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Skewed: Psychiatric Hegemony and the Manufacture of Mental Illness in Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Gulf War Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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May 23, 2011
I knew what I was likely to be getting when I bought this book. I have lived with the subject matter, since before Walker really starts his history and there was very little I didn't already know (I thought there might be - it does suggest that he could have dug deeper)
A couple of individuals cast in the 'Baddy' camp don't in my opinion belong there - and there was little or no explanation or evidence for the label. I felt he could have done a lot more on the insurance angle and how many of the relevant individuals have at best a CV advancement and at worst a personal financial motivation for their views. He does not seem to have gone to any of the individuals concerned and said "But what *if* you are wrong?" simply written about them as though they are wrong.
Make no mistake I agree with Walker's thesis - although I feel there are some nasty pieces of work on his side too. And yet, so seductive is that skewed vision that even reading a book which is vehemently against the psychiatric "it's all down to maladaptive health beliefs" position, I could feel self-doubt creeping in and an increasing tendency to want to push harder than I would normally judge prudent.
However, yet again I felt that an even more fundamental question is begged and goes unanswered (I suppose because it is beyond the remit of the book) - why *are* illnesses which attract a psychiatric label treated differently in terms of attitude towards sufferers and provision of practical and financial support? Why is there such faith in the efficacy of treating ME as if it is a subset of depression when so many who have acknowledged depression are not effectively treated? Why is there a hierarchy of illness at all? It's not as if psychological disorders are not life threatening.
A couple of individuals cast in the 'Baddy' camp don't in my opinion belong there - and there was little or no explanation or evidence for the label. I felt he could have done a lot more on the insurance angle and how many of the relevant individuals have at best a CV advancement and at worst a personal financial motivation for their views. He does not seem to have gone to any of the individuals concerned and said "But what *if* you are wrong?" simply written about them as though they are wrong.
Make no mistake I agree with Walker's thesis - although I feel there are some nasty pieces of work on his side too. And yet, so seductive is that skewed vision that even reading a book which is vehemently against the psychiatric "it's all down to maladaptive health beliefs" position, I could feel self-doubt creeping in and an increasing tendency to want to push harder than I would normally judge prudent.
However, yet again I felt that an even more fundamental question is begged and goes unanswered (I suppose because it is beyond the remit of the book) - why *are* illnesses which attract a psychiatric label treated differently in terms of attitude towards sufferers and provision of practical and financial support? Why is there such faith in the efficacy of treating ME as if it is a subset of depression when so many who have acknowledged depression are not effectively treated? Why is there a hierarchy of illness at all? It's not as if psychological disorders are not life threatening.
Displaying 1 of 1 review