Do you think sometimes that psychiatry is a religion?

Question

I don't mean the kind with churches...but doesn't it have a set of beliefs all its own?

Answer 1

No no at all

It's a study of behaviours not a definer of behaviours

Answer 2

It is an analytical study of the mind.  Some rules have to be followed for diagnosis but as a religion, no.

Answer 3

Yes, psychiatry does have a set of beliefs all its own.  The belief is that mental illness is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, and can be controlled or managed with medication.  Psychiatrists also believe that therapy can be useful.

Just because it has a set of beliefs does not make it a religion.  Psychiatry is silent on the existence God, and has nothing to say about things eternal.  It does not provide a set of moral and ethical guidelines for living our lives, so I do not see how psychiatry is a religion at all.

Answer 4

A religion has a very specific definition.  Religions first and foremost have a deity or deities that are supernatural in nature.  Psychiatry is most definitely not a religion.  It is not a belief system either.  It is the study and treatment of mental illness.  Some of the treatments involve treating a chemical imbalance while others rely on therapy of some sort.  Most treatment programs involve some of both.

Remember that psychiatry is a medical profession.  You must be a physician to practice it.  Psychology is a profession that relies primarily on behavioral/cognitive therapy.  There is overlap, but it's important to make the distinction.

This question and the answers to it concern me.  It shows clear disdain for evidence-based medicine.  Someone asked a question last week as to why so many paranormal believers have such contempt for science and the natural world.  It's disheartening to see this attitude toward a medical field.  Psychiatry isn't perfect, but whatever it is is based on research, not faith or dogma.

I'm curious to know what similarities you see between psychiatry and religion.

Answer 5

I always though of it as a cult.  They have the power of life and death like a government.  And they do have god like heroes like Freud.  And like most religions the priests (psychiatrists ) are all nuts.   I think you may be on to something!  Good question again!!!

Answer 6

Psychiatry is based is on the medical model that suggest that all mental illness is treatable With medications because there is a medical cause. Even when this cause not be directly shown (like a chemical imbalance explanation for depression) but medication that effects these chemicals has been shown to help then it is taken on faith as the cause and correct treatment.

This fails to take into account the possibility of the placebo effect as well as fails to consider the relation between the therapist and the patient/client. This is due to psychiatrist being medical doctors first and having very limited training in the field of psychology.

Most research in the area of depression shows that a combination of counseling and medication is the most effective treatment.

It is a religion in the sense that factors outside of the medical model are rarely considered which is to the possible harm of the patient/client.

The DSM-IV is very much a diagnosis by consensus (and not by research) book and a great instrument for insurance purposes and potentially harmful to a client/patient. For instance grief can only last 2 months according to the DSM-IV despite it;s own acknowledgment that this varies by cultural groups. However, insurance pays for it for 2 months. After that time another diagnosis must be found if one wishes to be paid for their service. This is of course less than ethical. So, psychiatrist has it's own Bible called the DSM-IV and it own philosophy (medical model) which is all you need (sacred text and interpretation) for a religion.

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