Trevor the whole notion of the "chemical imbalance"
as causal in neurotic and even psychotic disorders has not ever been shown to be the "sufficient cause" of these problems. Surely the thoughts of the person, which are entrained and lock stepped to the life style, are the real cause of the thought and emotional symptoms the patient creates. Modern neural imaging techniques like functional MRI etc. have been argued to show the linkage to the chemical imbalance theory. In fact all they demonstrate is what areas of the cortex and what switching centres (ganglia) are at work. I even would go so far as to suggest that "the life style" should have characteristic image appearances on scans. I suspect it will not be easy to get this done, but I am sure we can provide a bona fide proof of the theory with before and after pictures when a master therapist like Henry "dissolves the life style" in cooperation with the client. Wouldn't that make a wonderful rsearch project?
For clarification let me add that Adler does allow for the genetic predisposition of people to move in various directions as they demonstrate their life style. He calls this "organ inferiority" and in this case it would be of brain function. It is understood that some may be more disposed to demonstrate this with sadness as in depression, with elation as in manic manifestations, or with bizzare thoughts as in the psychotic cluster. However, if they are encouraged to be fully part of the community of mankind, these symptoms need not present. To prove this one would need to have separated identical twins with one group being encouraged and taught social interest and the other group being taught perhaps that it is "every man for him self". I would have trouble finding anyone with a classical Adlerian background that would wish to undertake such a study, because in theory, the results of the latter egocentric group should be pretty disturbing!