by Stefan Kruszewski, Psychiatrist —In the past, psychiatric physicians have diagnosed homosexuality, paraphrenia, paranoia, narcissism, neuroses, combat fatigue and other entities, treating those “disorders” with a variety of therapies, including pills. More recently, psychiatrists diagnose bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (NOS), adult attention deficit disorder and pre-psychotic conditions, for which they may prescribe pills. The problem is that some of those earlier diagnoses like (homosexuality, neuroses, combat fatigue, paranoia and paraphrenia) no longer exist as entities recognized by the DSM-IV-TR — the most current compendium of mental conditions and disorders.

Virtually anyone at any given time can meet the criteria for bipolar disorder NOS or ADD. Anyone. And the problem is everyone diagnosed with even one of these illnesses triggers the pill dispenser. Taking stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotics or off-label use of anti-convulsants often obscures the real problem and instead adds a new layer of unintended adverse events that only make conditions worse.

We’re taught from an early age that drugs, apart from being bad for you, are illegal. But what constitutes illegal these days? Imagine walking into a pharmacy in which crack, heroine or ecstasy line the back shelves. Such a place is unheard of, and yet “legal” drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin, which may be just as addictive and dangerous, fill drugstores across the country. Can you imagine having advertisements for cocaine? Cut to a shot of people walking through a sunlit park, smiling. An abnormally happy voice says, “A line or two perks you up and improves those pesky daily chores. Try cocaine. Side effects include paranoia, likely addiction and possible death.”