Posted on 06/09/2014 11:03:24 AM PDT by rickmichaels
I wasn’t saying that drugs weren’t an effective intervention but rather than an effective intervention doesn’t mean you have identified the root cause of the disorder (e.g., autism - the most effective interventions are those based on behavior analysis but we still have no clear idea on the cause/s of autism).
As for faith, I too am Catholic. Our church teaches behavior resulting from psychiatric disorders can be something different than corruption by sin. That is, if the psychiatric illness precludes the person from understanding the sinfulness of the act and fully consenting to the act, then culpability is greatly diminished (there is a decent discussion here - https://www.osv.com/TheChurch/HumanDignityandSexuality/Article/TabId/658/ArtMID/13696/ArticleID/8366/Responsibility-for-sin.aspx).
Now, I may have misunderstood what you were saying. So if you were simply saying that we should include prayer and spiritual exercises in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, as long as they don’t preclude or interfere with other effective procedures (God has given us the intellect and skills to identify ways, beyond prayer, to help our fellow man and I would argue that they are therefore, in some ways, spiritual gifts from God), I agree wholeheartedly.
You gentlemen are both very kind. Thank you.
Everything is relative. Some molecules are especially tiny, consisting of only a few atoms; others by comparison are large and complicated.
I have no idea of your background with these kinds of disorders, and I can only speak from my direct experience with my mother’s issues.
Behavior in conjunction with blood work was always utilized in her diagnosis. It was never a one test or the other, and I suspect her treatment/diagnosis was not terribly different from others.
But I am not an MD, are you?
Not (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night). More seriously, again, measurement of something in no way implies it is the cause of the disorder. Major depressive disorder is diagnosed solely based on observation and self-report (see the DSM V and ICD 11). Most doctors will also screen for other disorders that could have similar effects (e.g., hormone imbalances). If the person has some other physical disorder then the doctor will likely treat that disorder. If the “signs and symptoms” then go away, by definition, the person did not have major depressive disorder.
All that said, a doctor can do whatever tests he or she wants but that doesn’t mean those tests are actually identifying a disorder.
Certainly; but with the repeated use of the word "tiny" I expected some discussion of its actual size. The molecule in question may be smaller than others with similar effect, but it's more than a few atoms:
Many popular-press science writers today don’t do the most exemplary job.
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