| Summary: |
This book is about mental disorders: how to think about them and how
well those of us outside can get a feel for what they are like from inside.
Some dispute the boundaries of mental disorder. Is autism a disorder,
or should it be seen as “neurodiversity� Is antisocial personality disorder
rightly named, or is it just ruthless amorality? Is addiction mental illness
or just moral weakness? Is either medication or psychotherapy appropriate
to ease the devastating grief of bereavement, or should we avoid medicalizing
this normal human experience?
When and how much do mental disorders impair agency and responsibility?
When should acting under the influence of severe depression excuse
someone from responsibility for what she does? What do some disorders
do to a person’s identity? When someone with schizophrenia
shows
unprovoked hostility and aggression, does that reflect him, or is it his
illness? How should we draw boundaries here?
How much is the original
person still present in severe dementia?
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