10
Female Hysteria
Hysteria was a common diagnosis for feisty and disobedient women, dating back to Ancient Greece. Greek philosophers, including Hippocrates and Plato, viewed the womb as a living creature that wandered through a woman’s body, often causing disease. In fact, the word “hysteria” is derived from the Greek word for uterus (hysteria). Insomnia, nervousness, irritability, loss of appetite, fluid retention, muscle spasms and many other symptoms were said to result from the wandering womb. Though hysteria was a common diagnosis for nuns, virgins and widows throughout the Middle Ages, the disease truly exploded in 19th century America and Europe, creating a huge market for vibrators, douches and similar devices. One physician, in 1859, even claimed a quarter of all women suffered from hysteria, while another compiled a 75 page list of hysteria symptoms, only to state it was still incomplete. The most common prescriptions for hysteria were, of course, sex and masturbation, sometimes performed by the doctor himself, until the patient experienced “hysterical paroxysm” (orgasm).
9
Homosexuality
Many forget that homosexuality was, and is still, considered a mental disorder by many. The American Psychiatric Association did not declassify homosexuality as a mental illness until 1973. Gays were considered mentally ill in China until 2001, after 5 years of intensive study by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry. In many countries around the world, gays are still considered insane and immoral, facing punishment, ostracism and even death.
8
Drapetomania
Drapetomania was a purported mental illness that caused black slaves to flee captivity, described by American doctor Samuel Cartwright, in 1851. According to Cartwright, the illness resulted from masters who “made themselves too familiar with [slaves], treating them as equals” and prescribed “whipping the devil out of them” as a “preventative measure.” In his work, Diseases and Peculiarities of the Negro Race, Cartwright’s justification for drapetomania is primarily Biblical, citing the idea that slaves must obey their masters.
7
Dysaethesia Aethiopica
Here’s another alleged mental illness from Samuel Cartwright, describing widespread laziness and “rascality” amongst blacks, particularly “free negroes.” Again, he prescribed whipping as a cure, which would make the black “look grateful and thankful to the white man whose compulsory power … has restored his sensation and dispelled the mist that clouded his intellect.” The name of the disease roughly translates to “abnormal Ethiopian perception.”
6
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Into the modern era… People who suffer from this “disorder” are said to be depressed in the winter and happy in the summer. That sounds a lot like sanity to me. Come to Minnesota and try not to suffer from this. Popular treatments for SAD include bright light therapy, in which a person stares at a bright light for 30-60 minutes daily, costly air ionizers, “dawn simulation,” and even antidepressants.
5
Chemophobia
Though it literally translates to “fear of chemicals,” this term is used by some psychologists, scientists and organizations to describe those concerned about the “industrial,” “synthetic,” “artificial,” and “man-made” particularly with regards to food and drink. An article by the American Enterprise Institute on chemophobia boldly states “The false idea that our bodies have become ‘toxic waste dumps’ is not just wrong but counterproductive.” Do they really think there’s no correlation between the skyrocketing rates of cancer and the increase of chemical additives in the food supply? It’s probably only a matter of time before psychiatrists use this word to describe people who resist chemotherapy for cancer (i.e. Daniel Hauser has “chemophobia”).
4
Orthorexia Nervosa
This “disorder” is similar to chemophobia. According to its discoverer, Steven Bratman, orthorexia, also known as “healthy eating disorder,” is a “fixation with healthy or righteous eating.” This can include people who avoid fats, sugars, salt, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, preservatives, food additives and animal products, as well as raw foodists. This condition is not officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association, but is still promoted by some psychologists, and news outlets such as ABC. In my opinion, an obsession with health food that becomes detrimental to an individual should be considered a form of OCD or anorexia, not “orthorexia.” By the way, why isn’t a fixation with eating unhealthy foods considered a mental disorder? If it was, it would probably be the most common in the Western world.
3
Autism/Asperger’s
I’m expecting this to be one of the more controversial items on the list, but allow me to make a few points if you will. First, note there is no objective medical test to determine if someone is autistic. There are only varying lists of behavioral traits, some of which are vague enough to fit anyone. Supposed symptoms of autism given by the Autism Society of America, and other organizations, include “insistence on sameness,” “little or no eye contact,” “fixation with certain objects or subjects,” and “preference to be alone.” So in other words, if your child is different, perhaps shy or introverted, they may be autistic and require behavioral therapy, medication and special schooling. What I find particularly fraudulent about autism is the “autism spectrum,” which seemingly every human being could fall into, with vague symptoms like “insistence on sameness” and “fixation with certain objects or subjects.” Should we start placing people with moles, cysts and skin tags on the “cancer spectrum,” or people with tans on the “burn spectrum?”
