Bitterness To Be Classified As a Mental Illness

Some psychiatrists are trying to get excessive bitterness identified as a mental illness named post-traumatic embitterment disorder. Of course this has some people who live perfect little lives, and always get what they want, questioning the new classification. The so called "disorder" is modeled after post-traumatic stress disorder because it too is a response to a trauma that endures. "They feel the world has treated them unfairly. It's one step more complex than anger. They're angry plus helpless," says Dr. Michael Linden, the psychiatrist who put a name to how the world works.

Comments

Cynicism

[Broken scope]

So when is Cynicism getting added to an ever expanding list of mental disorders that one more pill can set right?

Re:Cynicism

[Rycross]

Bipolar? Schizophrenia? Obsessive-compulsive disorder? There are plenty of real mental illnesses. Depression (as in, real depression, not the normal blues) is a real mental disorder too. You're throwing the baby out with the bathwater here.

Re:Cynicism

[gishzida]

I'm not cynical... I'm optimistically challenged!

Re:Cynicism

[Anonymous Coward]

Anything you have four different equivalent scientific terms for is not real. Sorry.

dihydrogen monoxide, hydric acid, hydrogen hydroxide, oxidane

Re:Cynicism

[somersault]

Wow, so people suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after having to watch people ripped apart by bullets, or those who have phobias from traumatic experiences as kids, or weird chemical issues causing manic/bipolar or just 'regular' depression, OCD, epilepsy etc etc are simply just morons because they need pills to try to live 'normal' lives like you? A lot of people do live in their normal little worlds where they are neither overly happy nor sad all the time and their brains have no significant defects - but as with all things in life, some people lie at the extremes. Some of this will be due to life experience, other parts will be due to genetic factors or perhaps damage in the womb from an accident or a mother who liked to drink, yada yada yada, you get the picture. Yes sometimes people just need to grow the fuck up, and they eventually they usually do, but some people have serious problems. Sometimes it's a mixture of both. I would suggest that you are much more of a moron to pass judgement on things that you apparently have no knowledge of. Yeah, I know we're on slashdot, but even so..

I had written a huuuuuge rant here about how my life was oh so sad and worthy of pity, but you probably don't care. Just be aware that even people who have nothing to really be upset about can still get depressed simply because western life is so incredibly easy and boring. People aren't built for sitting in an office all day doing nothing. I got depressed for other reasons, but I won't list them unless you would like to hear them so that you can laugh at me for being so pathetic as to let it get to me.

Anyway, sorry if you weren't referring to stuff like depression*, and congrats if you were trolling.

* I do agree that doctors hand out pills too easily sometimes, but you do know that it doesn't make them money at all right? It makes the pharmaceutical companies money, but doctors would still be getting paid plenty without hypocondriacs wasting their time. Pawning their patients off onto proper counsellors and/or medication is not making the doctor any more money. Believe it or not a lot of doctors just want to help people (I know some doctors and nurses who regularly go out and do missionary work for free or at least very little pay compared to what they normally get). Of course some people will just be in it for the money, but it is overly cynical to think of all of them that way. You even get some decent lawyers for crying out loud (admittedly NewYorkCountryLawyer is probably the only one, but he still shows that it's possible) :p

Re:Cynicism

[otopico]

Hey now, that's not safe. My grand dad drank those things his entire life and DIED!

Re:Cynicism

[Artifakt]

To paraphrase Krishnamurti - Not fitting in well to a sick society is not a sign of mental illness.

Re:Cynicism

[Anonymous Coward]

What the fuck is this? Slashdot or a congregation?

Dude, if you believe in all-knowing, all-powerful wizards who control everything then you have bigger problems than anything you face in reality.

Obsessive Classificatory Disease?

[cptnapalm]

These people who seem to need to classify every single possible emotional state as an illness have some serious mental issues.

Humor in the summary?

[nine-times]

I'm wondering about this:

Of course this has some people who live perfect little lives, and always get what they want, questioning the new classification. The so called "disorder"...

Is this supposed to be funny, or is the submitter suffering from some embitterment himself?

I know some people love having their personality labelled as a "disorder" because they believe it then excuses their actions. But also having a label like this can help people cope. Having a label can help you wrap your head around your own thoughts and behaviors, make you feel like you're not uniquely screwed up and alone, and figure out what steps might help you improve.

Re:Makes sense

[Jurily]

So, what's next on the list of mental illnesses? Hope? Happiness? Not being a properly brainwashed consumer?

We already have boredom on there.

Re:Solution to the problem

[palegray.net]

Sounds better than chemically-induced passivity, which is what these doctors seem to be advocating.

Re:Makes sense

[Mystra_x64]

Having a brain is a sure sign of possible mental illness in the future.

Re:I resemble that remark

[Rycross]

You should only diagnose disorders you can treat without drugging them. The rest is just life.

That's assuming that there are no mental disorders that require chemical treatment. That point of view isn't supported by the medical evidence out there. Someone with schizophrenia isn't going to get better by just dealing with it, and any serious doctor would laugh at the idea that its "just life."

Meanwhile, marijuana is illegal because it makes you smile.

So smoking a blunt to feel happy is OK, but taking a pill to help you through a rough patch is a sign of weakness or a shirking of personal responsibility? Give me a break.

Re:American Liberals

[Red Flayer]

I have yet to meet a liberal who was happy or content with their lives.

That's because, in general, liberals realize that there are tons of real problems out there that should be solved.

Ignorance is Bliss, it's been said, and I find the corollary, "Understanding is Unhappiness", to be the cause of typical liberal cynicism.

I'd also note that all the happy conservatives I've met are those who are deliberately ignorant, or just plain without conscience.

Re:Makes sense

[Duradin]

"There is quackery in all professions unfortunately, and all are in the business of making money."

As a wise man once said, "Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something."

Re:I resemble that remark

[penguinstorm]

> but it took failing at being a civil servant to
> get here.

Failing as a civil servant is usually as good a sign as any that you're well qualified for private sector work.