Is Mental Illness a Myth - Essay Example

There are varied conflicting or contradicting data on the utility, reliability, and meaning of terms as such insanity, sanity, schizophrenia, and mental illness. Finally, in the year 1934, a Benedict named Ruth suggested that matters of normality and abnormality are never universal (Slater 65). That is, what might be regarded by one culture as normal may be quite aberrant by another culture; therefore, mental illness is a myth but not a medical disorder. Accordingly, Thomas Szasz regards mental illness as a myth. In his argument, Szasz states that psychiatrists often exploit mental illness in making ethical and political decisions. They completely separate behavior and biology, behavior and brain, as well as mental and physical. Thus, mental diseases are never considered within biological science. For instance, Szasz argues that psychiatrists often confuse neurological disorders and physical diseases with mental diseases.

Rosenhan once conducted a study that he termed "Being Sane in Insane Places" (Szasz 54). Being a psychologist, he placed eight sane or normal people in mental hospitals as "pseudo-patients". Initially, these people were diagnosed with schizophrenia and later these patients appeared normal on the second diagnosis (Rosenhan and Perry London 95). This study is an indication that mental illness is a myth or creation, but not a disease related to biological disorders. Read More