[R-G] BMJ article by Szasz, "Psychiatric Protection Order", please read + reply

[james m nordlund]

Dear All,

Hello! Thanks for all you do! I appreciate your posts. In BMJ read
Szasz's "Psychiatric Protection Order" article, and reply if you
want; it's
still not too late. This is the link if you are interested and I
hope that
you are :)
"http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/327/7429/1449?
maxtoshow=&a
My reply :) "Doesn't the depth of needed improvement demand our
minds be
open?" :) Dr. Thomas Szasz's article is insightful, informative,
timely,
and of utmost import to the Mental Health field as a whole, and
individuals
who find themselves to be 'consumers' in it, specifically. As it is
a well
known fact that the existence and reoccurrence of mental health
issues in
people of the "1 st " world is exponentially greater than that of
the "3 rd
and 4 th". Addressing sociological determinants, like segregation
and stigmatizing,
are obviously key to restoring the natural and curative value of a
progressing
society! He sets the tone for present and future investigations in
these
vital areas, well. The fact that our medical modeled mental health
business
is being run into the ground by the dictatorial rule of its elite,
hospital's staffs and the doctors that congregate to
them, their absolute power in the field corrupting them absolutely,
is the
main root of that disparity; the cause in a nutshell being greed! Of
course
the
less intrusive, less dependence determining interventions are more
efficacious and humane; so, the less technologically advanced
societies, who
are not
being dictated to by supposed science and supposed
medicine, do better by their people who are in need of
mental health support! Why have "we" the people
allowed A.P.A., etc., to determine the loss of civil
and human rights of mental health clients, through
their removing the clients rights to the least
intrusive intervention in the least restrictive
environment possible? The same reasons that our
populace has allowed the erosion of all civil
liberties and restrictions on excess use of power,
we've been numbed and dumbed down by consumerism and
other sociologically programming addictions; also by
the panacea of technology. So, how can we struggle
with the convenience of being disempowered by
authoritarian psychiatrists who dictate that the
convenience of taking supposed cure all medication
should be swallowed whole by us, through struggling to
empower by networking and communicating what's real!
"How smooth must be the language of the whites,
when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong
like right." ~From Black Hawk (Makataimeshekiakiak)
(1767-1838) Sauk war chief Real counseling and
therapy, natural remedies, alternative medicines,
mutual support would all be preferable to life long
consumers umbilically connected to the pharmaceutical
companies! The tongues of psychiatrists are the
smoothest in the land, especially when they don't even
have to give lip service to using them, psychiatry
through pharmacology; legal drug pushing. As well, we
wouldn't want to allow our vital energy to go into the
blame game, when it's better focused through advocacy
and activism to keep clients and hope alive! Why
communicating as a priority? "If a nation expects to
be ignorant and free...it expects what never was and
never will be." ~Thomas Jefferson If "we" the people
can't know it's broken, because the markets control of
multi-media, they won't figure it needs fixing.
Still, injustices, addressing and not addressing them
have costs, the former is individual, the later is global.
If "we" continue to not address them in our personal
lives through ignorance of them, then they become
global injustices that need global solutions! That's
why it's so important that each one reaches one, each
one teaches one. For, "All it takes for evil to rule
a land is for good men to remain silent." ~Daniel
Webster! Lest "we" forget, if you don't exercise
responsibility, its Siamese sister, freedom, will
wither, as well. Sadly, now, it first needs to be
exorcized before its exercised. Exorcized of
ignorance in the form of sloganistic definitions of
what life is and simplistic worldviews, etc.; like,
"having it like that" and "convenience furthers".
Still, we must remember, ~Lao-Tzu, "A journey of a
1000 miles begins with the first step." "Know
thyself." ~Socrates! For, "Few men have enough virtue
to withstand the highest bidder." ~George
Washington! Like doctors have succumb to greed and
avarice, in our struggles we don't want to follow
their faulty lead. For, devil's advocacy
usually only gets you in a very hot seat. As well,
~Mahatma Gandhi, "we must be the changes we wish to
see in the world." I feel, objectively, that his work is seminal to
our
field and the cause of uplifting humanity. I am not suggesting that
objectivity exists, as that would indicate to me a purely logical
human
mind, which is a myth in my personal opinion. Ideas are perceived
within
social and cultural contexts as
to the logical meaning of that idea. Emotional meanings may be quite
another matter. "Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, the pre-eminent
authority on
mythology in the last century and perhaps ever, which he called
the "universal-consciousness", by which he meant that the
subconscious of our minds are somehow all connected or are part of a
common `source' from which our "archetypal" motifs are drawn. He
derived his belief in UC from his studies of the dream imagery of
his patients, which contained alchemical motifs and symbols common
to the alchemists of the Middle Ages but which had not been
accessible to his 20th Century patients." It's many of those common
archetypes that draw us together as a species, e.g., 'Madonna",
mother with
child, etc.. Yet, the medical models ultimate judge of human
behavior,
psychiatry, has incredulous projections of being a finite and closed
science, when it comes to sociological interpretations of human
psyches and
behaviors; and thereby flies in the face of sciences own
determinations of
its main criteria for veracity. Namely, that the unknown isn't
determined
to be what it's not. Our common humanity draws strength for study as
well
as advancement from such meaningful work. Also, studies like
Professor Seth
Lerer of Stanford University, in his unique work, "The Language of
Science:
The Changing Nature of Twentieth-Century English, in which he
categorily
agrees with many of Dr. Szasz's premises, as well as details
historical
scientific fact to make his points. For e.g., and I quote from
it: "I. A
new scientific .... vocabulary rises. A. 2. Whole classes of words
for
affect and emotional response originated in scientific language.
[snip] D.
Freudian Analysis Enters the Fray 1. Freud originally used, in his
German,
everyday German words for
psychoanalytic concepts. 2. Only in his English translations were his
German
words (e.g. ich and es) transformed into Latinate, pseudo-scientific
vocabulary (ego and id, respectively). 3. This habit of
transforming
Freud bequeathed to English a language of psychology as a language of
science: Latinate, newly
coined, and seemingly learned. II. Extension-in-lexis, the ways in
which
terms of technical origin take on metaphorical or social contexts, was
another
important development. A. Psychology: words such as complex,
schizophrenic,
egocentric, fixate, and so on are words that are now used almost
wholly
apart from their original technical and Freudian/psychoanalytic
context.
They describe general conditions not specific disorders, in every day
speech." Which I feel lends even further insight into Dr. Szasz's
article.
Yet, how can we forget one of Dr. Jung's most central perceptions on
human
behavior, his analysis that 80 % of every action, thought, feeling
we have
are compensatory towards our past. Would this not bring light to the
question,
why would psychiatry be so dependent on labels they've determined are
strict
and accurate definitions of someone's psyches and potential
behaviors, for
e,g., diagnoses; by which they deem they can remove anyone's civil,
nay
human rights?. So, that's why I'm doing what I can for the
counter-psychiatry movement, and have distributed many copies of Dr.
Szasz's
fine books to friends and relatives, as well as my peers; as a mental
health
counseling supervisor by profession. Will you give humanities'
evolutionary
growth in the mental health field a chance? Will you read fine works
like
Dr. Szasz's article I'm responding to, and others works on these
subjects,
and pass them on? Will you actively work to advocate for those
changes he
has cited, as well as others; or at least will you do what you can?
Compassion is calling. For all you do and don't, a twig of related
poetry for thee :)

