Now an increasing array of less serious conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, panic etc, are also being described as chemical imbalances which also require a chemical solution. We cannot segregate off a portion of society as different from us, as machines, and be surprised when we view ourselves as machines as well. I therefore propose that even the most severe emotional problems be viewed as very human problems rather than mechanical ones. Harry Stack Sullivan had this in mind when he described schizophrenia as a human process. This approach is based on a humanistic view of people as full beings, existing at all levels of body, mind and spirit.
People remain just as human, or more so, during times of severe emotional turmoil.
No magic drug can solve human problems. They can temporarily relieve some pain, but then the person develops his or her self through real emotional and interpersonal learning. When a person suffering emotionally seeks help, he or she still enter as the expert in the running of their life. Even though they may experience a temporary impairment or delay in that ability, they are the ones who know their experiences and they are the ones who need to learn how to improve the management of their lives. Professionally designed treatment plans are done to and for the person and generally remove the person's capacity to run his or her own life.