> Frankly, I have this theory that many supposed "mental illnesses" don't exist at all. Like clinical depression and ADD.

I couldn't let this one go, so apologies if it offends anyone.

I don't believe in cancer. Leukaemia can't be a real disease, because it's just the blood not working the way it should. Likewise, diabetics are concerned about their weight and people with nut allergies are just finding excuses for not liking them.

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, so I want to make it clear that that was deliberately being used to give examples.

Depression and ADD *are* chemical imbalances in the brain, and there are drugs that tweak these chemicals and make people better. This is as much a fact as the Leukaemia example.

> "Johnny stabbed Billy with a fork, but it's not his fault... he's just got ADHD."

I'm as sick of this touchy-feely attitude as anyone else. People finding excuses for bad parenting. Exhibit B: "Little Johnny saw someone getting shot on TV, so he went and got my gun and..."

A better form of exhibit A would be, "Johnny stabbed Billy with a fork. It's his fault... he's got ADHD."

A chemical imbalance in the brain does affect your personality. It's your brain, so it's a part of you. It's not malarky, it's a malady. It may not be through choice, but there aren't many illnesses that are. If my pancreas weren't quite working properly, I'd take insulin. My brain isn't quite working properly, so I take whatever that stuff is that fixes it.

> Dependence

I can understand not wanting to take any stinking medication for the rest of your life. I wouldn't want to be on a course of chemotherapy, but I'd sure weigh up the pros and cons of it if I had cancer.

The brain is just an organ like any other. We may not know everything about it, but we can fix things that we do know about.

Matthew