Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

I’m a psychologist – and I believe we’ve been told devastating lies about mental health
The Guardian ^ | 6 Sept 2022

Posted on 09/12/2022 6:40:03 PM PDT by anthropocene_x

As a clinical psychologist who has been working in NHS services for a decade, I’ve seen first hand how we are failing people by locating their problems within them as some kind of mental disorder or psychological issue, and thereby depoliticising their distress. Will six sessions of CBT, designed to target “unhelpful” thinking styles, really be effective for someone who doesn’t know how they’re going to feed their family for another week? Antidepressants aren’t going to eradicate the relentless trauma a man is surviving in a hostile workplace, and branding people who are enduring sexual violence with a psychiatric disorder does nothing to keep them safe. Unsurprisingly, mindfulness isn’t helping children who are navigating poverty, peer pressure and competitive exam-driven school conditions, where bullying and social media harm are rife.

If a plant were wilting we wouldn’t diagnose it with “wilting-plant-syndrome” – we would change its conditions. Yet when humans are suffering under unliveable conditions, we’re told something is wrong with us, and expected to keep pushing through. To keep working and producing, without acknowledging our hurt.

In efforts to destigmatise mental distress, “mental illness” is framed as an “illness like any other” – rooted in supposedly flawed brain chemistry. In reality, recent research concluded that depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance of the brain. Ironically, suggesting we have a broken brain for life increases stigma and disempowerment. What’s most devastating about this myth is that the problem and the solution are positioned in the person, distracting us from the environments that cause our distress.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: economy; grauniad; health; jobs; mentalillness; nhs

1 posted on 09/12/2022 6:40:03 PM PDT by anthropocene_x
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

The lie as succinct as possible … Democrats are sane


2 posted on 09/12/2022 6:43:52 PM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress (http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/BYTOPICS/tabid/335/Default.aspx D)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

we are done. never win another war.


3 posted on 09/12/2022 6:47:30 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3 ( I'm Proud To Be An Okie From Muskogee)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

The author is a dangerous loon.


4 posted on 09/12/2022 6:47:53 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

Reading the piece....at first it seems all right.... but then it starts being a hook for feelings of self-victimization. “I’ve been abused by the system,” and blah-blah-blah.

Today you get to pick which pronouns people use to address you.

Tomorrow you will have to fight for stuff left in a dumpster and absolutely everyone will be mentally ill. “But...my PRONOUNS!!!!” (Actually, nobody to whom pronouns matter will be left alive in such a scenario and you may start to see your mental illness as a sort of advantage.)

Here is an article in Epoch Times about EMDR therapy and how it helps trauma/PTSD victims.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/a-rarely-used-therapy-may-help-trauma-survivors_4220474.html?utm_source=ai&utm_medium=search

It’s pretty good, or seems so from an objective standpoint, in that they claim benefits after 9 or so sessions. No medications. Yes, EMDR doesn’t treat you like you’re a special little dumpling, They want for you to get out there and live.


5 posted on 09/12/2022 6:52:16 PM PDT by Scarlett156 (Empire - destroyed. By me. :D )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pilgrim's Progress

I believe a lot of mental illness comes from suppressing the conscience.
See: Democrat


6 posted on 09/12/2022 6:56:45 PM PDT by Leep (Hillary will NEVER be president! 😁)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x
The analogy used is a guy who cannot feed his family so he pays for six sessions with a shrink?
7 posted on 09/12/2022 6:58:59 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scarlett156

EMDR helped me. I am a skeptic and didn’t think it would work, but it was very helpful.


8 posted on 09/12/2022 7:08:02 PM PDT by MonicaG (TRUCK YEAH! Freedom Convoy 2022)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Deaf Smith

Good point. To be able to pay, out of pocket I’m assuming, sessions with a psychologist , and at a minimum of at least $2 or 3,000 dollars is the very living definition of a radical break from reality.


9 posted on 09/12/2022 7:22:56 PM PDT by jmacusa (Liberals. Too stupid to be idiots. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Leep; Pilgrim's Progress

I see the aberrant and odd behavior on the left, which I regard as mental illness, as a direct result of the inherent cognitive dissonance that is an unspoken yet vital component of Leftism.

George Orwell saw this clearly when he wrote his dystopian masterpiece “1984”. They even had a developed lexicon to define that cognitive dissonance and embed it in the thought process: Thoughtcrime. And the subcomponents, things like: “crimethink” and “crimestop’. The meanings of those terms should be frightening, and Orwell meant them to be.

Cognitive Dissonance is described as: “An unpleasant psychological state resulting from inconsistency between two or more elements in a cognitive system.”

