ABC says conspiracy web sites are contributing to mental health issues

Originally posted by americandingbat
reply to post by Yoda411

 

I actually find the original title of the article to be more offensive, with its insinuation that the people running internet conspiracy sites have created "empires" and the further implication that these "empires" are built at a steep cost for the mentally ill.

Did they really say that directly? I couldn't find the quote, if you could oblige.

Originally posted by Yoda411

Originally posted by meadowfairy
Ive got a good question to ask Cox.

Who are these professionals who only know what they are taught and like zombies day in and day out only report what they are paid to report in support off mental health.

Yoda we can all agree that some stories on here sound incredulous out in the real world. It might even cause some incredibility to this site but as the site suggests its conspiracy. Conspiracy with capitals. Surely people can read in between the lines. It is a place where people can be open about possible fantasy type subjects whether with proof or without. Whether it spreads is another things and a classic example of the 100 monkeys syndrome.

I wish you were right. Unfortunately however not everyone is as mentally fit as you, or I. Fantasy type subjects can be a blurry line among delusional subjects. This brings me back to my initial point that those previously experiencing mental health issues, or on the bleeding edge of experiencing a mental health issue, would be most at risk.

Yoda what risk is that? Can you please tell me? For if they are mentally ill and the psychiatrist has them drugged up to the teether what is the cure?

You also explained to me your position on chemtrails, did you check yourself in to the mental health clinic? You are very concerned about risks but did you go that step further to check yourself?

[edit on 15-12-2008 by meadowfairy]

reply to post by Spiramirabilis


I guess this is what our Bill O'Reilly culture has given us. People no longer care if the news has facts or is true or reports anything accurately, just that it entertains and says things that sound cool and might be true, who knows, but sure push an agenda.

I may be wrong but I agree, the news should at the very least contain some facts.

Originally posted by meadowfairy
Yoda what risk is that? Can you please tell me? For if they are mentally ill and the psychiatrist has them drugged up to the teether what is the cure?

Merely a risk of causing a further delusional and paranoid point of view. From there, what acts an individual commits under this delusional state of mind could also potentially be linked to a conspiracy theory (regardless of the source).

reply to post by Yoda411


Well, the title for the article is "What's Behind Internet Conspiracy Empires" which I thought was a pretty straightforward implication that they were talking about internet conspiracy empires.

The subtitle is "As Conspiracy Communities Grow, Mental Health Docs Are Left With Big Questions" which I took to mean that the growth of online conspiracy "empires" is causing trouble for the mental health community.

The rest of the article does a pretty good job of continuing to associate the growing success of internet conspiracy sites (as represented only by Icke) with increasing severity and untreatability of delusions in the mentally ill.

I'm not sure which part of that was unclear?

Originally posted by Yoda411

Originally posted by meadowfairy
Yoda what risk is that? Can you please tell me? For if they are mentally ill and the psychiatrist has them drugged up to the teether what is the cure?

Merely a risk of causing a further delusional and paranoid point of view. From there, what acts an individual commits under this delusional state of mind could also potentially be linked to a conspiracy theory (regardless of the source).

I do not concur. As there has been proof and reports not covered by mainstream that psychotic drugs do the opposite of what they are supposed and have caused violence and suicide in individuals such as drug brands Zoloft and Prozac. I think you need to weight the argumants and risks before coming to such conclusions.

reply to post by americandingbat


It was not unclear, I was just forcing you to explain that this is your own interpretation of the article. However, there are obvious parts of the article where they make clear they are not generalizing the group of people who flock to these websites.

reply to post by meadowfairy


I am most certainly not here to defend Prozac nor Zoloft for the record.

I am indeed here to defend my opinion related to the contents of this article.

It is in my opinion, that an individual previously suffering from a delusion could indeed log on to ATS and find an identically suffering individual whom believes the same thing. With a few youtube videos thrown around and some hardly credible evidence, their delusional thoughts have now become their own reality.

reply to post by Yoda411


But I said that in reference to your claim that the original title of the article was less offensive than the title of this thread.

And I really don't think I've done much "interpreting" in my reading of the title to be saying that

1) conspiracy sites = empires
2) conspiracy site growth -> mental health problem

Suicide in indviduals who take SSRI drugs:

www.onlinelawyersource.com...

www.medicinenet.com...

I wonder why this is never mentioned by health professionals.

Originally posted by Yoda411
reply to post by meadowfairy

 

I am most certainly not here to defend Prozac nor Zoloft for the record.

