Put yourself in someone else's shoes in 2010!
31 December 2009
29 December 2009
The Most Depressed Man I Have Ever Met
I knew a fellow comrade/victim/sufferer in life in the "Mental Health System".
When I knew him he was more depressed than me.
He had been "on the ward" at least once, he had made at least one suicide attempt, he had actually requested a "lobotomy", and he cried practically all the time.
I had a book - an excellent book - "Modern European Poetry" edited by Willis Barnstone.
I was reading it as we waited to go into group therapy whilst Neighbours was on.
He looked a bit down so I said to him. "Do you like poetry? It deals with emotions. It might help."
He paused from his tears and looked right at me and said : "It is unfortunate that you should say that. Since the woman who destroyed me was a published poetess."
Pesky brain chemicals!
----------------------
To a point, the propagation of the belief in "mental illness" manufactures what gets labelled "mental illness".
----------------------
Most, though not all, so-called "mental illness" is a reaction to adverse life events.
When it is not this, it is often still social or psychological in origin and not necessarily "chemical" or "biological".
It may well have a biological element. But it is not necessarily biological in origin.
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In the paper today I read a about a man who was "not thinking rationally" and who therefore "needed medication."
Someone who is "not acting rationally" is not acting rationally according to the speaker.
Is a suicide bomber "acting rationally"? In his own view of things he may be.
Further, it is surely ridiculous to suggest that a "medication" can in and of itself make someone "rational" or make them "think rationally" or think in a different way at all.
How can a medication in and of itself ever change the actual contents of someone's thought?
....
When I knew him he was more depressed than me.
He had been "on the ward" at least once, he had made at least one suicide attempt, he had actually requested a "lobotomy", and he cried practically all the time.
I had a book - an excellent book - "Modern European Poetry" edited by Willis Barnstone.
I was reading it as we waited to go into group therapy whilst Neighbours was on.
He looked a bit down so I said to him. "Do you like poetry? It deals with emotions. It might help."
He paused from his tears and looked right at me and said : "It is unfortunate that you should say that. Since the woman who destroyed me was a published poetess."
Pesky brain chemicals!
----------------------
To a point, the propagation of the belief in "mental illness" manufactures what gets labelled "mental illness".
----------------------
Most, though not all, so-called "mental illness" is a reaction to adverse life events.
When it is not this, it is often still social or psychological in origin and not necessarily "chemical" or "biological".
It may well have a biological element. But it is not necessarily biological in origin.
----------------------------------------------------------------
In the paper today I read a about a man who was "not thinking rationally" and who therefore "needed medication."
Someone who is "not acting rationally" is not acting rationally according to the speaker.
Is a suicide bomber "acting rationally"? In his own view of things he may be.
Further, it is surely ridiculous to suggest that a "medication" can in and of itself make someone "rational" or make them "think rationally" or think in a different way at all.
How can a medication in and of itself ever change the actual contents of someone's thought?
....
28 December 2009
9-11: The United States "had it coming"!
The USA "...had it coming." Or something like that.
This was said about 9-11 by the Professor of Classics at Cambridge University, St. Mary Beard.
Maybe it's not such a shite university after all.
I advocate no one attacking anyone.
But it is totally ridiculous to attack and bomb other countries and to arrogantly assume that you will not suffer any recompense for this in any way.
9-11 was not justified but it was perhaps understandable.
IF IT HAPPENED AS DESCRIBED.
IF IT HAPPENED AS DESCRIBED.
This was said about 9-11 by the Professor of Classics at Cambridge University, St. Mary Beard.
Maybe it's not such a shite university after all.
I advocate no one attacking anyone.
But it is totally ridiculous to attack and bomb other countries and to arrogantly assume that you will not suffer any recompense for this in any way.
9-11 was not justified but it was perhaps understandable.
IF IT HAPPENED AS DESCRIBED.
IF IT HAPPENED AS DESCRIBED.
The Stock Response.
The Stock Response.
When I say I am in agreement with Szasz to psychiatrists I am very often countered not with an engagement with Szasz's views, but with the following:
"But what do I do about situation x,y,z?? - eg. a man who thinks he's Napoleon."
My answer would be:
A man who thinks he is Napoleon......... thinks he is Napoleon. If he is not Napoleon then he is mistaken.
Someone who is mistaken is not ill.
What is the problem? You do absolutely nothing. For the man is obviously free to believe this and also his belief as such harms no one. You can't necessarily stop him believing this anyway.
ANYONE at all can have a belief. ANYONE at all can have an incorrect belief."
