Posted by wendy b. on June 16, 2002, at 14:56:18
In reply to Re: overgeneralizations » katekite, posted by Phil on June 16, 2002, at 12:14:25
> "Who are any of us to say that he is not 100% correct? Perhaps in 50 years there will be a genetic or physiological explanation for serious mental illness, quick and tidy medical solutions, and therapy will be reserved for minor mental problems."
> ________________
> >>>As long as we're human, we will need third parties to hear our story, like in AA. We will always be spiritual and emotional, analytical, etc. AA incorporates faith, psychology, confession, making amends, and hopefully all of this leads to serenity. Anyway, life will never be that simple, no way.
> If what you say above were true, we would be robots.
> __________________________________________________
>
> "There is no relationship whatsoever between psychology and serious mental illness"
> __________________________________________________
>
> >>>That's just totally wrong. That is a huge overgeneralization.
> Say you have twins separated at birth. One goes to a loving, nurturing home where he is taken care of, loved, and made always to feel important.
> One somehow ends up in nightmare situation. She's ignored, beaten, sexually abused, just horrible.
>
> What pill do you give the little girl to make it not hurt anymore. (Answer) It will take pills, faith and intense therapy and dedication on her part to ever hope to pull out.
>
> What pill do you give the caretaker?
>
>
>
> A good therapist can save your ass when your whole world is falling apart. I know. They've done it for me.
>
> PhilDear everyone,
I don't know whether this is a discussion of whether therapy is important to recovery or not, or whether neurologically-based thinking about our disorders is a better way to go. But, that's not a discussion for here (Admin), anyway.
I feel, as Phil does, that the statements LostBoy made on 2 of the boards were based on anger and the emotions he had involving getting assessed for his disability by someone who was less than understanding about his condition. That's not exactly a good place to come from when voicing an opinion that's supposed to be helping other people, and supporting the aims of education on this site.
So that's why I agree (apparently in the minority here, but I can cope with that!) with Dr Bob's PBCs to LostBoy. He was giving early warning to someone who could have become, given the opportunity, as UNCIVIL as some of the worst offenders in PsychoBabble's Hall of Fame. [Take your pick on who THOSE might be.] But I think Bob was right to let him know he was entering dangerous territory.
Also, check this out:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20020516/msgs/352.html
a post in which LostBoy opines that psychiatry is "mired down in subjective BS" and posts a reference to a book on Amazon that attempts to trash Freud's credibility. There are a dozen such books, BTW, most of them have some emotional gripe, and no science. In another "strong opinion" (??), LostBoy says that many of the severely mentally ill "were made worse by applying Freudian psychology BS to them. This is an abomination." Well, I'm sorry guys, but this is offensive to me and to my sensibilities, and if LostBoy hasn't been blocked by now, I feel he should be.
Strong opinion is one thing, but calling an established field of academic study (and a practice that has, to many people, much validity), BS (bullshit) twice offends me. I feel that, for me, and for many of the people I know, talk-therapy has intrinsic value and efficacy. So don't trash it, ok? It just ain't polite.
Freud developed the technique of listening to patients talk about their lives, their neuroses, their physical symptoms, their dreams, etc. Why this is so threatening to people, I'll never know. It's always people who have never read a word of Freud who throw his ideas in the "dustbin of history," with no real critique based on a careful reading and a knowledge of the work...
Hope I'm not ranting here, I took a long time writing this so that it would not offend anyone...
All the best to all you civil people, and a shake of the index finger at the uncivil,
Wendy
PS: Freudian psychology - what is that? Freud is associated with the field of psychiatry, as far as I know, and was as much a biologist as a psychoanalyst, having done his first real research in medical school in zoology, examining the gonads of eels at a marine biology station in Trieste. Betcha didn't know that!
poster:wendy b.
thread:5639
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020510/msgs/5655.html