Re: Define mental illness?

On Tue, 18 May 1999, Joshua Shinavier wrote:

> The Main Point:
> Mental illness is a bodily condition, not a personality problem.  It may
This is somewhat of a false dichotomy--at least, if one is a psychological
naturalist.  Example: some types of depression can be caused by low levels
of seratonin.  This can occur for any number of purely physiological
reasons; however, seratonin levels also decrease when external events
provoke sadness.  Either one of these, or a combination of both, can cause
similar conditions in the brain.  How then is it meaningful to call one
physiological and one emotional?

Of course, if one believes in a seperate mind/soul/whatever than your
argument is more valid.

    ___
   )_|_)   Eli Naeher - enaeher@emma.troy.ny.us
  )__|__)   "The denunciation of the young is a necessary part of the
 )___|___)   hygiene of older people, and greatly assists the circulation
\-,__|_,---/  of the blood."
 \________/                               --Logan Pearsall Smith