Religion
In reply to the discussion: Religious Belief = Mental Illness: A More Venomous Response [View all]cbayer
(146,218 posts)The diagnoses of mental illness is by no means subjective. There are well defined criteria that must be met for any specific diagnosis. Over the past 30 years, the advances in diagnostic tools have been dramatic. There are definitely objective answers and more and more illnesses are being defined by their neurological underpinnings. In the end, I think all major illnesses will be understood the way we understand non-psychiatric disease.
And that's a very good thing, as it will reduce the stigma that comes with the POV that these illnesses are somehow not "real" disease and are just some kind of weakness.
Disease is a process that interferes with normal or adequate functioning in some way. Socially adaptive characteristics are not disease but may actually be advances.
If an atheist who embraces science rejects the science that currently underlies psychiatric diagnosis and illness, they are no different than a creationist. They hold onto a long disproven belief system because it fits their personal narrative.
What you learned some time ago is not longer the case and mental illness, for lack of a better term, is not a subjective condition.