Psychiatry Journal Clutching At Straws

Hey you?

Who, me?

Yeh, who did you think I was talking to?

I'm sorry, who are you?

I'm you, we are but one.

Oh, okay, let's smoke.

I don't mean to make light of schizophrenia, I'll leave that to the Lancet Psychiatry Journal, who have recently published a study - um, a theory, on the association between smoking and schizophrenia.

When the story appeared on my Facebook timeline I had to do a double-take. What were the white-coated lunatics trying to blame mental illness on now, I thought?

Well, it appears that yet another theory has been put forward. The chemical imbalance theory, which psychiatry relied on so heavily has now been debunked so many times that the field of psychiatry have to come up with another causation for mental illness.

Create a study, add what looks like a scientific protocol, ie, a series of confusing maths, and Voila! A new cause is created.

I do laugh at some of the nonsense - um, nonscience, published in the Lancet. It's quickly becoming one of my choices of light-hearted reading, the first two choices being The Beano and The Dandy.

The British arm of the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) sum it all up quite eloquently in a post entitled, 'Psychiatrists can’t even define ‘schizophrenia’'.

"There can be no doubt that people do experience problems and upsets in life that may result in mental troubles, sometimes very serious, but to represent that these troubles are caused by incurable “brain diseases” that can only be alleviated with dangerous drugs is dishonest, harmful and often deadly. Neuroleptic (nerve-seizing) drugs, used to treat schizophrenia, cause damage to the body’s nervous system and result in permanent impairment, even death."

I couldn't agree more. To me it seems as though the white-coated lunatics are running out of ideas, remember, this is the same profession who, years ago, would have drilled a hole in the side of your head if you told them you were hearing voices.

Nothing has changed really. Okay, no drilling but plenty of brain altering drugs dished out to cure or 'help' control the illness that the field of psychiatry put a badge to (labelled) many years ago.

I am of the impression that these studies, um theories, are designed just to test the water, just to see how far psychiatry can go without a public backlash. It amazes me that people can't see through this latest attempt at pushing more drugs.

Think about it for just one minute folks.

Scare people into thinking that smoking can cause a brain disorder - those same people (addicted to nicotine) may seek help.

**Psychiatrist hands them Zyban (GSK) a smoking cessation drug that is really an antidepressant (Wellbutrin) or maybe offer them Champix (Pfizer), another smoking cessation drug, this one has been the subject of inducing suicidal thoughts for years.

The scam continues, folks.

One of the study authors, James MacCabe, a physician at King College’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, said, "While it is always hard to determine the direction of causality, our findings indicate that smoking should be taken seriously as a possible risk factor for developing psychosis, and not dismissed simply as a consequence of the illness."

Apparently he was under no influence of hallucinogenics when he made that statement.

Hopefully, the Lancet will soon be sold in my local shop, it's so hilariously entertaining that I, sometimes wet myself whilst reading it. (Impulse Control Disorder)

This story was brought to you by Benson & Hedges and Marlboro.




Bob Fiddaman.