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If you ignore all of the “superstitious crap”, what you end up with is: people experiencing mental illness in this tribe are treated with kindness and respect,

If you ignore all of the “superstitious crap”, what you end up with is: people experiencing mental illness in this tribe are treated with kindness and respect, told that they are experiencing something important and special and helped through their recovery by a patient and sensitive guide, instead of being told they are broken and thrown into a jail-like setting where they are treated with drugs that have severe side effects.

reddytowns 10y ago
In other words, religion trumps modern medicine for mental illness. I agree, but I don't see this tribe's beliefs having a special status or better probability of success above any other religion.
- Nekorosu 10y ago
  There isn't much of a difference between religion and psychology (I'm talking about applied one, psychotherapy). As far as I remember the only method coming from evidence-based medicine approach is CBT. Everything else is based on anecdotal evidence. The problem of the article is that it ignores physiology which is evidently related to mental illnesses. A lot of illnesses have genetic factor. I actually don't like calling inherited conditions illnesses. And I'm talking about anything including diabetes. You can't get sick with bi-polar disorder or diabetes. They're given from birth. You can't be completely cured and have to maintain yourself with medications for the rest of your life.
  - interfixus 10y ago
    Yes you can. You can have all sorts of genetic dispositions, which may or may not express themselves depending to the lifestyle and environment they are up against.
  - krageon 10y ago
    If you have the requisite genetic triggers, bipolar has only a chance of popping up. It's triggered by circumstances in your life that present significant stress/hardship. Next to that, there are also plenty of people that manage to wean themselves off medication after they've been on it for a few years. It's not something you're necessarily stuck with for the rest of your life.
    - Nekorosu 10y ago
      I hope so. Have you got any links to read about first-hand experience of going off medications from a person with bipolar disorder?

reddytowns 10y ago

In other words, religion trumps modern medicine for mental illness. I agree, but I don't see this tribe's beliefs having a special status or better probability of success above any other religion.

Nekorosu 10y ago
There isn't much of a difference between religion and psychology (I'm talking about applied one, psychotherapy). As far as I remember the only method coming from evidence-based medicine approach is CBT. Everything else is based on anecdotal evidence. The problem of the article is that it ignores physiology which is evidently related to mental illnesses. A lot of illnesses have genetic factor. I actually don't like calling inherited conditions illnesses. And I'm talking about anything including diabetes. You can't get sick with bi-polar disorder or diabetes. They're given from birth. You can't be completely cured and have to maintain yourself with medications for the rest of your life.
- interfixus 10y ago
  Yes you can. You can have all sorts of genetic dispositions, which may or may not express themselves depending to the lifestyle and environment they are up against.
- krageon 10y ago
  If you have the requisite genetic triggers, bipolar has only a chance of popping up. It's triggered by circumstances in your life that present significant stress/hardship. Next to that, there are also plenty of people that manage to wean themselves off medication after they've been on it for a few years. It's not something you're necessarily stuck with for the rest of your life.
  - Nekorosu 10y ago
    I hope so. Have you got any links to read about first-hand experience of going off medications from a person with bipolar disorder?