Two of the most pressing issues for any theory of mental illness to be established and accepted is to define the mind and to determine whether mankind consists of both spiritual and physical natures or exists merely as a material existence. Although many professionals argue that the brain is the most relevant topic of discussion in mental illness, the mind is the reason why the idea of mental illness exists. The mind, therefore, must first be defined and understood before the brain-dysfunction theory can be evaluated and potentially applied. But such a study poses a problem for science-driven...

In spite of the fact that no biological etiologies, markers, or remedies exist, biological psychiatrists assert that mental illnesses are validated physical diseases. But are mental struggles truly biologically caused or are the observable and measurable physical problems simply effects of the mind? Many other relevant questions have arisen with the introduction of neuroimaging, and this volume seeks to answer many of those most pressing. For example, can the mind be observed both through scientific observation and through EEGs and fMRIs? Is there empirical evidence to prove or disprove the...

The Nature vs. Nurture debate has existed since Sir Frances Galton first introduced the idea that the mind is determined by a person's genes and not his environment. It was at this point in history that both the evolutionary theory (under Galton's half cousin Charles Darwin) of the mind and the eugenics movement were born. Shortly thereafter, schools of psychiatry began to argue over whether nature caused mental illness or whether nurture was responsible for human reactions. Romantic psychiatrists argued that life's experiences caused people to go mad, while biological psychiatrists argued...

Most people today believe that psychoactive substances and psychotherapies are proven remedies for mental and behavioral problems categorized in the DSM-5 as mental illnesses. Biological psychiatrists in particular and society in general are convinced not only that psychiatric disorders are biological diseases but also that psychoactive drugs are agents that will fix genetic variances, supply missing chemicals, and correct brain dysfunctions. Furthermore, these drugs are mostly believed to be safe and efficient, and psychiatrists are perceived to be empathetic and scientifically-driven...

The number of children being labelled as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and stigmatized as abnormal continues to grow rapidly. Controversy and misunderstanding surround the topic of ADHD, and yet despite technological advances, leading clinicians continue to lack valid answers to remedy the mindsets and behaviors known as ADHD. No one on any side of the issue denies that children are struggling and misbehaving, but how those behaviors are perceived, interpreted, and addressed are regularly disagreed upon. Still, the fact that children are clearly misbehaving,...