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Food for thought

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eeEx1MqqE7M#!

No more from me, much as I like to rant about these things. Ben Goldacre and of course Foucault are on my recommended list, who say the same thing. Most (but certainly not all) of these issues are covered in psych 101 books like Gross anyway, although ignored in practice of course.

It's fairly typical for intellectual instuitions that have a monopoly over their field to engange heavily in group think and just generally screw something up epicly, it's one of the reasons why people earlier ITT said to not treat your doctor's words like they come straight from the bible.

Without being in the field it's hard to say whether this guy is FOS or not.

The reason I posted it is it's the first thing on the internet I think is worth sharing because of how articulate and plain smart he is. I see what you're saying though, I've come to this having spent hundreds if not thousands of hours reading all sorts of academic materials from all points of view on psychiatry. I'm moving on to psychoanalysis because although it isn't scientific and can't be, the scientific method isn't working out too well for psychiatry. edit to say I still take note of psychology findings espec cog neuroscience but not psychiatry anymore.

Plenty of articulate people have a way of presenting fallacious arguments in an sound manner; conversely, plenty of non-articulate people have sound arguments but can't communicate them well and consequently, they come as fallacious.

From what I've read, modern Psychoanalysis does have some scientific credibility, but without being in the field it's hard to know which is the bullshit Freudian types and the modern stuff backed by empirical data. Regardless, I don't think Psychoanalysis would help one who is bi-polar spectrum, as it seems to be more of a Biological issue than a matter of suppressed desires, could be wrong though.

If you're trying to self-treat yourself somewhat, I'd recomend checking out what that doctor lady who also had the condition had to say at the end of the Secret Life of a Manic-Depressive(whatever it was called) I think she basically said she didn't allow stress to get to her, and she had a diet that consited of a lot of fish oil. Try checking out that path perhaps. Also consider getting yourself a mood diary or something, in it write down what you where doing the previous few days whenever a episode was triggered, get as many details as possible; ate x, y physical activity, felt q socially nervous, was z stressed, thinking p, etc etc. After a few years you might be able to find some correlations.

I know what you mean, it's both his argument (based on phil. of science), and being presented articulately and presented well. I understand all the arguments but can't discuss it with or present it to anyone well enough to think I can.

I tried a mood diary and it was very repetitive, and found out the triggers, and did a part formulation with a girl doing a PhD at oxbridge in CBT just recently. We both realised it would only get me so far (which I knew beforehand but went along with it and picked up a few things).

As far as analysis I can study it as a module by module basis in evening classes in the city (before upping sticks) otherwise it would be too daunting outside of that studying it myself, and not much use reading up on it myself anyway without discussing it with others.

As I mentioned there are some important findings coming out of cog. neuroscience which mh professionals apparently haven't picked up on, or it isn't being included in their training when it should be.
Example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8rRzTtP7Tc (I was linked to this today I've already seen the research in print, last year...... but not acted on it).

This ties in with reliable findings of differences found in structures like the hippocampus, amygdala, HPA axis, PFcortex, etc, and in 'executive function' in 'emotional/stressy/moody' people (whether they pick up a label or not). The source isn't just in inherited temperament (the best evidence for which is animal studies and observational twin studies) but more importantly gene-environment interaction growing up (especially in those consistently abused as children). Neither is this isn't mentioned in clinical practice in favour of the 'chemical imbalance' story, usually claimed to be genetically determined (whether they believe it or it's just to make people take their prescription however it may help them directly or not). Hopefully geneticists and neuroscientists can spread their learnings before long. I expect the neuroscientists could make advances in the understanding of psychosis as with neurotic sorts of problems, except that they can't get madmen into brain scanners very easily. Maybe they have and I just haven't seen the research yet.