2
ADHD
There is certainly a huge industry which has developed around this supposed mental illness. Almost six million children in the United States, alone, have been diagnosed with it, with most going on one or more medications. Many of these medications, including Lexapro, Adderall and Ritalin, contain dangerous amphetamines, associated with a slew of side effects including chronic headaches, high blood pressure, lethargy, seizures, weakened immune system, stunted growth, depression, suicidal thoughts and even death; according to the FDA, Ritalin accounted for the deaths of at least 186 children between 1990 and 2000. A great number of studies show the true cause of the ADHD as a diet high in refined sugar, food additives and common allergens like gluten and lactose. Some would even argue that hyperactivity is a normal part of being a kid, and that many parents nowadays are just too lazy or ineffectual to discipline their children.
1
Personality Disorder
This blanket term incorporates syndromes such as schizophrenia, OCD, antisocial personality disorder, and borderline personality disorder. The APA defines a personality disorder as “an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the culture of the individual who exhibits it.” This definition raises some very important questions about the nature of, not just personality disorders, but all mental illness. It seems that in all cases, diagnosis is contingent upon cultural standards of normalcy, and what if certain mores in our culture are arbitrary or immoral? Who are psychiatrists to deem what constitutes normality to begin with? Here’s an additional dilemma. The words “disorder” and “illness” imply a handicap- an inability to function successfully- yet many people with “mental illnesses” are highly successful entrepreneurs and entertainers. Bill Gates for example, is considered by many to be autistic. What if some “mental illnesses” are actually gifts which allow people to excel above “normal” human beings? Think about that one. By the way, if you disagree with anything on this list, you may have Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
At
the end of the 1950s and early 60s, there was an odd sub-genre of pop
song called the death ballad, or teen
death song which usually centered around a tragic accident which
separates teen lovers. This could have its roots in the country and
western murder ballad, which was also a popular and grisly
sub-genre which had been popular in the 20s and 30s. There are a number
of songs which can be counted among this sub-genre – ‘Tell Laura I Love
Her”, “Dead Man’s Curve”,”Leader of the Pack”, and many others.
Laura Nyro was not
appreciated by the 60s counterculture, mainly because she was looked
upon as a traditionalist which was a capital offence to the turn
on, tune-in, and drop out crowd – she was booed when she played the
Monterey Pop Festival! Part of what made Nyro’s approach to songwriting
world’s apart from that of her contemporaries was that she leaned on
the traditions of the spirituals (among other influences, like tin pan
alley and show tunes). These are songs written from the standpoint of
straight-forward peoples who ponder the great questions of life and
death using very conventional, yet very potent means; their imaginations
and their faith.
Of all of the Beatles,
George was the one who most found the riches and fame resulting from his
job as guitarist in a pop group something of an absurdity. This is
particularly true in light of his spiritual leanings toward Eastern
Mysticism which looks upon all things on the material plane as being
cumbersome to the spiritual journey, so long as we remain attached to
them. As such, the thought behind the song was a central one to his
worldview.
In many
ways, “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult from
their 1976 Agents of Fortune album was a throwback to the teen
death ballad as exemplified by Mark Dinning’s “Teen Angel”. This has the
whiff of Romanticism to it as well, going so far as to namecheck Romeo
& Juliet as the poster children for eternal love as consummated in
death – the ultimate teen death ballad couple.
For some, the idea of an afterlife is very comforting; the
chance to see their loved ones who have passed on, and to possibly
discover what lies beyond our seemingly random existence on earth. Yet,
for others, the hope of oblivion is just as comforting, to know that
life is ultimately meaningful and valuable, because this is the only
shot we have of defining that meaning for ourselves. It is this latter
idea which collaborators Elvis
Costello and the Brodsky Quartet are exploring here in the final
song of their 1993 album The
Juliet Letters.
1998′s Electro-Shock Blues by Eels is a
chronicle of loss from songwriter E, otherwise known as Mark Everett,
after the deaths of several of his friends and family members in a short
span of time. In his loss, E turned to writing a concept album about
death and mourning, and this song “P.S You Rock My World” was the album
closer, and an effective conclusion of the process of getting over the
loss of loved ones and moving on.
