New Commercial

What Do They Sell Us?
BY Patricia Lefave, Labelled D.D.(P)

Well, instead of just accepting everything ''at face value'', let's look at this a little more closely. Perhaps we too can find the kind of ''hidden meaning'' which psychiatry prides itself ''on seeing which which the rest of us are not ''allowed'' to see anywhere.

Here is a description of a new mental health commercial which is being aired right now. It is presumably one of those ''stigma'' reducing type things which is going to get all of us psychiatrized people treated with ''respect.''
(Dream on Psychiatry)
It goes roughly like this:

We enter into a hospital setting in which serious looking people are doing tests on other serious looking people who are clearly looking for help.
We watch as the diabetic sits on an examining table while a medical professional takes blood to test.

We watch a second scene as a woman who is suspected of having cancer is readied for her examination through the use of an MRI or CT scan.

The voice over than compares for us the 'treatment' of mental illness by comparing it to these two other (bona fide) diseases. Our heart strings are now tugged by asking us all,

''You wouldn't deprive your loved ones of treatment for these other diseases, would you?
If you had a loved one with diabetes would you treat them?
If you had a loved one with cancer, would you treat them?
If you had a loved one with addictions or other mental health issues would you treat them?''

There is a bit more with violin music or such and we are all left, supposedly shamed for our lack of compassion for the ''mentally ill.''

Got the picture? (If I can find this commercial on line I will include it here too so you can watch it for yourself.) Update: I have not found it online yet. If it appears I will post it here as well)

Now: Notice anything ''different'' about this commercial as compared to commercials for cancer treatment or for the control of diabetes?
Think about it for a little while and I will let you know what, I, as a psychiatrized person, see and hear immediately when it is ME watching and listening to it. Before I tell you though , I want you to think about it yourself first.

I will add to this post in a little while.

Addition:

What's Different?

All Right then: I am back for part two.
Now here is what I see that is different to me than if I were watching a commercial for real bona fide diseases like diabetes or cancer.

1. Actual tests are being performed on the bodies of the sufferers.
2. They are not trying to run out of the room.
3. They are not handcuffed to the gurney
4. They don't look as terrified.
5. No police officers are there with their hats either on or off.
6. There are no tasers in evidence in case the cancer patient or the diabetic decides against treatment.
7. They seem to be talked to directly rather than about in the third person which is what I call 'objectifying' someone. The wording suggests someone is being 'deprived' of something that he or she really want. I find the choice of language to be quite politically manipulative.
8. 'Does anyone notice that the 'mad ' people have no say in their own experiences?
9. Let's look at the language use again:"If you had a loved one with diabetes, you'd treat them wouldn't you?

I would say the answer to that is NO. Not unless we are talking about a child. Or perhaps we are talking about human beings being treated 'as if' they were children? Is that it? If that's not it than 'NO, I would not treat a loved one with diabetes because it would be insulting and disrespectful to take over the life of another adult and talk about him or her like she was not there. The diabetic must make his or her own decisions about his/her own body . Likewise the patient with cancer who will decide for him or herself or not to accept chemo, surgery or radiation. The patient is considered to have dominion over his/her own body EVEN IF refusing treatment causes an earlier death. ( a danger to himself) Either of those people even get to decide for themselves to take NO treatment and no one will be at his or her door with a warrant to place the diabetic under 'high blood sugar' arrest.
So why don't we all stop kidding ourselves that what people define as 'mental illness is just like any other disease such as diabetes, or cancer, or asthma. ..Even the people who are pushing it don't believe it for a second.
People are placed under psychiatric arrest for having the 'wrong' thoughts or the 'wrong' feelings as defined by third parties usually operating 'covertly.' There is no legitimate comparison to real bona fide diseases. Try visualising a diabetic being dragged into the hospital by the police for failure to take his insulin or a cancer patient being chained to a gurney so they can radiate her against her will. Seems ludicrous doesn't it?

It IS ludicrous; so let's get real.