84. The Mind-Body Problem in Psychiatry: How to Be A Holist with Philosopher Diane O’Leary

“When medical doctors or psychiatrists entertain incoherent ideas about the mind and body, they make bad decisions about how to assist us in being well.” - Diane O’Leary. Understanding how the mind and body are connected in mental health and medicine is critical, especially considering that when we fail to do so, many are harmed. Despite drawing on the Biopsychosocial model for the last few decades, psychiatry hasn’t gotten much closer to elucidating the connections between the mind, body, and society. Today, Diane O’Leary explains to us psychiatry’s big philosophy problem and how it leads to huge ethical concerns. In an effort to ‘not be dualists’ psychiatry often tries to lump the mental and physical together, but in doing so, fails to approach clients as ‘holists’. Here’s how we can bring the person back into mental health.

In this episode we discuss:

• why medically unexplained physiological symptoms get labeled as ‘in your head’
• why the way to be a ‘holist’ is not about eradicating dualism or separating mind and body
• why the biopsychosocial model is incoherent and doesn’t do justice to patients
• the roots of bad philosophy in psychiatry
• women’s health and the history of manipulation in psychosomatic medicine
• why psychiatry needs to reevaluate its bioethics and respect patients’ rights and personhood

Bio

Diane O’Leary, PhD is a philosopher whose research focuses on medicine and psychiatry. In particular, she sets out to apply philosophy of mind in a way that helps to clarify what biomedicine and psychiatry are aiming for with holistic practice – and what they should be aiming for. Dr. O’Leary is Professor of Philosophy at University of Maryland Global Campus, and a former visiting researcher at the Center for Philosophy of Science at University of Pittsburgh. She’s a strong advocate for change in the area of psychosomatic medicine, and she’s currently a Public Voices Fellow on Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls with The Oped Project and Equality Now.

https://www.dianeoleary.com/

Links:

Institute for the Development of Human Arts: www.idha-nyc.org

Sessions & Information about the host: ⁠⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠⁠

Resources

• How to be a Holist who Rejects the Biopsychosocial Model https://eujap.uniri.hr/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/17_2_5.pdf
• John Read on the “Bio bio bio model” https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=fc53f77bec3514fe6c66f9216be662a89b78fa27
• Prozac’s rebrand for PMDD to Serafim - https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2001/04/29/renamed-prozac-fuels-womens-health-debate/b05311b4-514a-4e65-aaa5-434cb2934271/ & https://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2016/11/how-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-was-defined-and-marketed-drug-makers/#:~:text=Lilly rebranded Prozac%2C changing the,feminine-sounding name — Sarafem.

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.