Controversies about psychiatry

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Psychiatry is, and has historically been, viewed as controversial by those under its care, as well as sociologists and psychiatrists themselves. There are a variety of reasons cited for this controversy, including the subjectivity of diagnosis,^[1] the use of diagnosis and treatment for social and political control including detaining citizens and treating them without consent,^[2] the side effects of treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy,^[3] antipsychotics^[4] and historical procedures like the lobotomy^[5]: 28 and other forms of psychosurgery^[5] or insulin shock therapy,^[6] and the history of racism within the profession in the United States.

In addition, there are a number of groups who are either critical towards psychiatry or entirely hostile to the field. The Critical Psychiatry Network is a group of psychiatrists who are critical of psychiatry. Additionally, there are self-described psychiatric survivor groups such as MindFreedom International and religious groups such as Scientologists that are critical towards psychiatry.