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Bad Press for Cats



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 11th 05, 03:22 PM
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Default Bad Press for Cats

Have you all heard the "report" recently that links cat ownership with
schizophrenia? What is particularly disturbing is the allegation that
cat ownership as a child will increase dramatically the chances of
adult-onset schizophrenia. It's just bad press for cats. I really hope
this dies down quickly and doesn't eventually impact shelters, if
enough people swallow this bunk at face value and stop allowing
children to have cats. That would be a travesty, IMO.

Remember the last cats got wrongly accused of spreading disease. Can we
say "bubonic plague"?

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=13866

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=1299317

Sherry

  #2  
Old November 11th 05, 03:47 PM
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Default Bad Press for Cats

Oops, my bad. I see now this has been posted already, and I had just
missed it. I just became aware of it yesterday when I saw the clip from
ABC Nightly news.

  #3  
Old November 11th 05, 05:20 PM
Barb
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Default Bad Press for Cats

Well, considering about 50% of families have 1 or more cats, that's a pretty
safe conclusion to erroneously draw. One could also say having a cat in
childhood tends to result in very high achievers with high IQs since
probably at least half of such people had a cat in childhood!!!

--
Barb
Of course I don't look busy,
I did it right the first time.


  #5  
Old November 11th 05, 06:17 PM
Phil P.
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Default Bad Press for Cats


wrote in message
ups.com...
Have you all heard the "report" recently that links cat ownership with
schizophrenia? What is particularly disturbing is the allegation that
cat ownership as a child will increase dramatically the chances of
adult-onset schizophrenia. It's just bad press for cats. I really hope
this dies down quickly and doesn't eventually impact shelters,



Torrey has been spouting this nonsense for decades- he says cats are
"typhoid tabbies". That's where he gets his funding from and how he keeps
his job. You'd be amazed by how many people actually believe his nonsense.
The psychiatric community can't come out publicly against him because no
one can prove him wrong-- even though he can't prove he's right. Its very
difficult to disprove an unproven theory- and that's his angle.


He was written up as a fraud in a psychology journal:

Psychiatric Fraud and Force: A Critique of E. Fuller Torrey
Szasz Journal of Humanistic Psychology.2004; 44: 416-430.

Thomas Szasz, M.D., D.Sc.(Hon.), L.H.D.(Hon.)
State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New
York.

"E. Fuller Torrey is the most prominent advocate of forced psychiatric
treatment in the United States today. He regards the use of coerced therapy
as so medically and socially important that it justifies deceiving the
patient. The author presents a critical review of Torrey's propagandizing
for the increased use of psychiatric force and fraud in "treating mental
illness," noting that in the past, Torrey had condemned these very
practices. In his book The Death of Psychiatry, Torrey agreed with Szasz's
criticism of the concept of mental illness and opposition to involuntary
psychiatric interventions and the insanity defense. He was invited to
respond to this article but did not."

Here's a 'cute little story about Torrey:

"Torrey says that he not only preaches forced treatment, he has practiced
it. He tells the story of a homeless schizophrenic he treated in a
Washington women's shelter in 1984. Hearing voices [and so forth] . . . she
refused Torrey's offer of anti-psychotic drugs but asked him if he had any
pills for her sinus problems.He gave her antipsychotic pills and told her
they were sinus medicine. His subterfuge violated the code of medical
ethics, he admits. . . ."

and another:

"A few years ago, Torrey met a 19-year-old woman who had been dashing
through National Airport on her way back to college when she had encountered
a straggly looking woman . . . [who, she realized] was her mother. . . . Her
daughter tried to get the woman into a hospital for treatment ,but she
resisted, and aVirginia judge refused to commit her against her will on the
grounds that she wasn't dangerous. . . . Torrey went back with the woman's
daughter and lied tothe judge, describing her mother as a dangerous, violent
woman who had threatened to hurt people. The judge institutionalized her. .
.. .

Nothing like a doctor that lies to his patients.


He's also into *forced* psychiatric dugs- even for people who live in their
homes!


http://www.namiscc.org/newsletters/A...rreyColumn.htm

http://www.namiscc.org/News/2002/Sum...nalProtest.htm

if
enough people swallow this bunk at face value and stop allowing
children to have cats. That would be a travesty, IMO.



Personally, I'd like to stake him out naked in a large sand box, pour cat
**** on him, and watch the cats bury him alive. The urine seeping into the
scratches would
drive him insane. Then he'd could write about insanity from first-hand
experience. At least he'd be telling the truth for a change.



Remember the last cats got wrongly accused of spreading disease. Can we
say "bubonic plague"?


Cats actually limited the spread of bubonic plague by killing the rats that
carried the fleas that carried the disease. Now, they're serving as models
for cures for HIV. The FIV vaccine has already opened new possibilities for
a human HIV vaccine. That will make twice cats have saved humanity. They
just want to keep us healthy so we can cater to their every need.

