Comments on: Thomas Szasz has a New Masterpiece: COERCION AS CURE http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/ Author James Bovard Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:03:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Stephen http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-120866 Stephen Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:53:30 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-120866 I became aware of Szasz in an unusual way, through a book by Kay Redfield Jamison. Her positions are identical to those of the APA. In her book "Understanding Suicide," She gives two pages of a 400 page book to Szasz, who represents the opposition. Her two pages are downright slanderous. I'm surely not an expert on Psychology, but I grew up in the inner city which makes me somewhat of an expert on what we call "game," more commonly known as bullshit. When a person feels secure in their position/argument, they usually don't feel it necessary to verbally assault the author of an opposing opinion. On this point alone, I found Szasz to be more credible than Jamison and the so-called anti psychiatrists to be more credible than the psychiatrists who represent the APA Establishment. I became aware of Szasz in an unusual way, through a book by Kay Redfield Jamison. Her positions are identical to those of the APA. In her book “Understanding Suicide,” She gives two pages of a 400 page book to Szasz, who represents the opposition. Her two pages are downright slanderous.
I’m surely not an expert on Psychology, but I grew up in the inner city which makes me somewhat of an expert on what we call “game,” more commonly known as bullshit. When a person feels secure in their position/argument, they usually don’t feel it necessary to verbally assault the author of an opposing opinion. On this point alone, I found Szasz to be more credible than Jamison and the so-called anti psychiatrists to be more credible than the psychiatrists who represent the APA Establishment.

]]> By: Martin http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-120853 Martin Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:16:07 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-120853 Keith Hoeller said: " ...by the very man who nearly fifty years ago declared mental illness to be a myth. " Actually it's the other way around. Szasz unmasked the declaration that undesirable behaviors (renamed as depression, schizophrenia, etc.) are mental illnesses. Mental illness is a metaphor in that it looks like an illness (like heart disease or cancer) but isn't and is in the same catagory as spring fever or cabin fever or homesickness. Keith Hoeller said: ” …by the very man who nearly fifty years ago declared mental illness to be a myth. ” Actually it’s the other way around. Szasz unmasked the declaration that undesirable behaviors (renamed as depression, schizophrenia, etc.) are mental illnesses. Mental illness is a metaphor in that it looks like an illness (like heart disease or cancer) but isn’t and is in the same catagory as spring fever or cabin fever or homesickness.

]]> By: Fay Hannah http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-120556 Fay Hannah Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:06:50 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-120556 It has taken me some time to discover the amazing Thomas Szasz and I cannot wait to read everything he has written. I have always believed that this psychiatry stuff was nonsense and that most people who suffer from distress are reacting to an often cruel and heartless environment. When the majority of adults have no idea of what a child is then it is inevitable that each generation will manifest weirder and weirder behaviours as can be seen in the USA and other so-called democrtic communities. It is a sick joke played on the most vulnerable of people more often than not. It has taken me some time to discover the amazing Thomas Szasz and I cannot wait to read everything he has written. I have always believed that this psychiatry stuff was nonsense and that most people who suffer from distress are reacting to an often cruel and heartless environment. When the majority of adults have no idea of what a child is then it is inevitable that each generation will manifest weirder and weirder behaviours as can be seen in the USA and other so-called democrtic communities. It is a sick joke played on the most vulnerable of people more often than not.

]]> By: SASA http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-120041 SASA Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:22:44 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-120041 Life is difficult once we truly understand and accept it -then life is no longer difficult Life is a series of problems.Do we want to moan about them or solve them?Do we want to teach our children to solve them?we all know the effects of a teacher who tell as we're useless.If we are put down regularly and at key times or key individuals we can get stuck there,with chronic and deep difficulties with how we feel about ourselves,what we need is support to develop self confidence and sense of security.However we need courages people like you to gives us the tools for the future.Thank you for being Thomas Szasz SASA Life is difficult once we truly understand and accept it -then life is no longer difficult
Life is a series of problems.Do we want to moan about them or solve them?Do we want to teach our children to solve them?we all know the effects of a teacher who tell as we’re useless.If we are put down regularly and at key times or key individuals we can get stuck there,with chronic and deep difficulties with how we feel about ourselves,what we need is support to develop self confidence and sense of security.However we need courages people like you to gives us the tools for the future.Thank you for being Thomas Szasz
SASA

]]> By: Thomas Szasz - A short talk | Encefalus http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-118846 Thomas Szasz - A short talk | Encefalus Sun, 24 Aug 2008 19:09:55 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-118846 [...] Thomas Szasz has a New Masterpiece: COERCION AS CURE [...] [...] Thomas Szasz has a New Masterpiece: COERCION AS CURE [...]

]]> By: anita http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-118773 anita Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:32:55 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-118773 Please have someone contact me, it is very inportant and this issue should be addressed with the proper health and rights advocate. Thanks for all your help and concern. sincerely Anita in Florida. Please have someone contact me, it is very inportant and this issue should be addressed with the proper health and rights advocate. Thanks for all your help and concern. sincerely Anita in Florida.

