Review of Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age
Posted: 31 May 2024, 23:43
[Following is a volunteer review of "Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age" by Elliott B. Martin, Jr..]
After reading Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age by Elliott B. Martin, Jr., one can understand that psychiatric treatment and intervention processes should lead to the real betterment of patients. Mental health is a priority, and psychiatric practitioners should work with the client's real and timely recovery in mind. But does this actually happen? And how is the digital age influencing? This book tries to discuss all of this, and the author has gone out of his way to explain.
With changing times, mental health aspects see changes too. This book tells about the historical and Freudian psychoanalytic principles, the effects of postmodern age, pharmaceuticals and insurance, neurological findings, and, of course, helpful psychiatry, as well as the ineffective aspects in relevance to the digital age that we are currently a part of.
I absolutely adore the fact that in this book, before everything else, the author first acknowledges the foundation built by Sir Sigmund Freud in psychological treatment and then begins assertively stating all that is beneficial or inefficient in psychiatry with regards to the mental health of patients until reaching the digital age.
The author opens up about how the characteristics of borderline personality and autism are seen more in the digital age. It is important that the tantrums of patients be overcome with assertion and an emphasis on the need for a buildup of empathy on the part of the patients to allow the possibility of others opinions over one's own. The author also points out the rage experienced in the digital age and the need to quell it.
Also, secular ideas seem to be taking over humanity in the form of suicide, homicide, and addictions. The presence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies, governance, medico-legal provisions, and social media are all sort of influential in causing this. Practitioners prefer a profitable contract with the patients, but the actual effectiveness of the intervention and at least some psychiatric medications prescribed are questionable.
There is also a sort of bias when it comes to creating awareness about the ill effects of substance abuse. Alcohol still remains widely accepted without mention of its ill effects, as opposed to cigarettes or tobacco. The legal use of cannabis, opiates, and gummies, whether for pain relief, etc., does not seem to consider the many ill effects of these on children and the elderly. Even the use of happy pills or brain candy may give a feeling of lack of depression or euphoria. But medications like these are not just ineffective; they may also be leading to a bipolar effect or just affecting the serotonin and dopamine levels.
Moreover, it's sad to see how the governance of certain leaders has allowed access to these drugs.
In the digital age, with the presence of pharma-insurance provisions, social media, etc., there is a rise in lack of personal accountability, reinforced victim playing, and the concept of chronic mental illness when trauma is seen as an incentive by people.
When suicidal patients get celebrity status, they may tend to disown personal responsibility for dealing with their mental health issues or play the victim, which leads to an unhealthy and ineffective result. Lack of addressing the real mental health issue is also seen in people with gender change, whose core psychological issues remain unaddressed. There is also a tendency to make psychopathic characteristics look like leadership, attractiveness, and charisma. But in reality, it is a lack of anxiety and empathy. So, this should be thoughtfully approached.
Ultimately, this book helped me understand that it is important to have an effective psychiatric intervention using communication, assertion, along with actual helpful medication, and probably concluding within an appropriate time span. It's important for practitioners to completely listen to their patients, understand and decipher the talk, and assertively help patients deal with their issues and gain mental health.
The editing of this book is done exceptionally well. The writing style of the author could be more formal. Anyway, the content is great. I appreciate the author's assertiveness in the writing. I think this book is for those working in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and therapy. I rate Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age by Elliott B. Martin, Jr., 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
After reading Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age by Elliott B. Martin, Jr., one can understand that psychiatric treatment and intervention processes should lead to the real betterment of patients. Mental health is a priority, and psychiatric practitioners should work with the client's real and timely recovery in mind. But does this actually happen? And how is the digital age influencing? This book tries to discuss all of this, and the author has gone out of his way to explain.
With changing times, mental health aspects see changes too. This book tells about the historical and Freudian psychoanalytic principles, the effects of postmodern age, pharmaceuticals and insurance, neurological findings, and, of course, helpful psychiatry, as well as the ineffective aspects in relevance to the digital age that we are currently a part of.
I absolutely adore the fact that in this book, before everything else, the author first acknowledges the foundation built by Sir Sigmund Freud in psychological treatment and then begins assertively stating all that is beneficial or inefficient in psychiatry with regards to the mental health of patients until reaching the digital age.
The author opens up about how the characteristics of borderline personality and autism are seen more in the digital age. It is important that the tantrums of patients be overcome with assertion and an emphasis on the need for a buildup of empathy on the part of the patients to allow the possibility of others opinions over one's own. The author also points out the rage experienced in the digital age and the need to quell it.
Also, secular ideas seem to be taking over humanity in the form of suicide, homicide, and addictions. The presence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies, governance, medico-legal provisions, and social media are all sort of influential in causing this. Practitioners prefer a profitable contract with the patients, but the actual effectiveness of the intervention and at least some psychiatric medications prescribed are questionable.
There is also a sort of bias when it comes to creating awareness about the ill effects of substance abuse. Alcohol still remains widely accepted without mention of its ill effects, as opposed to cigarettes or tobacco. The legal use of cannabis, opiates, and gummies, whether for pain relief, etc., does not seem to consider the many ill effects of these on children and the elderly. Even the use of happy pills or brain candy may give a feeling of lack of depression or euphoria. But medications like these are not just ineffective; they may also be leading to a bipolar effect or just affecting the serotonin and dopamine levels.
Moreover, it's sad to see how the governance of certain leaders has allowed access to these drugs.
In the digital age, with the presence of pharma-insurance provisions, social media, etc., there is a rise in lack of personal accountability, reinforced victim playing, and the concept of chronic mental illness when trauma is seen as an incentive by people.
When suicidal patients get celebrity status, they may tend to disown personal responsibility for dealing with their mental health issues or play the victim, which leads to an unhealthy and ineffective result. Lack of addressing the real mental health issue is also seen in people with gender change, whose core psychological issues remain unaddressed. There is also a tendency to make psychopathic characteristics look like leadership, attractiveness, and charisma. But in reality, it is a lack of anxiety and empathy. So, this should be thoughtfully approached.
Ultimately, this book helped me understand that it is important to have an effective psychiatric intervention using communication, assertion, along with actual helpful medication, and probably concluding within an appropriate time span. It's important for practitioners to completely listen to their patients, understand and decipher the talk, and assertively help patients deal with their issues and gain mental health.
The editing of this book is done exceptionally well. The writing style of the author could be more formal. Anyway, the content is great. I appreciate the author's assertiveness in the writing. I think this book is for those working in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, and therapy. I rate Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age by Elliott B. Martin, Jr., 5 out of 5 stars.
******
Reconceptualizing Mental Illness in the Digital Age
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon