Posted by banga on February 23, 2005, at 13:56:52
In reply to Re: Do We Have A Tolerance for emotion?, posted by linkadge on February 23, 2005, at 11:47:59
Yes; of course this is speaking of the cultures who are able to lead a more balanced life. Few can actually have a whole year of grieving and have the system work, but they will still have greater acceptance and tolerance for the gloomy aspect of life, and the individual's need to process it. Accept the positive with the negative (melancholy, death--ever see how avoidant the US is about death? Look at the cemeteries, the sterility). (Don't get me wrong I am not anti American, each culture has it strong and weak points!) When I worked as a counselor at a small prestigious college, I was struck how many students had the motto to deal with their problems--"just suck it up"--just ingnore it and get with it. YOu wonder what happens to these overachievers down the line......
Med-empowered spoke of other cultures use less meds with schizophrenia--these cultures typically have a much more solid, collectivistic support system--you take care of your own; and the whole community accepts the ill with no problem. They still ARE seen as sick, just understood differently--its possession of a demon, it's malady of the bile.....But of course then the whole atmosphere is safer in a small community than the larger, crime-filled overactive communities of the West. There is just no way this can be achieved here.And lest someone get the wrong message here--I am NOT at all saying that we should stop complaining and just work through our illness without meds. EVERYWHERE on the globe mental illness exists, and should be treated. I am talking about appropriate melancholy, anxiety and grieving that can come with the hardships of everyday life, and sseeing it as normal and part of life. When the depression and anxiety come from nowhere, or do not remit even with lots of time past, that is no longer normal and needs help.
poster:banga
thread:461988
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050222/msgs/462296.html