Posted by Wittgenstein on June 28, 2007, at 19:12:18
In reply to Re: Sometimes I feel so guilty... » Wittgenstein, posted by Squiggles on June 28, 2007, at 17:53:06
You have expressed a warped and simplistic view of 'psychotherapy' which happens to be a very broad discipline with many different schools of thought.
If self-improvement, self-revelation is so obtainable - why do we seek help in so many aspects of life - not just mental life? Why do smokers who want to give up, wear nicotine patches when surely their power of mind alone can sustain them - and save them a good deal of money? Why do we care what we look like to our friends when really we know whether we look good or not ourselves. And T is not just about inner pains - it's about patterns of behaviour, and interpersonal relationships.
I have the feeling all you want to do here is cause a stir - which you've managed. Does it make you feel any better?
Perhaps if you were less self-assured of your own 'inner truth' (which frankly is a bit of a wishy-washy term) you might realise that many things in life have no clear answers - things like therapy are incredibly productive and useful - and life changing (not just temporarily healing) for many people. Equally, some people will find therapy unnecessary, unhelpful and inappropriate. I don't think either group is in a position to undermine the strength of the other - there are many types of therapy, many types of person - the fact that many are clearly helped by therapy stands on its own feet.
Finally, in your response to me you said:
" Unless, you are biologically disabled mentally, the only way to find the truth is to look within yourself. "
I'm pretty upset that you bring 'biological mental disability' (whatever that is meant to be) into this discussion. There are all sorts of ramifications arising from this debate, which I won't go into.
I think you need to step back - see this in context - you are not an absolute authority and there is no absolute authority on the worthiness or value of T - you express your subjective thoughts from your own perspective - and so do I - I don't feel a need to convince you, I'm only replying because I can see how your words could undermine the progress that others are making in their lives, as most of the people using this part of the board will be in therapy themselves.
If you believe that change can come from within (which I think is perfectly compatible with the need for therapy) - then you can rest assured that if therapy is indeed a universal waste of time etc. etc. we will find it within ourselves to come to that conclusion.
I'm also sad to tell you that if it's an absolute inner truth you are seeking - you may come to be rather disappointed - which I see from another post you say you are.
Witti
poster:Wittgenstein
thread:766482
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20070628/msgs/766528.html