Posted on 04/30/2005 3:01:23 PM PDT by Apolitical
Of snake oil and snake oil producers there is no end; and modern America has its own types. Fortunately, philosopher Christina Hoff Sommers and her co-author Dr. Sally Satel, a psychiatrist, are on the lookout for America's Dr. Knocks (or should we say Dr. Kooks) and warn us about them in their smart, straight-shooting new book, "One Nation Under Therapy: How the Helping Culture is Eroding Self-Reliance."
The cover of "One Nation Under Therapy" shows an analytic couch covered in red, white, and blue. The inner contradiction expressed in this symbol is explored in the book but requires some elaboration.
This author has long been keenly mindful of the abuses of psychology and psychiatry in the modern world, especially as these have been co-opted by members of the liberal left to rationalize their values and the policies derived from them. On the many occasions that we have touched on these abuses, we have referred to them as manifestations of the "Therapeutic Culture." Ms. Sommers and Dr. Satel have their own name for the same phenomena -- "Therapism."
According to Ms. Sommers, "Therapism is a philosophy, a way of life, that views humans as centers of fragility. It believes that vast segments of the population under duress are in need of experts--such as self-esteem educators, traumatologists, crisis counselors--to take them through the vicissitudes of everyday life".....
(Excerpt) Read more at iconoclast.ca ...
Where is Ronald Reagan now that we need him?
This becomes more and more evident that Therapism is the
MO of the Socialist left. The report on H&C last night of the School Counselor at an Everett Wash school to change the Pledge of Allegience from "one Nation under God" to "one Nation under your own belief system" brought out the BEST in Colms. He asked one of the parents if they thought the Counselor sholud be fired, because she was trying to be INCLUSIVE with her version of the "Pledge".
One parent thought she should, the other thought she should receive some sort of repremand.
To me the Counselor was not being INCLUSIVE. To me this is one of the MO's the Left uses to massage us into Socialism. The slow erosion of the US Constitution and our rights under the US Constitution.
The acceptance of Homosexuality, the Dumbing down and feminizing of America. The slow corruption of our children and what we are teaching them at home about loyalty to our country, our US Constitution, our religion and belief in God - and every other value that is good and honorable about America.
Yes I question their patriotism -- to the US Constitution.
This is Sedition to me!
The Illegal "Hate Crime Laws" which will soon make the Bible illegal is a perfect example of what this sort of leftist "Inclusiveness" leads to.
The Hate Crimes Laws are nothing more than the implementation of the Values set forth in the European Socialist Manefesto. They undermine our Gurantee of Freedom of Speech by the US Constitution. The Hate Crimes were put into law to do just that. We have the right to Hate just as we have the right to Love. The Constitution of the United States is slowly but surely being replaced with the Socialist Version of the European Constitution, read it for yourself:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1318061/posts?page=6#6
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1318038/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1318034/posts
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=954
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1254190/posts
Philip Rieff, "Triumph of the Therapeutic," 1966. It's beeen done.
Thomas Szaz bump.
bump for the looney left
Psychology has its place, however it has creeped beyond where its "place" is, rather than treating those who would benefit in seriously damaging behavior and thought, catering to the semi-sick who are languishing with the idea imprinted in their heads someone should "fix" it for them.
I blame it on the proliferation of the siren song of pop-psychology books, articles, television personalities, who pander to the masses. Psychological intervention of any kind for any reason is a solo flight. If you need an instructor hire one in privacy - not from a book or radio talk show - but 90% of all life's problems can be fixed
by self if self is really determined to get the work done.
Once a person gets the idea and acts upon it that there is only one real "fix" for oneself - that it is an individual exercise - the first step has been taken to better living.
We all have our own personal tools to empower ourselves but most of us are afraid to confront that which holds us back.
Nobody said it was easy - but it is worth the effort.
We are all our own masters.
bump
One of the things that bothers me is that no matter what the misfortune, plane crash, school shooting, tragic accident involving several people, and the spokesman on TV announces that therapists and consellors are on the way.
The "interest" is a cure Carry.
To see a resolved human emerge from a private hell to see the world with new eyes.
It has little to do with finances.
The psychologists who are interested in money have all kinds of jobs in the field which have nothing to do with helping people at all... jury selection, marketing of products, polling surveys concerning interests of all kinds, television/radio commentary, writing self-help books and political grooming....those are the ones who have gone beyond the profession of helping people.
Much of psychology is an art form and rarely a science.
But that is human behavior for you.
...she's impressive, articulate and has a level head on her shoulders.
Made me want to buy the book...
...makes lots of good common sense.
Disagree. They're writing regulations, screening textbooks, and populating the public schools. Being from Santa Cruz, CA, I've witnessed not a few parasitic shrinks. Their idea of a "cure" is "feeling good" about inevitably destructive behavior.
I have no idea what you are saying Carry. I agree there are posturing people practicing an art form called Psychology - but those devoted to the mitigation of impaired behavior in its most destructive presentations are not interested in politicizing school books, regulations, laws, or letting people off with a "feel good" laziness.
They do not practice liberalism or republicanism in their field of endeavor - politics has little to do with someone who is in serious trouble.
When psychology does its best for a human, is when it becomes most painful - like straightening out a deformed leg.
I wonder if you even understand what a good psychologist does. Whether you are in Santa Cruz or Minot, North Dakota, the same holds true for the honest practitioners who have a sincere desire to help people in crisis whether long term or episodic. It is my sincere hope you will never have the need for one.