Personally I know I can reverse the neurotic crap this way (as described in the video) but I would like to find out what I can do when I'm at the arse end of the conscientiousness personality trait scale (if it's possible to affect it at all). I don't how much that kind of trait is just biologically embedded in the brain (like 'neurosis' much is as above) or if is related psychodynamics, or simply an inability to find meaning in anything, but I think it's something else much more simple. Being able to make some kind of income from poker could get round the problem in a way which is its attraction (and sometimes the game is interesting to me), if I'm not too lazy to put the study in. I am starting to put some study in, but I've found I have to study lots of different games all the time as I'm a novelty junkie.

I do take fish oils though, 3 or more a day, with my green tea. I could dust off the yoga mat though and do meditation. I said I wouldn't go on but I'm not ranting on the same theme.

Interesting, so how did you actually do this mood diary, and what triggers have you found?

Could be worth a shot to try studying it in the city; I'm not sure what your life circumstances are like, but it sounds like set-mining somewhat: small investment, potential huge payoff, just make sure you don't take your hand too far and bust yourself(these sorts of things seem to be triggers for me)

I really need to stop procrastinating and start meditating -_- The meditiation video never said it will reverse any of your symptons, it did suggest that it could lessen it somewhat though. There's a massive difference between someone who suffers from depression(which has many causes for) and someone who suffers from bi-polar.

I'd imagine your lack of conscientiousness is more a function of depression rather than a fundamental personality trait. It does suck being in the slumps but, creates a certain envy for those who are sucessful and motivated.

3 a day? That's a big excessive, isn't it? Why not just eat an actual fish?

I bought a simple exercise book and just wrote whatever, stream of consciousness, wrote down what I was thinking a few minutes ago, or at the end of the day. Then went back over it. Had one of those CBT exercise grids, thoughts, feelings, triggers, ratings.

As far as there's nothing taboo for me to discuss in the right circumstances and don't have a problem talking about anything. The most worrying topics in psychology are elsewhere (being deliberately vague)

The neuroscience evidence does suggest to me that it reverses neurotic sub traits but it's not going to be everything no and doesn't mean it's a magic bullet for everything no. But I believe there's a way to make a big difference, as like the response seen in the brain of OCD patients treated with CBT for example symptom relief and changes seen in the caudate nucleus post therapy. The impression I get is that doctors are unaware of these sorts of changes in the brain from experience and many could actually be stuck with outdated genetic determinsm views and unaware of developments in epigenetics. If I wanted to have fun I could start discussing evidence for soft inheritance (new evidence from epigentics research) coming out which is quite mind boggling to me, enough that I don't like to think about it, especially in combination with GxE (I get very confused), and see their reaction. I usually just bite my tonque with all sorts of doctors to keep the peace.

I'm willing to accept low conscientiousness is a long-term trait because I had it before I was old enough to have depression - I did very little work (nearly none) at school age 5-16 and got straight As because it was easy for me. That may have actually been a factor in the trait developing from all the evidence coming out of neuroscience. As an adult I have spent very little time (a few months or so of more than 10 years) not being clinically depressed according to their inventories and scales so I couldn't say based on my adulthood.

3 a day isn't excessive considering most people are deficient in omega 3 it, it's the lower end of recommended supplementation (up to 10x1 grams a day) when you don't get much from your diet, which I don't because oily fish taste revolting to me and have only tried them once or twice in my life.

Wow, I didnt realise this thread was still going...

Yeah once I get started I go on, and spread out my posts to every so often so I don't spend too much time on discussions like this, esp. in a poker forum , hopefully you're getting on better than I am, but being able to study for a MSc shows you function better than I could hope for anway!

Im getting on ok, have quit alcohol for the time being and am exercising again since the medication led to some weight gain, well 2 stone but I think some of that is down to me anyway. My exam results took a bit of a duck but it doesnt really matter since Im still on course for a Merit. So I have decided to play some poker again no that things have calmed down. I hope you get the help you need soon! I still havent heard when Im going to be getting CBT, and I am planning on moving back to Scotland soon so I'll have to start over waiting for it again.