Mind/body dualism and the stigma of mental illness

I'm trying to address the lingering belief that many people hold in the concept of mind-body duelism and how it's damaging. Believing that individual's mental states are entirely their own choice or believing that things like depression are flaws of character rather than brain chemistry needs to be reexamined. Do you believe that there is a supernatural identity behind our brain chemistry that can control our body/brain through it's will? If not then it is not reasonable to consider mental illness in any other way than you consider other physical defects.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• mental
• ill
• illness
• depression
• psychotic
• schizophrenic
• crazy
• antidepressant
• depressed
• disorder
• personality
• character
• identity
• chemistry
• brain
• thought
• philosophy
• dualism
• mind
• body

[RICKG1986]

An interesting question to ask is why is my nervous system causing my experience, and not some other nervous system? Why am I living one nervous systems life, instead of some other nervous systems life? Why am I living this life, instead of someone else's life??

[Spacemonkey2084]

That is *exactly* what has always bothered me.

All the natural laws work and make sense and everything should happen the way it does... but what is it that causes my perspective on the universe to be from this particular set of eyes?

Of course, it could be argued that this very thought springs from the kind of consciousness we have. We are limited to our own experiences by biology and so we experience our identity as being something other than particularly interestingly organized matter..

[rontheweasle]

I would be interested in what you have to say about the environmental factors in mental illnesses like depression. Keeping in mind that the environment affects brain chemistry, which is emotions. (?) What if a person has genuine reasons to feel depressed, or anything else, all the time? How does that relate to clinical depression, and would it be correct to label them as having a mental illness?

[Spacemonkey2084]

Ooo, good question.

I'll have to look this up before I can really answer. I'm not a neuroscience major or a psychologist so it isn't something I know. I do know that long term environmental factors can have real damaging effects on a person (like in PTSD) but I'm not sure if this generalizes to something like depression.

[dewonthegrass]

The best video I've seen for a long time.

Can you also say smth about the idea of dualism in the sense that "mind exists not only in our heads" - meaning the world is not only material. I heard it lately said in a video by an atheist...

[Spacemonkey2084]

Thanks :)

I might make a video about that specifically in the future. I've been trying to figure out good concepts lately but I expect I'll probably do some reading on the specifics of what we know about how the brain functions first. I have yet to hear a strong argument that mind exists in any way separate from the body..

[cunnidvd]

Dualism does not preclude mental illness caused by brain disease or disorder. Consciousness might interface with the brain to process incoming sensory information and to affect conscious responses. If the brain is sick incoming and or outgoing are garbled. It might be like a TV set out of adjustment or with bad components. Clear shows are broadcast by the station but they are not properly received or transformed into the TV show. Dualism does not preclude brain disease.

[mahariqg]

hi. i have schizophrenia and i have constantly had the urge to blame myself for my illness(my main symptom was delusions.) I am a believer in the idea of the soul and have been trying to reconcile the idea in my mind about having a soul and being mentally ill. I have noticed also that people's belief in mind-body dualism often results in stigma of mental illness. But considering many people believe in a soul and also in mental illness, do you think its possible to reconcile between the two?

[ironjohnlad]

Hi There. Of course a lot of what you say is right. what is also true however is that people who practise mindfulness exercises on a regular basis, not only experience a better ability to cope with emotional issues, but also the structure of their brains also change. This has been well documented. Of course we can not decide to feel more happy, but we can do things that make changes that result in this. I am a mindfulness and Focusing teacher, i have experienced this in my life and in my clients

[lookit87]

You have a very elaborate way of speaking.

[deweyandrewcothran]

There is the concept of the spirit soul and body but the words spirit and soul are often used as the same .. As for the mind ,i believe that our mind is both spiritual and physical ..but our minds are bound to this body and are indeed one with this body as far as the physical part of our mind is concerned ,,,In medicine it is long been understood as psycho soma ..the mind affects the body and the body affects the mine ,, Although most doctors put up a wall between the two and that is wrong.

[JFick83]

A well thought-out video, kudos. However, as someone who is classified as insane, I have a different theory.

[zakiechan]

@CathySander I don't think so. You can imagine yourself without your body, but not without your brain. Try imagining what it would be like without a brain. You have no perceptions, no memories, no feelings. Not even any thoughts.

I can't imagine what it would even mean to "exist" without the functions of my brain.

[kenotube]

From someone who has been struggling with depression for several years, thanks for this video. So many people have the perception that depressed people just need to adjust their attitude or to stop being so pessimistic.

[Chuichupachichi]

Indeed, Chemistry is a widely explored field. Chemists know of the unique behaviors of chemicals when subjected to particular conditions or other chemicals. They know how monomers polymerize & even how to induce polymerization. However, the thing that nobody knows is how to possibly conduct a chemical test to determine so called "mental illness". When Psychiatrists meet at the APA convention they discuss their theories and after all have considered any new theories, they then determine if any

[Chuichupachichi]

particular newly proposed disorders or illnesses should be entered into the APA's Statistics & Diagnostics Manual or SDM. However, they are very unique amongst "scientists" when making their determinations. Basically, they're much like Evolutionists... they place great importance upon "consensus". It seems only a minority group of scientists know of its enormous scientific value. They employ the stringently rigorous scientific methodological process of "voting"... empiricism into existence