Phil








  #8  
Old November 11th 05, 06:20 PM
Phil P.
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Bad Press for Cats


wrote in message
ups.com...
Have you all heard the "report" recently that links cat ownership with
schizophrenia? What is particularly disturbing is the allegation that
cat ownership as a child will increase dramatically the chances of
adult-onset schizophrenia. It's just bad press for cats. I really hope
this dies down quickly and doesn't eventually impact shelters,



Torrey has been spouting this nonsense for decades- he says cats are
"typhoid tabbies". That's where he gets his funding from and how he keeps
his job. You'd be amazed by how many people actually believe his nonsense.
The psychiatric community can't come out publically against him because no
one can prove him wrong-- even though he can't prove he's right. Its very
difficult to disprove an unproven theory- and that's his angle.


He was written up as a fraud in a psychology journal:

Psychiatric Fraud and Force: A Critique of E. Fuller Torrey
Szasz Journal of Humanistic Psychology.2004; 44: 416-430.

Thomas Szasz, M.D., D.Sc.(Hon.), L.H.D.(Hon.)
State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New
York.

"E. Fuller Torrey is the most prominent advocate of forced psychiatric
treatment in the United States today. He regards the use of coerced therapy
as so medically and socially important that it justifies deceiving the
patient. The author presents a critical review of Torrey's propagandizing
for the increased use of psychiatric force and fraud in "treating mental
illness," noting that in the past, Torrey had condemned these very
practices. In his book The Death of Psychiatry, Torrey agreed with Szasz's
criticism of the concept of mental illness and opposition to involuntary
psychiatric interventions and the insanity defense. He was invited to
respond to this article but did not."

Here's a 'cute little story about Torrey:
"Torrey says that he not only preaches forced treatment, he has practiced
it. He tells the story of a homeless schizophrenic he treated in a
Washington women's shelter in 1984. Hearing voices [and so forth] . . . she
refused Torrey's offer of anti-psychotic drugs but asked him if he had any
pills for her sinus problems.He gave her antipsychotic pills and told her
they were sinus medicine. His subterfuge violated the code of medical
ethics, he admits. . . ."

and another:

"A few years ago, Torrey met a 19-year-old woman who had been dashing
through National Airport on her way back to college when she had encountered
a straggly looking woman . . . [who, she realized] was her mother. . . . Her
daughter tried to get the woman into a hospital for treatment ,but she
resisted,and aVirginia judge refused to commit her against her will on the
grounds that she wasn't dangerous. . . . Torrey went back with the woman's
daughter and lied tothe judge, describing her mother as a dangerous, violent
woman who had threatened to hurt people. The judge institutionalized her. .
.. .

Nothing like a doctor that lies to his patients.


He's also into *forced* psychiatric dugs- even for people who live in their
homes!


http://www.namiscc.org/newsletters/A...rreyColumn.htm

http://www.namiscc.org/News/2002/Sum...nalProtest.htm

if
enough people swallow this bunk at face value and stop allowing
children to have cats. That would be a travesty, IMO.



Personally, I'd like to stake him out naked in a large sand box, pour cat
**** on him, and watch the cats bury him alive. Their scratching would
drive him insane. Then he'd could write about insanity from first-hand
experience.



Remember the last cats got wrongly accused of spreading disease. Can we
say "bubonic plague"?


Cats actually limited the spread of bubonic plague by killing the rats that
carried the fleas that carried the disease. Now, they're serving as models
for cures for HIV. The FIV vaccine has already opened new possibilities for
a human HIV vaccine. That will make twice cats have saved humanity. They
just want to keep us healthy so we can cater to their every need.

Phil








  #9  
Old November 11th 05, 06:40 PM
Juls
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Posts: n/a
Default Bad Press for Cats

In article ,
"Phil P." wrote:

He's also into *forced* psychiatric dugs- even for people who live in their
homes!


I don't want to hijack this thread and get too far away from cats, but
this is a reality in many states. It's called Involuntary Outpatient
Commitment, and teams in vans literally drive around town visiting their
patients and dosing them with shots.

"A few years ago, Torrey met a 19-year-old woman who had been dashing
through National Airport on her way back to college when she had encountered
a straggly looking woman . . . [who, she realized] was her mother. . . . Her
daughter tried to get the woman into a hospital for treatment ,but she
resisted, and aVirginia judge refused to commit her against her will on the
grounds that she wasn't dangerous. . . . Torrey went back with the woman's
daughter and lied tothe judge, describing her mother as a dangerous, violent
woman who had threatened to hurt people. The judge institutionalized her. .
. .

Nothing like a doctor that lies to his patients.


Unfortunately, Torrey isn't the only one. I see it every day in my work
and could tell you horror story after horror story.

Personally, I'd like to stake him out naked in a large sand box, pour cat
**** on him, and watch the cats bury him alive. The urine seeping into the
scratches would
drive him insane. Then he'd could write about insanity from first-hand
experience. At least he'd be telling the truth for a change.


haha, now this, I could get behind! I like it.

I am just so aggravated that this old crap of his has been dredged up
again, and the media acts like it's brand new. Like you said, he has NO
evidence of any of this. But it's a great headline, isn't it: Cats cause
mental illness!!!

The sad thing is that there are probably some well-meaning parents out
there freaked out by it, returning their cats to the shelter.

And the real truth is that pets can be very beneficial to people with
health problems. That *has* been documented by research!

--
Email (remove annoying hyphens)
j-u-l-i-AT-e-c-t-DOT-o-r-g
 




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