>From: "Clint O'Dell" <clintodell@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: American Psychiatric Association
>Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 20:11:27 MDT
>
>Phil Osborn wrote:
>>The last thing I particularly recall about these jerks was when Thomas
>>Ssazz
>>(sp?) ("The Manufacture of Madness," various other works) did his famous
>>study in which he sent grad student volunteers in to pose as patients in
>>various psychiatric hospitals. They were not to pretend to any symptoms,
>>just act normal, etc. The "doctors" never caught on - but the real
>>patients
>>recognized that they didn't belong immediately. The "doctors" would
>>interview one of the grad students, who would talk perfectly normally to
>>the
>>"doctor," while the "doctor" is taking notes and saying, "uh huh, that's
>>very interesting. Please tell me more. How does that make you feel ,
>>etc."
>>- out-Eliza-ing Eliza! When the grad students would try to ask the
>>"doctor"
>>a question, however, they could never get a reply, just more of the same,
>>"why do you ask that?" Who was crazy here?
>
>I've never read about this study but can verify the acuracy of the
>information. I was institutionalized for 3 years, because MY MOTHER had
>mental problems.
Your story reminds me of a young guy I knew in the late '60's. His relatives had him institutionalized because he stood to inherit money that they wanted. He spent several years under repeated drug shock treatment to cure his "paranoia" - that his relatives were out to get him. Then, in a stroke of incredible luck, his entire family was killed in an auto accident. When the money dried up, suddenly he was CURED! And released. He was a strange person, but very gentle. He spent a lot of time on spending that inheritance on the very best music and music systems available. I suspect that at that point he needed professional help, but I don't think he would ever ask for it...