Comments on: Scapegoating Schizophrenia: Paul Steinberg’s Shameful New York Times Op-Ed Column

By: GirlWithTheCane

GirlWithTheCane — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 14:45:24 +0000

Great post. Thanks for being such a clear voice against all the ignorance surrounding the role of mental illness in these shootings.

By: Bonivard

Bonivard — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 11:40:39 +0000

Don't forget Newsweek, who chose to illustrate a reasonably sensible article about the autism non-connection with a photo of the killers COMPLETELY INNOCENT BROTHER Ryan Lanza. *facepalm*

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:06:19 +0000

If there is a crisis with mental health in this country then I have no doubt the fault clearly lies with these so-called professionals who don’t know squat about the fields they so-call claim to have studied. So far I know of two “professionals” who have gone on CNN speaking for Autism and Asperger’s and are pretty much telling either lies or are clearly clueless as to knowing anything about it.

The NYTimes and CNN have lost so much credibility as a result of their reporting of Sandy Hook that they’re not likely to earn good favor again as credible news sources for a very long time. At least not by me.

By: Who Is Mentally Ill? «

Who Is Mentally Ill? « — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 21:55:16 +0000

[...] Scapegoating Schizophrenia: Paul Steinberg’s Shameful New York Times Op-Ed Column [...]

By: The Disinformation Continues | Michael Forbes Wilcox

The Disinformation Continues | Michael Forbes Wilcox — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 20:19:07 +0000

[...] friend Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg has written a clear, academic-style response (complete with references that support the facts she cites). In it, she decries not only his [...]

By: AnnaBWell

AnnaBWell — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 20:19:01 +0000

Rachel, I just wanted to add my thanks to you for writing this.

Many of us older autistics carry a misdiagnosis (depression, schizophrenia, bi-polar.) Many people with a schizophrenia diagnosis will learn that their diagnosis will change with a new doctor. I’m concerned that the diagnostic manuals are just rubbish, after all. I understand that getting services is often dependent on the label/diagnosis. But other than that — it is all just nonsense rubbish.

I agree that persons with a diagnosis of schizophrenia receive more harm from others (and not the other way around.)

By: T.Rob

T.Rob — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:44:17 +0000

Thanks to a Facebook friend for sharing this and thanks so much Rachel for writing it. I started to write a reply and then it became longer than the original post. Sigh… The reply is at http://ask-an-aspie.net/response-to-dr-paul-steinbergs-nyt-op-ed/

By: Response to Dr. Paul Steinberg’s NYT Op-Ed | Ask An Aspie

Response to Dr. Paul Steinberg’s NYT Op-Ed | Ask An Aspie — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 21:43:05 +0000

[...] Cohen-Rottenberg over at the disabilityandrepresentation.com blog wrote a post Scapegoating Schizophrenia: Paul Steinberg’s Shameful New York Times Op-Ed Column today. Dr. Steinberg’s commments are an example of why I felt compelled to create the Ask [...]

By: Uneducated NYTIMES contributers can kiss my @$$ | ambiguouslyethnicgirl

Uneducated NYTIMES contributers can kiss my @$$ | ambiguouslyethnicgirl — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 20:47:47 +0000

[...] excellent rebuttal of some of his points is here (on a site that you should bookmark and read regularly, if you don’t already). In his [...]

By: chavisory

chavisory — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:02:09 +0000

The New York Times very seriously needs to stop printing misinformation about psychiatric and neurological conditions on its Op-Ed page. I count this piece in the same family with the baseless trivialization of Asperger’s Syndrome perpetrated by two pieces there a while ago (only this one is far more dangerous, calling for pre-emptive institutionalization rather than simple disregard). When “expert” opinions on neurological and mental health conditions don’t meet the standards necessary to be printed in the HEALTH section, that should be a signal, New York Times, that perhaps this isn’t worth printing.

It’s true that schizophrenia is a terrible disease which we treat badly, but the resulting detriment is much greater to the people with schizophrenia than it is danger to “ordinary” Americans, who according to Dr. Steinberg are clearly the only ones with rights worth protecting.