# Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?



## Melensdad

*Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

The manual that every psychiatry student studies, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR Manual) labels free  thinkers, non conformers, civil disobedient advocates, those that  question authority, and people considered hostile toward the government _ (aka Oath Keepers, Tea Party Members, Libertarians . . . ?)_ as *mentally ill with the illness titled “oppositional defiant disorder” or ODD.  *

*Is Free Thinking A Mental Illness? *

An excerpt from the linked article:





> New mental illnesses identified by the DSM-IV include arrogance, narcissism, above-average creativity, cynicism, and antisocial behavior.  In the past, these were called “personality traits,” but now they’re diseases.
> 
> . . .
> 
> A Washington Post article observed that, if Mozart were born today, he would be diagnosed with ADD and “medicated into barren normality.”
> 
> According to the DSM-IV, the diagnosis guidelines for identifying oppositional defiant disorder are for children, but adults can just as easily suffer from the disease.  This should give any freethinking American reason for worry.
> 
> The Soviet Union used new “mental illnesses” for political repression.  People who didn’t accept the beliefs of the Communist Party developed a new type of schizophrenia.  They suffered from the delusion of believing communism was wrong.  They were isolated, forcefully medicated, and put through repressive “therapy” to bring them back to sanity.​


I'm curious about these new mental illnesses because one of my employees has a daughter who was recently institutionalized for several days, apparently she was disobedient at school.  My daughter has a friend who has been out of school for the past 4+ weeks for 'treatment' and it seems like most people I talk to know at least one person who is being treated for some disorder.

The article asks a simple question, ARE WE GETTING SICKER and I have to wonder if that is in fact what is happening or are we just so worried about labeling people that we've become idiots?


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## snow dog

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

Is thinking too much wrong ?


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## Spiffy1

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*



snow dog said:


> Is thinking too much wrong ?


 
It is if communism is the goal.


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## pirate_girl

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

Very interesting Bob.
First off, all that crap about those being hostile toward the goverment as being the "free thinking mentally ill" is garbage!
I am the biggest non-conformist I know, and I am not mentally ill, I think for MYSELF.

You threw me a curve there with bringing up the employees daughter and Melen's friend.
I think that far too many kids these days are being labeled as "problematic" when in fact they are simply a product of their environment.
We didn't have all this 20+ years ago, did we?
Perhaps the free thinking kids of today who are above average in creativity are going to be the best leaders in the fields they choose tomorrow.


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## bczoom

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

Were screwed...  People have always acted this way.  Banishing/medicating them is just wrong.  Have people really changed?  What's with giving all the kids Ritalin these days.  The kids haven't changed.  It's the grown-ups that have.

BTW, doesn't the first sentence of the article pretty much sum up our President?
_"New mental illnesses identified by the DSM-IV include arrogance, narcissism, above-average creativity, cynicism, and antisocial behavior."_


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## snow dog

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

maybe I phrased it incorrectly,, Is thinking too much bad for ones health


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## Spiffy1

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*



snow dog said:


> maybe I phrased it incorrectly,, Is thinking too much bad for ones health


 
Refering to Bob's article [and therefore my previous reply] - quite dangerous to a non-conformist.

Back to the litteral sense - I'd say downright healthy.

As to the other twist in this thread, what has changed?  I still say diets of high fructose corn syrup and processed "foods" coupled with TV/VidGame-babysitters for parenting does bring out more ADHD, etc.  Even at that, it's tough to ignore we live in a society that would rather label and medicate, than nurture natural idiosyncrasies.


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## pirate_girl

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*



Spiffy1 said:


> Even at that, it's tough to ignore we live in a society that would rather label and medicate, than nurture natural idiosyncrasies.


Amen brotha!


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## SShepherd

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

people simply don't want the hastle, I mean hell-- they have their own life and problems to take care of. Taking all that time and effort dealing with someone elses issue takes toooooo much time away from their own quality time.

I'm being sarcastic, but I think it's pretty spot on (atleast when it comes to how some people feel about kids)

as far as dissenting with govt. views this comes to mind

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kp6lMSOGNA"]YouTube        - Remember when dissent was patriotic?[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTamBfz0Efo"]YouTube        - Nancy Pelosi Tells Protesters 'I'm a Fan of Disruptors' [2006 Flashback][/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CzteDucRHo"]YouTube        - Hillary Clinton - I am Sick & Tired (Right to Protest)[/ame]


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## pixie

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

When was this published ?

There are too many rats in the cage. ie the human population is too high. People feel pressured by there being just too many people and act out on this feeling in different ways. Some toe the line and some try to be really different and some are just overwhelmed by the mass of people, ideas and information.

It's pretty hard to draw a line where sanity ends but unless my insanity is impinging on your basic rights and freedoms, I will continue to be a nonconformist.

I was sent to a shrink at a young age because I had a high IQ but did poorly in school and socially. This was before we had ADD. I still maintain that it wasn't my fault. It was my parent's fault for treating me poorly ; sending me to a shrink was a cop out just like many parents nowadays take little responsibility for thier children and think that someone else or drugs should mold the kids into the parent's or society's vision of perfect little citizens.

To answer the original question: of course, not. Those attributes might make some people uncomfortable but they aren't illnesses by themselves.


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## loboloco

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

This is a page from the USSR and Nazi Germany.  There it was a mental illness to disagree with the government.  It said so right their in their psychiatric manuals.


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## joec

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

I always thought as an American it is our right and duty to make up our own minds. But then I've seen the opposite of late so guess I fall into the mentally ill group at least till I'm on the other side of the grass.


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## muleman RIP

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

I ain't never been "right" and ain't about to change now! Try being parents and let the shrinks go find a real job. The country is over run with thinkers and sorely lacking in doers!


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## CityGirl

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

I have long thought many cases of ADD and ADHD were not mental illnesses.  Attention deficits yes....deficits of proper parental attention and deficits of the education system for putting children into the same classroom settings knowing that there are different learning styles and then labeling the child a problem because they don't conform to that particular educational environment. 

 Now we have ODD? Normal teenage rebellion is a mental illness?  Parents want to be their kids best friend and so they don't give them the proper discipline and guidance and then when the kid comes to that age where they know everything...the parents can't (excuse me, make that won't) dole out discipline so they want to medicate them, instead.   In doing so they  put a psychiatric label on them to carry for their rest of their lives and crown them with victimhood that they can use as an excuse for not achieving anything in life.    Good grief!   Give the meds to the parents and teachers.  Leave those kids alone!


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## fogtender

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*

I remember hearing once that the line between genus and instanity is pretty thin.

Howard Huges was pretty much on that line.... Both sides....


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## pirate_girl

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*



fogtender said:


> I remember hearing once that the line between genus and instanity is pretty thin.
> 
> Howard Huges was pretty much on that line.... Both sides....



Excellent point Foggy.
The same can be said for musicians, authors, etc..


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## SShepherd

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*



pirate_girl said:


> Excellent point Foggy.
> The same can be said for musicians, authors, etc..


 
heh....I've never met a a person who is truly talented and gifted that didn't battle some type of internal demon.
All you have to do is look at all the dead ones


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## pirate_girl

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*



SShepherd said:


> heh....I've never met a a person who is truly talented and gifted that didn't battle some type of internal demon.


That's where their creativity comes from.


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## SShepherd

*Re: Are "free thinking" and "above average creativity" real mental illnesses?*



pirate_girl said:


> That's where their creativity comes from.


 
yup


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