ABSTRACT
This chapter presents mental health laws, which establish medical dominance in the mental health field, are costly and probably unwise. These laws encourage treatment policies and practices which overemphasize chemotherapy and underemphasize sociopsychological treatment. Chemotherapy is the treatment of mental disorder that prevails in the US today. Although chemotherapy has brought many benefits, it is conceivable that an examination of the entire structure of the medical use of psychoactive drugs would show that the risks and costs outweigh the benefits. The most dramatic changes in the field of mental health in recent years have been brought about in part by the use of thorazine in the treatment of schizophrenia. The arbitrary imposition of medical leadership by legal fiat stifles initiative and creates tensions and resentments which interfere with staff morale and therefore with therapeutic effectiveness.