I am indeed here to defend my opinion related to the contents of this article.

It is in my opinion, that an individual previously suffering from a delusion could indeed log on to ATS and find an identically suffering individual whom believes the same thing. With a few youtube videos thrown around and some hardly credible evidence, their delusional thoughts have now become their own reality.

If they were already delusional in the first place then it is not a risk just closure for them. The risk you can argue is that if they take on the persona of such delusions to cause violent acts which i dont see likely and none off this has been reported.

I did not say you were defending the drug companies. I was merely pointing out that by sending them to the mental health institution drive throughs for drugging is not helping them either but may cause an even bigger risk then you may be supporting by thinking your helping to clarify mental health issues.

[edit on 15-12-2008 by meadowfairy]

Originally posted by americandingbat
reply to post by Yoda411

 

2) conspiracy site growth -> mental health problem

For the healthy in mind, MacDonald said, "it's a wild card about whether this is going to improve people's state or not. It may turn out that the value of the community is greater than the destructive nature of the narratives that are spun out of them.

MacDonald clearly leaves the door cracked for potentially positive mental effects of contributing to a conspiracy theory website.

Originally posted by meadowfairy
If they were already delusional in the first place then it is not a risk just closure for them. The risk you can argue is that if they take on the persona of such delusions to cause violent acts which i dont see likely and none off this has been reported.

Once more over, violent acts are not necessary to define a mental health issue.

I sincerely doubt a psychologist would agree that a delusional individual being pushed over the edge with false facts to solidify their false view of reality could ever be considered closure for them. In fact, it would further prolong the manifestation of the false reality.

Originally posted by Yoda411

Originally posted by meadowfairy
If they were already delusional in the first place then it is not a risk just closure for them. The risk you can argue is that if they take on the persona of such delusions to cause violent acts which i dont see likely and none off this has been reported.

Once more over, violent acts are not necessary to define a mental health issue.

I sincerely doubt a psychologist would agree that a delusional individual being pushed over the edge with false facts to solidify their false view of reality could ever be considered closure for them. In fact, it would further prolong the manifestation of the false reality.

Ok and like i said what is the cure?

reply to post by Yoda411


Not in the title.

Only in a couple of easily-glanced-over sentences.

As I said earlier, I'm done with the question of whether or not it is factually accurate that occasionally reading about conspiracies online has driven delusional behavior before it would otherwise become evident.

And I'm not questioning whether the article is factual as far as it goes.

And I recognize that the author has covered ABC's rear end with the legal department, and provided a couple of convenient quotes that can be cited to "show" how "unbiased" the article is.

But I'm asking you to look at the overall impression that this article will leave with a member of the general public who has not just spent three days dissecting it.

And I submit that the impression will be pretty clear: Icke is an amoral scumbag who has built an empire out of feeding into the delusions of the mentally ill. And without any counter examples (e.g. ATS and the 3 Amigos maybe?) that is the only thing that readers unfamiliar with online conspiracy communities will be left with.

reply to post by americandingbat


Unfortunately I cannot determine the percentage of individuals who read this article and came out believing all of here at ATS are delusional.

From the negative response the article has received on ABC's own comments, it seems that point of view did not rub off on anyone whom read the article.

Edit: 194 Comments to be precise.

[edit on 12/15/08 by Yoda411]

reply to post by meadowfairy


Whats the cure for a delusional paranoid individual? Depends on the specific case.

If you would like to provide an individual case as an example I would gladly give you my personal opinion.

Yoda once again what is the cure or even better what do you propose should be done for those delusional people who believe in such theories to further fuel their illness?

Originally posted by meadowfairy
Yoda once again what is the cure or even better what do you propose should be done for those delusional people who believe in such theories to further fuel their illness?

Do you intend to further fuel their illness or cure it?

Of course you mean to cure it. Go ahead and throw an example at me, and I will give you my professional [unprofessional] opinion.

This seems to me like a variation of the story from China....

".....According to an article in the Beijing News,
Shandong provincial officials in the city of Xintai south
of the capital committed people who were seeking to attract the
attention of higher authorities to their complaints over local
corruption or land seizures.

Some were forced to take psychiatric drugs
and all were told they would not be released until
they signed pledges to drop their complaints, the paper said....."

www.guardian.co.uk...


So, will people who are members of conspiracy sites be committed to mental institutions and forced fed medication until we sign a document that we no longer believe ANY conspiracy theory?

I guess we've almost lost Freedom of Speech.
FREEDOM OF THOUGHT is next on the list.