"...of, by..., for..."

Pondering the nature of some
People's characters has led me to
Conclude, their despicable actions,
Though masked by purported concern,
Therapeutic intervention, are what
Is so. Stories about the one
Legged baseball player, or the man
Without a face, while inspiring in
And of themselves, are poor masks
For the premeditated malpractice
Taking place within these walls.
A woman raped in the very corridor
She must walk up and down; day in
Day out! A man-child grew up here
Stories to tell, they, supposedly,
Allow to curse, intimidate and
Dominate others. Giving him all
The rope he wants, then snapping
A noose; strapping down, drugging,
Seclusion. Without boundaries what
Client wouldn't become out of hand;
Where is care? Their fabrications
Told over and over, manufacturing
Psych. histories, means to ends,
Political, social, religious to
Discriminate for delusional profits
And pleasures; remove competition.
Their best, counter-transference,
The opposite of mental health!
A heart can be killed, yet, heart
Never murdered! Did they ever know
The first tenet of all helping
Professions, "do no harm" ?

So, what do you think? Lest "we" forget, if you don't exercise
responsibility, its Siamese sister, freedom, will wither, as well.
Sadly,
now, it first needs to be exorcized before its exercised. As always,
feel
free to copy and share, as well. In the spirit of C.S. Lewis' poem's
first 2
stanzas, 'Evolutionary Hymn', "we" can begin again on Cat
Stevens, "...road
to find out...."; only if "we" choose to study, again. Viva la
evolution!
Thanx!  Copy and share as you
will, as well. As always, feel free to copy and share, as well. I
look forward....

Matutinally Yours, james m nordlund reality (aja) :)

For those interested :) "of or pertaining to the morning, day :)
relating
to or happening in the morning or in the early part of the day
(formal),
(Mid-16th century, from late Latin matutinalis, from Matuta, goddess
of the dawn.)". Au revoir.  Enjoy a festive eve' as you can.


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