Enjoying reading everybody's replies!
I find that modern therapy does little to address the root causes of most mental illnesses. I think most deemed "mentally ill" have encountered some sort of trauma, were misunderstood in their childhoods (likelihood for this is high if you are a rarer Myers-Briggs type), or didn't have a good support network growing up. Right now, people are not getting the care they need, and the people deemed mentally ill are really suffering from the effects of a piss poor economy and the fact that our government is broken. Not only that, but people have forgotten to love. Everyone is walking around like zombies, without any signs of life in their face, and not ever thinking about those around them. It's like that old Simon & Garfunkle song, "The Sound of Silence."
I'll say it again, unemployment and poverty arising from the current economy have led to a lot of psychiatric conditions in this country, like major depression. That is not the individual's "fault" or anything having to do with them or their organic brain chemistry. I mean, one can be neurologically predisposed to that sort of thing, of course...but it's exacerbated by all the crazy shit going on in the world right now. People want to live out their callings in life. It's human nature. People generally want to work, and to be productive members of society; to provide for themselves. When they are deprived of the ability to do so, they naturally become a bit mentally unstable. It ain't rocket science.
Frankly, I am unable to be objective when it comes to the healthcare field. The bottom line is that we need a drastic overhaul of the entire system. My opinion only, and I'd welcome a debate on this. But, I think what I am hearing from many of you is that the current system has failed many patients and those seeking help. Medication can only go so far, and the fact is that environmental factors play a big role, i.e. diet.