Definitions HQ

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a myth arising out of the fact that psychiatry misclassifies ethical problems as medical ones. Mental illness is a vice.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a matter of medical science. Hallucinations, rather than involving symptoms requiring treatment, are disowned self-conversations created by patients and capable of being stopped by them.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not the name of a biological condition whose nature awaits to be elucidated, but rather the name of a concept whose purpose is to obscure the obvious.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a myth whose function is to disguise and thus render more palatable the bitter pill of moral conflicts in human relations.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a problem for the mental patient's family and society; for the patient himself it is a 'solution.'

Mental illness's (n.) attribution ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is both an accusation and an excuse.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a wrongheaded term because ultimately, it boils down to the issue of control (or ownership) of conduct and in order to come to grips with this problem we must decide whether we value freedom more than health or vice versa, and whether we are willing to return illness and mental illness to their rightful owners-the patients and mental patients.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠as effectively treated with medically rationalized interventions as is trying to keep warm by chopping down and burning the family tree in the fireplace.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠contrasted from bodily illness in the same way that literal meaning is from metaphorical meaning.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠different from medical illness in that mental illness defines the person, whereas medical illness does not. This is why we read about 'schizophrenic murderers', but not about 'diabetic murderers.'

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠either a phenomenal metaphor (like hysteria which looks like an illness) and a strategic metaphor (calling a murderer 'psychotic' to justify acquitting him as insane).

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠essentially the experiencing of problems coping with life and each other.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠like a dissatisfying television in that is is either not working (bodily illness) or it is disatisfying because of the program (mental illness). As such, it is foolish if we tried to get rid of beer commercials on television by having TV repairmen work on our sets.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a disease but a 'problem in living.'

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a fact, but a strategy; not a condition, but a policy; not a disease the alleged patient has, but a decision which those who call him mentally ill make about how to act toward him.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a medical but a moral 'condition' as evidenced by the fact that we sever the 'mad criminal' from his crime (saying he lacked intent), but do not sever the 'mad artist' from his art (and in fact praise him for his artistic arts).

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not biological. Looking for the organic etiology of it is like looking for the caloric content of food for thought.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠of two radically different types; one is composed of inadequate, unskilled, lazy, or stupid persons; the other, of protesters, revolutionaries, those on strike against their relatives or society.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠treated wrongly when it is treated like any other illness: in reality, virtually, every bodily illness a person can have, a cadaver can have also, but the same cannot be said of mental illness.

Mental illness (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠typically the result of a collusion between the individual, qua mental patient, and the psychiatrist, qua medical mystery worker- transforming the 'patient' from a person qua agent filled with memories, into a body qua receptacle filled with lesions.