OR:
"What do I do about situation x,y,x?? - e.g. a man who thinks he is Napoleon with a knife."
An answer would be:
"You do nothing. Or nothing other than what you would do about a man who (thinks he) is a policeman and who has a gun.
And who may also think a Brazilian man is a terrorist. In this case latter case you would try and persuade the man to act well."
It is high time people engaged with Szasz's views rather than made excuses.
I admit that "a man who thinks he is Napoleon with or without a knife" may be in a considerably confused state, and may be more confused than a policeman.
The answer again is "So what?" You have no right to interfere. He is possibly less harmful than the policeman though he may be more confused. If he needs help, help him. Confusion is not an illness. Confusion can be a normal human state. Confusion is not a crime.
There are thousands of homeless people in this country who are harming themselves and who are homeless by choice and not by necessity.
These people are never incarcerated because they are not "mentally ill".
Yet they are harming themselves more than thousands of supposedly "mentally ill" people who are harming neither themselves nor others.
--------
I would say to psychiatrists - try and think of actually helping the person you are supposedly "treating" for "an illness."
Things would be very different indeed if pychiatrists were to set about actually helping people.
------
I am proud that I am not and could not be a "psychiatrist" as currently conceived.
I would rather have the label "mentally ill" than the label "psychiatrist" as currently conceived.
------
Psychiatry as a subject and entity is possibly fundamentally and irredeemably flawed.
When I say I am in agreement with Szasz to psychiatrists I am very often countered not with an engagement with Szasz's views, but with the following:
"But what do I do about situation x,y,z?? - eg. a man who thinks he's Napoleon."
My answer would be:
A man who thinks he is Napoleon......... thinks he is Napoleon. If he is not Napoleon then he is mistaken.
Someone who is mistaken is not ill.
What is the problem? You do absolutely nothing. For the man is obviously free to believe this and also his belief as such harms no one. You can't necessarily stop him believing this anyway.
ANYONE at all can have a belief. ANYONE at all can have an incorrect belief."
OR:
"What do I do about situation x,y,x?? - e.g. a man who thinks he is Napoleon with a knife."
An answer would be:
"You do nothing. Or nothing other than what you would do about a man who (thinks he) is a policeman and who has a gun.
And who may also think a Brazilian man is a terrorist. In this case latter case you would try and persuade the man to act well."
It is high time people engaged with Szasz's views rather than made excuses.
I admit that "a man who thinks he is Napoleon with or without a knife" may be in a considerably confused state, and may be more confused than a policeman.
The answer again is "So what?" You have no right to interfere. He is possibly less harmful than the policeman though he may be more confused. If he needs help, help him. Confusion is not an illness. Confusion can be a normal human state. Confusion is not a crime.
There are thousands of homeless people in this country who are harming themselves and who are homeless by choice and not by necessity.
These people are never incarcerated because they are not "mentally ill".
Yet they are harming themselves more than thousands of supposedly "mentally ill" people who are harming neither themselves nor others.
--------
I would say to psychiatrists - try and think of actually helping the person you are supposedly "treating" for "an illness."
Things would be very different indeed if pychiatrists were to set about actually helping people.
------
I am proud that I am not and could not be a "psychiatrist" as currently conceived.
I would rather have the label "mentally ill" than the label "psychiatrist" as currently conceived.
------
Psychiatry as a subject and entity is possibly fundamentally and irredeemably flawed.
26 December 2009
William Chillingworth Quote
"Nothing is more against religion than to force religion."
William Chillingworth (1602-1644).
English churchman.
William Chillingworth (1602-1644).
English churchman.
22 December 2009
ME and NOW or US and ALWAYS
George Galloway characterised a left wing view as being in favour of US and ALWAYS.
And a more right-wing view as being in favour of ME and NOW.
And a more right-wing view as being in favour of ME and NOW.
21 December 2009
Orwell and Prose
Orwell and prose.
There is a discussion on BBC Radio 4 of Orwell and his views on prose and his "rules" about prose as discussed in his essay "Politics and the English Language."
I think Orwell is trying to get people to think clearly and independently.
This will be reflected in the language they use.
Clear language will encourage clear thought.
The use of difficult or unclear language is creating a political culture that restricts freedom.
The "rules" he made in the essay are very general.
They were perhaps intended as a corrective; and intended to create a tendency towards clear thought.
And a tendency towards the prevention of deceit by means of language.
It is a kind of recapitulation of Milton's exhortation that prose should be "SIMPLE, SENSUOUS and PASSIONATE."
These rules are perhaps intended to be applied in political language more than any other kind of language.
