Psychiatric Critique and the Opposition to Psychiatry with Dr. Awais Aftab

Behind the Stigma

In this week’s episode, I speak with Dr. Awais Aftab, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University on the Critique and the Opposition to Psychiatry.
We discuss the emergence of philosophy in psychiatry as a distinct discipline, and it's historical evolution from psychoanalysis to biomedical models. We go into the critiques of disorder classifications, debates surrounding biological explanations and medication use, and the importance of fostering trust and collaboration within the mental health community and society.
The conversation offers insights into the complexities of psychiatric practice and the ongoing dialogue surrounding its theoretical foundations and clinical applications.
Chapter markers added!

About Dr. Aftab
Dr Aftab is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University and he is interested in critical and conceptual issues that involve the field. He has been actively involved in initiatives to educate psychiatrists and trainees on the intersection of philosophy, psychiatry, and history.
Dr. Aftab led the popular interview series “Conversations in Critical Psychiatry” for Psychiatric Times, and a book adaptation is forthcoming from Oxford University Press. He is an executive council member of the Association for the Advancement of Philosophy and Psychiatry, and a senior editor for Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology.
Website: https://www.awaisaftab.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/awaisaftab
Substack: https://www.psychiatrymargins.com/

Chapter

1. What is philosophy of psychiatry, & how does it inform psychiatric practice? (00:03:04)

2. Issues in psychiatry aren't different from rest of medicine (00:07:45)

3. Resistance to psychiatry & it's history (00:08:54)

4. Utilizing mental disorder classifications as a psychiatrist (00:17:14)

5. Has our scientific understanding of disorders changed in the last decades? (00:17:32)

6. Mental disorder language - does it influence perception and treatments? (00:31:55)

7. Why it's important to understand mechanisms of how thing's work (00:43:20)

8. Role of psychiatrists/clinicians to account for social determinants (00:48:50)

9. Medication in psychiatry - criticism and their importance (00:53:49)

10. Iatrogenic harm in psychiatry (01:00:30)

11. Collaboration in psychiatry with the broader community (01:06:20)