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Very Bad Wizards

Episode 198: Is Mental Illness a Myth? (Thomas Szasz's "The Myth of Mental Illness")

Very Bad Wizards

Tamler Sommers & David Pizarro

Society & Culture, Philosophy

4.83K Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2020

⏱️ 92 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

David and Tamler explore Thomas Szasz's provocative and still relevant 1961 book "The Myth of Mental Illness," the topic selected by our beloved Patreon supporters. When we think of mental disorders as "diseases," are we making a category mistake? Are we turning ordinary "problems in living" into pathologies that must be treated (with pills or psychoanalysis)? Does this model rob us of our autonomy in direct or indirect ways? Plus, with VBW 200 only 2 episodes away we give our top 3 dream guests, and David dons his punditry cap to break down the first presidential debate, which already seems like six months ago.   

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Very bad wizards is a podcast with a philosopher, my dad, and a psychologist, Dave Pizarro,

0:05.9

having an informal discussion about issues and signs and ethics.

0:09.4

Please note that the discussion contains bad words that I'm out of allow to say,

0:13.6

and knowing my dad some very inappropriate jokes.

0:17.4

It's a continuing series of small tragedies that send a man to the madhouse.

0:24.0

The cleaning of his fault and a new addition to that man behind the curtain.

0:40.0

Who are you?

0:42.0

Who are you?

0:43.0

I'm very bad man.

0:45.0

I'm a very good man.

0:47.0

Good man.

0:48.0

Just a very bad wizard.

1:12.0

Welcome to very bad wizards.

1:14.0

I'm a very bad man.

1:24.0

I'm a very bad man.

1:34.0

You're like an MSNBC stan.

1:36.0

I actually can't wait till all three debates are done so I can finally decide who to vote for.

1:44.0

I know they're both great.

1:46.0

It was tough.

1:48.0

My daughter got assigned as, I don't know if it was for English class, I don't remember what.

1:54.0

But I think it's just a liberal communist activist kind of community.

2:00.0

Of course they assigned her to watch.

...

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