]]> By: Janie Lee http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-112405 Janie Lee Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:02:34 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-112405 there isn't any anti psychiatry that is truthful isn't it, because to do anti psychiatry is almost pretty much like doing psychiatry trying to change someones mind, I suppose it is different to, I am a faithful anti pyschiatry kind of a person who would love to meet some others who really want to put a stop to psychiatry and not just play games about doing it, thanks for being around there isn’t any anti psychiatry that is truthful isn’t it, because to do anti psychiatry is almost pretty much like doing psychiatry trying to change someones mind, I suppose it is different to, I am a faithful anti pyschiatry kind of a person who would love to meet some others who really want to put a stop to psychiatry and not just play games about doing it, thanks for being around

]]> By: Martin http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-111965 Martin Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:03:38 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-111965 With respect to Szasz, there is no mental illness or mental health - they are code words for disapproved (undesirable) and approved (desirable) behavior, consequently, there can be no "cure" for undesirable behaviors like depression or schizophrenia. People troubled by their own behavior will more than likely seek some sort of help - autonomous psychotherapy - would help a person to change his (or her) behavior in the way they would like. Changing one's behavior takes courage rather than insight. Those whose behavior troubles others will likely be forced into "treatment" which Szasz desribes as assault. Those people are placed in a prison called euphemistcially a hospital. With respect to Szasz, there is no mental illness or mental health - they are code words for disapproved (undesirable) and approved (desirable) behavior, consequently, there can be no “cure” for undesirable behaviors like depression or schizophrenia. People troubled by their own behavior will more than likely seek some sort of help - autonomous psychotherapy - would help a person to change his (or her) behavior in the way they would like. Changing one’s behavior takes courage rather than insight.
Those whose behavior troubles others will likely be forced into “treatment” which Szasz desribes as assault. Those people are placed in a prison called euphemistcially a hospital.

]]> By: Chris Buors http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-111909 Chris Buors Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:10:24 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-111909 I am a big time fan of Dr. Szasz and have read about 20 of his books. What Dr. Szasz means is that "mental illness" is not a disease as per Virchowian definition that is used by pathologists. People with "problems in living" is what Dr. Szasz says the so-called mentally ill are. Depression for instance. The cure for depression is hope. Offering hope is a spiritual matter and not a medical matter. Psychiatrists are soul doctors who use pseudo-medical sounding language to associate themselves with medicine. Language and the power of the metaphor is the tool of the soul doctors. Broken hearts are not the same as a heart attack. Feeling don't belong in the realm of medicine. Bottom line..... There is no Physical Health Act that gives authority to Pathology books. Mental Health Acts from one end of the Nation to the other are what make the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual V4 legitimacy. Members of the APA vote on what gets into that book as a disease by the way. What was it Jefferson said about only error needing legislation because truth can stand on its own? People put up with it because the Act empowers the police to deal with people who disturb us but aren't committing any crimes. I came to libertarianism through the writings of Thomas Szasz. Dr. Szasz is also a political philosopher second to none in the Licertarian sphere. I found Szasz an easier read than Mises and Rothbard too! I am a big time fan of Dr. Szasz and have read about 20 of his books.

What Dr. Szasz means is that “mental illness” is not a disease as per Virchowian definition that is used by pathologists.

People with “problems in living” is what Dr. Szasz says the so-called mentally ill are.

Depression for instance.

The cure for depression is hope.

Offering hope is a spiritual matter and not a medical matter.

Psychiatrists are soul doctors who use pseudo-medical sounding language to associate themselves with medicine.

Language and the power of the metaphor is the tool of the soul doctors.

Broken hearts are not the same as a heart attack.

Feeling don’t belong in the realm of medicine.

Bottom line….. There is no Physical Health Act that gives authority to Pathology books.

Mental Health Acts from one end of the Nation to the other are what make the Diagnostic and Statistics Manual V4 legitimacy.

Members of the APA vote on what gets into that book as a disease by the way.

What was it Jefferson said about only error needing legislation because truth can stand on its own?

People put up with it because the Act empowers the police to deal with people who disturb us but aren’t committing any crimes.

I came to libertarianism through the writings of Thomas Szasz.

Dr. Szasz is also a political philosopher second to none in the Licertarian sphere.

I found Szasz an easier read than Mises and Rothbard too!

]]> By: Mace Price http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-111142 Mace Price Sat, 08 Sep 2007 00:29:05 +0000 http://jimbovard.com/blog/2007/09/04/thomas-szasz-has-a-new-masterpiece-coercion-as-cure/#comment-111142 ...Rank and file Leftists are unwitting Totalitarians; with the educated and/or intelligent variety looking for a place to rise on the proverbial ant heap. Throughout History the experience of any organized reaction to them has differed little if any. It must operate on the same, collective, hierarchical basis to check its Political expanse. …Rank and file Leftists are unwitting Totalitarians; with the educated and/or intelligent variety looking for a place to rise on the proverbial ant heap. Throughout History the experience of any organized reaction to them has differed little if any. It must operate on the same, collective, hierarchical basis to check its Political expanse.

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