XPost: misc.health.alternative, alt.psychology, sci.psychology   
   From: dank@nugget.org   
      
   Mark Thorson wrote (quoting chemical industry study)...   
   > METHOD: Within a 2-year period we   
   > examined 264 of 267 consecutive   
   > patients prospectively presenting to a university   
   > based out-patient department for environmental   
   > medicine. Patients underwent routine medical   
   > examination, toxicological analysis and the   
   > structured clinical interview for DSM-IV   
   > psychiatric disorders (SCID).   
   >   
   > RESULTS: Seventy-five per cent of the patients   
   > met DSM-IV criteria for at least one psychiatric   
   > disorder and 35% of all patients suffered from   
   > somatoform disorders. Other frequent diagnoses   
   > were affective and anxiety disorders, and   
   > dependence or substance abuse. In 39%   
   > a psychiatric disorder, in 23% a somatic   
   > condition and in 19% a combination of the two   
   > were considered to provide sufficient   
   > explanation of the symptoms. Toxic chemicals   
   > were regarded as the most probable cause in only   
   > five cases. The suspected diagnosis of MCS/IEI   
   > could not be sustained in the vast majority of cases.   
      
   I don't think I have MCS, but I can't stand artificial fragrances and   
   resent how every consumer product is loaded with cheap industrial   
   perfume, and how my co-workers wear so much perfume, deodorent, skin   
   lotions, etc. that it makes me feel nauseous and distracts me from my   
   work.  They are all so fucking mentally hygienic for thinking they   
   smell good, while I suffer from a DSM-IV mental disorder for thinking   
   they stink.   
      
   I propose another study to see if the psychiatrists conducting the   
   study above suffer from any chemical sensitivity themselves.  I'm   
   willing to bet that those psychiatrists who enjoy dousing themselves   
   in perfume are the ones who view sensitivity to fragrances to be a   
   mental disorder.  Tobacco smoking was viewed as a normal social   
   behavior during the century or so when pipes and Freudian cigars   
   were in fashion among psychiatrists, and patients who complained   
   about their psychiatrist smoking his pipe during their sessions were   
   subjected to shock treatment.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)