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Once upon a time, my bi-polar sister-in-law, during a maniac breakdown, tried to take my brother out of intensive care (where he was being treated for Gillian Barre syndrome, was paralyzed from just below the eyes down, on a respirator, and in great need of being where he was.)

There are times when things go weird in the biochemistry, and get us to behave weirdly.

I tend to believe large amounts of mental/emotional problems will be found to have physical causes/triggers involving the delicate chemistry going on in the brain.

In my bloodline, we have history of ADD and bipolar syndrome that goes back at least 5 generations. Clearly something going on there in the genetics, I suspect. My great aunt was in and our of facilities in her lifetime because of her bipolar condition.

Problem with these diseases they manifest by compromising our mental states.

I do know at times, a person dealing with deep depression will harm themselves. My sister-in-law also went through a three year depression where she tried to commit suicide five times.

It is a good question to know when these things are being abused, and when is it important to intervene. In my sister-in-law's case, they did intervene when she tried to take my brother out, briefly, long enough to juggle her medications and let her get destressed. I suspect she had brief hospitalizations with each suicide attempt as well. As a result, both my brother and my sister-in-law are still with us today.

I know of one case where a schizophrenic young man was fixtated on his father for some reason, refused to take his medication after he turned of age, and did succeed on killing his father.

Should there have been an intervention?

Finding that fine line between the individual's right to decide and society's right to protect itself will always be a tricky border. There have been lots of abuse. I don't have the answer.

My family also has a long family history of bi-polar disorder. It is easily traced through the family and seems to affect the first born males. Medication is extremely beneficial for some bi-polar patients, as long as they take it. (which is often the greatest challenge of treatment)

The doctors (both psychiatric and non) have told me that they just don't understand enough about the human brain and how it works to classify "mental illness" as accurately as they would like. However they are continuing to learn more each day to support your statement that these illnesses are very likely caused by chemical inbalances in the brain. After watching my 8 year old on steroids (asthma), I can assure you that chemicals can cause a complete personality change.

IMO mental illness is very real. The issue of whether it should be used to excuse a person whe has committed a crime or to confine an individual against his/her will is a separate issue, which is not nearly as clear cut in my mind.

Touched by your post. Mental illness--severe chronic depression, combined with a (relatively) mild schizophrenia--runs rampant through a particular branch of the paternal side of my family--myself and four other cousins (of our generation) were/are afflicted. Symptoms generally manifested in our early- to middle-thirties. All about the same age, separated in some cases by hundreds of miles, without knowing what the others were going through, the five of us each went through our own particular hell. Psychiatrists contributed to saving our sanity and probably our lives. So no, I don't think psychiatry is going the way of alchemy or phrenology. Certain groups have a vested interest in denigrating psychiatry and challenging its credibility Scientologists, for example. So the skeptical doctor in the article is among some questionable company, in my view.