Taking America Off Drugs: Why Behavioral Therapy Is More Effective for Treating ADHD, OCD, Depression, and Other Psychological Problems by Stephen Ray Flora

Author:Stephen Ray Flora
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
ISBN: 9780791471906
Publisher: SUNY Press
Published: 2007-08-08T21:00:00+00:00

patients, on post-treatment global ratings. CBGT patients were also more improved than SMTC patients in psychological functioning and health-related quality of life, and maintained these improvements at the 3-month follow-up evaluation. CBGT patients further experienced significantly reduced abdominal pain based on daily diary scores at the 3-month follow-up evaluation. . . . Effective group treatment is advantageous because it is more efficient and can be conducted at less cost to the health care system than individual treatment. . . . Changes in health-related quality of life reported by CBGT patients reflect improvements in time able to work, amount accomplished, and fewer limitations in per-

Health Concerns, Head to Toe

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forming work/activity. These self-reported changes in behavior could have important implications for long-term adjustment (coping) and reduced health care utilization. . . . Taken together, these results indicate that CBGT patients continued to benefit from the treatment they received, even though it was no longer being directly provided. (Tkachuk et al., 2003, pp. 65–66)

Using drugs for behavioral problems such as IBS raises health care costs and increases profits for the drug companies. More effective behavioral treatments lower health care costs for the individual consumer and for society as a whole.

PMS—“PMDD”—PREMENSTRUAL DIFFICULTIES.

Some women have difficulty with menstruation. However, the menstrual cycle, including some premenstrual symptoms, is a normal part of a woman’s life—not a disorder. The menstrual cycle is natural—nothing is

“disordered.” Indeed, as portrayed in Anita Diamant’s novel, The Red Tent (1997), menstruation was at times celebrated: A gift to women that is not known among men, and this is the secret of blood . . . to men this is flux and distemper, bother and pain. They imagine we suffer and consider themselves lucky. We do not disabuse them . . . women give thanks—for repose and restoration, for the knowledge that life comes from between our legs, and that life costs blood.

(p. 158)

First described in 1931, Katherine Dalton coined “premenstrual syndrome” (PMS) in 1953 and subsequently promoted and researched PMS. The symptoms, some of which directly contradict each other, total over 150, and they are far from unique or indicative of any internal problem. Dalton acknowledges, “The symptoms are commonplace and also occur with great frequency in men, children, and post-menopausal women” (1987, p. 135). It is puzzling how commonplace symptoms that occur frequently in children and men constitute a “disorder” in women. The current edition of the DSM refers to PMS as

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TAKING AMERICA OFF DRUGS

“premenstrual dysphoric disorder” (PMDD) under “disorders needing further study.” This inclusion allowed doctors to prescribe drugs for PMS. It was not long until Prozac was repackaged in pretty purplish pills and renamed “Sarafem” with free samples readily offered to women for commonplace symptoms (Flora & Sellers, 2003).

Although described in 1931, the first medical journal article on PMS did not appear until 1964, and the first psychology journal not until 1966. But research on PMS “erupted” in the 1970s, according to Carol Tavris, because “when women’s participation in the labor force is seen as a threat instead of a necessity, menstruation becomes a liability”

(1992, p.

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