This essay is still very relevant today. It is obviously not infallible. Nothing is. But it is still very good.
One of it's contemporary inheritors and a sustainer of its spirit is the book "Unspeak" by Steven Poole.
There is a discussion on BBC Radio 4 of Orwell and his views on prose and his "rules" about prose as discussed in his essay "Politics and the English Language."
I think Orwell is trying to get people to think clearly and independently.
This will be reflected in the language they use.
Clear language will encourage clear thought.
The use of difficult or unclear language is creating a political culture that restricts freedom.
The "rules" he made in the essay are very general.
They were perhaps intended as a corrective; and intended to create a tendency towards clear thought.
And a tendency towards the prevention of deceit by means of language.
It is a kind of recapitulation of Milton's exhortation that prose should be "SIMPLE, SENSUOUS and PASSIONATE."
These rules are perhaps intended to be applied in political language more than any other kind of language.
This essay is still very relevant today. It is obviously not infallible. Nothing is. But it is still very good.
One of it's contemporary inheritors and a sustainer of its spirit is the book "Unspeak" by Steven Poole.
15 December 2009
The Noughties
The naughties in some ways weren't naughty enough! Quite a lot of conformism.....
In other ways they were very nothing-y - very nought-y - appropriately named decade really.
In other ways they were very nothing-y - very nought-y - appropriately named decade really.
14 December 2009
One of the most futile "wars" in history
England and USAmerica's so called "war" in Afghanistan between 2001 and now is one of the most futile so-called "wars" in history.
13 December 2009
Parla patois que babilona entendra pas
Parla patois ragga , òc parla patois
Parla patois que babilona entendrà pas
Parla patois , comença e t'arresta pas
Parla patois que babilona entendrà pas
Parla patois , comença e t'arresta pas
11 December 2009
Sontag Quote
"The truth is that Mozart, Pascal, Boolean algebra, Shakespeare, parliamentary government, baroque churches, Newton, the emancipation of women, Kant, Marx, Balanchine ballet et al., don't redeem what this particular civilization has wrought upon the world.
The white race is the cancer of human history. It is the white race and it alone - its ideologies and inventions - which eradicates autonomous civilizations wherever it spreads, which has upset the ecological balance of the planet, which now threatens the very existence of life itself."
Susan Sontag.
Susan Sontag.
As I re-read this blog
I look back on this blog and I think about all of what I have written in it and on consideration I feel two things:
1) I think my views are essentially correct.
2) I am shocked that other people don't say the same thing as me.
1) I think my views are essentially correct.
2) I am shocked that other people don't say the same thing as me.
9 December 2009
Abolition can't come soon enough
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/dec/09/day-mental-health-professionals
"Sectioning" under the UK "Mental Health" Act is:-
- the effective temporary destruction of a human being;
- a crime and;
- a crime against humanity.
The people involved in it are criminals.
It must be abolished as soon as possible.
There is simply no such thing as mental illness.
http://www.szasz.com/manifesto.html
"Sectioning" under the UK "Mental Health" Act is:-
- the effective temporary destruction of a human being;
- a crime and;
- a crime against humanity.
The people involved in it are criminals.
It must be abolished as soon as possible.
There is simply no such thing as mental illness.
http://www.szasz.com/manifesto.html
Don't think it couldn't happen to you.
It could happen to ANYONE including YOU and it is a CRIME.
It could happen to ANYONE including YOU and it is a CRIME.
8 December 2009
2 December 2009
Eden
I once went to visit The Eden Project in Cornwall.
I asked the poor unfortunate entrance attendant if he knew where Eden really was.
He said, "I'm not sure. But I know there's a town called Eden in the USA....."
I interrupted him and said "Eden is in Iraq. And we've been bombing it for 15 years."
Poor man.
This reminds me of the time when I went to the United Nations building in New York and at the end the guide asked us if we had any questions. I put my hand up and said "Yeah. I have a question. Which country has vetoed the most United Nations resolutions?" He said, "I don't know..." I said "Well. It's the USA. By far."
I asked the poor unfortunate entrance attendant if he knew where Eden really was.
He said, "I'm not sure. But I know there's a town called Eden in the USA....."
I interrupted him and said "Eden is in Iraq. And we've been bombing it for 15 years."
Poor man.
This reminds me of the time when I went to the United Nations building in New York and at the end the guide asked us if we had any questions. I put my hand up and said "Yeah. I have a question. Which country has vetoed the most United Nations resolutions?" He said, "I don't know..." I said "Well. It's the USA. By far."
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