mental disorder but just a form of uniqueness to them.

[Sevenpointfive]

yes, but functionality in society is seen as as normal

[SlothySlob]

@Sevenpointfive Are you sure? I'd say it's a requirement, not the norm. I'd say that it's normal to have some sort of disorder. And if you don't it's also considered not normal.

[Sevenpointfive]

yep. it's common to have some kind of disorder but i don't know how common. it is possible that it's becoming more the norm. i do think more people have mental illness than ever before

[Siri137]

Definitely over-diagnosed, especially with those who are told they have autism.

[msc545]

You don't think Autism is real?

[Siri137]

@msc545 No, I said that it was over-diagnosed. Big difference.

[msc545]

How do you know it is overdiagnosed then? Who do you think over-diagnoses it and why do they do that if they do?

[Siri137]

@msc545 Well, as you may be aware, according to various sources that I've come across while browsing the net, there has been a (some would say "dramatic") increase in reported cases since the early 1990's.
Now, whether this is actually the case, and these people are correct about this, is something else. However, if true, then it needs to be asked why this is happening, and what can be done to find the cause (s) and prevent it.

[Siri137]

@msc545 I don't believe that everyone, or even just most people, who are simply socially awkward have "autism". Many people are just shy, or are the way they are because they had a hard childhood. Autism is a silly label, and I think it's often just used as an excuse to justify bad behavour in bratty children who have slack parents.

[msc545]

Nobody knows what causes Autism but toxic exposure from bad air and bad food is right at the top of the list as are genetic anomalies in the parents also caused by toxins.

As a Neuropsychologist I can tell you that there are very specific signs and symptoms that are indicative of Autism, and "bad behavior" is not one of them. There is nothing "silly" about Autism at all.

[Siri137]

@msc545 I said the label was silly, and I said this because it gets thrown around a lot, by all kinds of people who know nothing about it.
I said "bad behaviour" in reference to the meltdowns they often have in public places. Almost anything can set them off too. It's almost like they're possessed, and need an exorcist.

[msc545]

I'm not sure what you're seeing, but if it's what I've seen, it's a whole hell of a lot more than simply bad behavior. That may be your label for it, but I can assure you that would not be my label.

[exitseven]

Everyone is a little crazy. Some more thsn others. Some are batshit.

[msc545]

It is not over diagnosed, and in fact, it is usually under-diagnosed a lot.

[OddBeMe]

I would agree and disagree. Veterans, the homeless, sure underdiagnosed. Kids with attention deficit bullshit? Over diagnosed.

[msc545]

Why, you don't think that ADD/ADHD are real?

[Sevenpointfive]

you're the only one who understood this question. everyone else must be mentally ill or normal lol

[Sevenpointfive]

@OddBeMe

[OddBeMe]

No it’s real but perhaps diagnosed with chems instead of disciplined habits and excersixe.

[msc545]

@OddBeMe I think you mean "treated" not "diagnosed, and you can treat it with all the things you mentioned and it won't change it a bit - that stuff has been tried a lot and it always fails.

[OddBeMe]

Sure, I was just using our words de jure. But either way untreated means undiagnosed issues.

[msc545]

Many people are diagnosed and then untreated for various reasons