Don't paint all with your brush of tar.
I never said that there weren't psychotherapists that are both honest and competent. Frankly, however, IMO, they are a small minority. Those who allow their profession to degenerate to the point psychology has thus inherit a bit of tar.
The point stands, although I should have been more clear. The therapist has no financial motive for a cure. None. It raises the opportunity for unconscious behavior that can be greatly destructive to a patient. Consider the motives of a minister or priest by comparison.
As a personal example, my life as a child of a mother under psychiatric care was almost ruined by that idiot shrink. His babblings destroyed at least three families in the process but he never once didn't return or refuse a check. When the court battles ensued and grew, members of that profession descended on both sides of the case like locusts. The glaring incompetent who interviewed me left me with issues that went unrepaired until my late 20s (he decided I was possibly gay at the age of ten (in 1965)). It was horseshit. There may even have been a payoff involved. In the entire process of five divorces among my parents, and all the therapists and counselors involved, there was NOT ONE who did any good. I ended up fixing the mess on my own and have been happily married for fifteen years with two wonderful kids.
Even with all that personal reason for despising the profession, such was not the source of my comment. I was merely talking about structural economic motives. Paying for crazy money is the single largest financial expenditure by my County government, by far.
I am sorry you have knowledge of an unfortunate incident - but you are describing a psychiatrist - which is not my argument as I was discussing the work of psychologists who are not medical doctors and do not have license to prescribe medication - unless under the auspices of a licensed MD.
Many cases go awry in both psychiatric and psychology practice - it is the nature of the business - many people are not "fixed or cured" because by the time a person arrives for help (or pushed into it), they have many years of deblitating life experiences which have driven them to seek help, or unfortunately have inherited mental illness which needs immediate attention.
There are bad seeds in every profession Carry - and what I am only trying to accomplish here is: If a loved one suffers from debilitating depression for example, who drops out on schooling at any level, or a good job, or loses the ability to care for family and has no interest in living, tries to self medicate with booze or drugs, or self mutilate, or stops eating, what would you do? We have all witnessed at least one person like this who seems to lack any content with the world and shuts down, finding no joy in life whatsoever. You can....
...hope for the best that loved one will "snap out of it" or at least try being pro-active and getting the right help for him/her. Finding the right professional is the job of the healthy members of the family - word of mouth - research reputation - whatever.
Or the "mental problem" can be ignored as some families do who carry the stigma of mental disease being up there with leprosy, and the victim who is impaired will continue to get worse (or in some cases improve on his or her own - which is possible in some cases within a very loving and astute family)...
We have to weigh our options in our world and sitting back complaining about bad apples doesn't improve anything except sound "worldly" - which it is not - but is merely spreading misinformation and gossip.
You have completely dismissed all those professionals who work huge hours and give much devotion to their goal of bringing the impaired back into the world with hope and energy and enthusiasm for life once again.
What we can do is find the charlatans, give their reputation a good airing in public and run them out, leaving room for the sincere practitioners, from whom we expect professional work and dedication.
Your assessment is not wrong Carry - but it cuts too wide a swath over some very good people who are not as you describe.
It was multiple incidents (at least six).
- but you are describing a psychiatrist - which is not my argument as I was discussing the work of psychologists who are not medical doctors and do not have license to prescribe medication - unless under the auspices of a licensed MD.
Interesting how you latched onto a the one psychiatrist involved as if he was the only problem when I had made it obvious that there were others involved. Your reading suggests serious denial. Best you get help with that.
I know that psychiatrists and psychologists are different, but they are both mental health practitioners and both operate under the same set of economic principles, which in your wordy, gushing post, you never once addressed.
You use a lot of words. Words take time. Time is money.
If a loved one suffers from debilitating depression for example, who drops out on schooling at any level, or a good job, or loses the ability to care for family and has no interest in living, tries to self medicate with booze or drugs, or self mutilate, or stops eating, what would you do?
Prevent it by how I live on an everday basis.
You talk about mental illness as if it is something that just "happens" to a person, not a result of their choices and behavior that they can change. Barring viral attack on the brain, exposure to toxins, etc., I do not accept that. Buying into a "disability" where it is not physical, is certainly not a good start if you want a successful outcome.
The most habitual drunk directs the most complex manipulating instrument in creation (the human body), to open the bottle and drink the contents. To assume that they have no control because of "illness" is to rob them of their power before therapy starts. That such an assumption is rampant in the psychological profession is symptomatic of the economic motives involved.
You have completely dismissed all those professionals who work huge hours and give much devotion to their goal of bringing the impaired back into the world with hope and energy and enthusiasm for life once again.
No, I have pointed out the structural economic motives under which they operate. I have clarified that point for you. You chose to ignore that. I have stated in no uncertain terms that, whether or not there are successful and ethical mental health practitioners, the profession has cultural problems that it ignores because they are profitable. I don't care how hard they work. In fact, working hard at it doesn't assure anything but a fatter paycheck. What matters is if they get results. I not only haven't seen effective results from this profession, what I have seen, repeatedly, is a co-dependency between therapist and "patient" that serves the financial and personal interests of the therapist if nothing else.
"Feeling" like you are helping is not solving problems. How many therapists can guarantee successful treatment for a flat fee?
Well we have done you a service here in letting your anger out haven't we?
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