I have long felt that much of what we see on the Left that we regard as insanity is fed from an unavoidable reservoir of cognitive dissonance that all Leftists have in them. (Important: This generally refers to the “True Believers” on the Left, who believe and buy into all the Leftist views on environment, social justice and racial matters...not the people who understand that Leftism is all about power and control.

A simple example is the price of gasoline in an economy where the price has been deliberately elevated to achieve a political goal.

As Conservatives, we can view the high price of gas, and come to grips with it. In this case, petroleum has been targeted for demonization, so the push must be made (in their words, not mine) to make energy more costly and less available. This has been done by making refinery construction impossible with environmental regulation, impeding improvements in the efficiency of delivery and lowering costs by opposing pipelines, removing land from consideration for exploration (denying leases) and so on.

All this we as Conservatives understand, so we don’t have to wrestle with it.

Leftists don’t have that opportunity. To be Leftists, they have to accept the goal, and nothing else matters, even if it is at odds with more fundamental standards of human behavior. The collective is most important. Which means, to be part of the collective, you have to agree with that collective, even it it conflicts directly with what you see as reality.

That is, you have to support the higher price of energy, and you have to support it for their reasons, which means you have to accept their means to achieve goals as necessary. If that means destroying the livelihoods or freedoms of others (NOT your own livelihood or freedom) then it is necessary even though you know it is a bad thing. You have to find a way to make it fit in your brain.

They cannot view reality and construct a cause and event in the same way conservatives can so this leaves them, always, with unresolved internal conflicts which they have to rationalize in order to contain them


10 posted on 09/12/2022 7:32:01 PM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Deaf Smith
It is the UK where this kind of treatment is "free".
11 posted on 09/12/2022 7:36:11 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (The nation of france was named after a hedgehog... The hedgehog's name was Kevin... Don't ask)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Check.


12 posted on 09/12/2022 7:45:21 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

I don’t necessarily agree with all or even most of this author’s arguments, but she’s right that the psych field has over-emphasized brain chemistry and pharma-based solutions to mental health issues. I recently heard the sad story of acquaintance’s 14-year-old grandson taking a daily cocktail of psych meds. It made me very sad, as I’ve met the kid and I’m skeptical that he’s insane. The boy’s parents went through a bitter, ultra-nasty divorce, and his dad has extreme substance abuse issues. If the kid is acting crazy, is his brain chemistry really the problem? Or is he living under circumstances that would disturb the mentai health of most kids?


13 posted on 09/12/2022 8:45:26 PM PDT by irishjuggler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

Stop the chemicals. Eat right - real food, no sugar, low carbs, high fat. Keto diet.
(Dr. Berg on Youtube)

Exercise and learn stuff. Take vitamins and minerals. Fast.


14 posted on 09/12/2022 8:54:37 PM PDT by mom.mom (...our flag was still there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

Rd later.


15 posted on 09/12/2022 10:19:38 PM PDT by NetAddicted (Just looking)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

By and large, I strongly feel the vast majority mental health industry is a complete and total scam.
Psychiatrist: You feel bad? Here are some drugs!
Psycholigist: You feel bad and want to change your gender? OK!
Therapist: I hear what you’re saying, keep saying it to me.

Crap, almost completely all crap. It’s PC and it’s weak. People are meant to struggle. We are meant to have tough times, and then get over it. That it what makes us human and who we are. There is no easy solution beyond Christ,


16 posted on 09/13/2022 12:51:51 AM PDT by vpintheak (Live free, or die!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: anthropocene_x

Depression is often caused by Democrats...


17 posted on 09/13/2022 2:11:28 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel

I knew a women who bought healthy salad greens all the time. She never ate them.
Yet,if you ask her she would say she ate healthy meals.


18 posted on 09/13/2022 5:21:50 AM PDT by Leep (Hillary will NEVER be president! 😁)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Leep

That’s actually pretty funny...:)


19 posted on 09/13/2022 6:05:05 AM PDT by rlmorel (Nolnah's Razor: Never attribute to incompetence that which is adequately explained by malice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: MonicaG

Thanks for posting. It seems pretty intriguing - the problem with talk therapy (LOL) is that almost every head doctor out there is an egg-sucking libwad. They try to fix your Christianity or your love for hunting/fishing FIRST, before they try to fix anything else. Your conservatism is always at the root of the problem, right?

But EMDR seems quite interesting.


20 posted on 09/13/2022 9:35:08 AM PDT by Scarlett156 (And the worst part of it was that I FORCED them to read it!! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson