[R-G] Article by Szasz, "Psychiatric Protection Order" + letter to editor

[james m nordlund]

Caro Tim,
 
Hola!  Your reply wasn't there, please resned it?  In the meantime, a dialogue on the same post  :)    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? 
T.K. wrote: "Hello James and all, I have been lurking here for quite some time.  I am a Ph.D. student in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute in California, and I have a master's degree in sociology.  I was told about RadPsyNet by Isaac Prilleltenski, who taught one of my courses last year.  I was really excited about it at the time, and joined this list.  However, I have come close to unsubscribing from this email list, as I have from others, because I get really exhausted by "flame wars" such as the one recently experienced by this list.  I suppose that, as with any other group, radical psychologists will have their sacred cows, their favorite topics, and their own jargon.  I was certainly interested in the emotional and often reactive responses that recent posts have inspired.  I am quite familiar with the anti-psychiatry movement, and from what I've read of the movement, I would be considered an "eluder" -- someone who, had
> she spoken to the wrong therapist, would have ended up incarcerated,
> drugged, or undergoing a therapeutic "intervention" that would have
> stigmatized my imaginal capacities.  But, luckily, I did not encounter the
> psyciatric machine, and did not have these capacities and experiences
> stigmatized or otherwise squashed.  
As part of my studies I have read some of Freud's work, and so I just
> wanted to interject a little reading suggestion that relates to James'
> recent post, particularly regarding Prof. Lerer's book on the language of
> science.  Perhaps Lerer's book even cites it, but I haven't looked that far
> into it.  Anyway, the book is called "Freud and Man's Soul" by Bruno
> Bettelheim.  It's a must-read for anyone interested in Freud, not to
> mention anyone interested in the construction of language and the effect
> this can have on, say, an entire industry.  Basically, Bettelheim explains
> the complete appropriation of Freud's work by the American and British
> medical industry, and how they deliberately mistranslated much of Freud's
> language in a way that completely medicalized and sterilized Freud's
> original text.  To wit, most translators, even Strachey who translated the
> Standard Edition of Freud's work, have translated the German word "Seele"
> as "mind" or "mental" when in fact there is already a German word,
> "geistig," which means "of the mind" or "of the intellect."  Yet, Freud, in
> his original German work, refers specifically to seele, "soul," to describe
> the overarching principle that contains the others.  So, basically, the
> soulful and humanistic nature of Freud's work has been completely consumed
> and distorted by the deliberately medicalized language of American and
> British psychiatry.  And of course, there is Freud's The Question of Lay
> Analysis, in which he hopes to argue for the deliverance of psychology from
> the clutches of medicine and psychiatry, as well as from the clutches of
> the clergy.  I believe there must have been a serious turning over in the
> grave, perhaps even some spinning, when American psychoanalysis came to
> belong exclusively to MDs.
Anyway, there is my contribution to the discussion of scientific language. 
> I highly recommend this book, if for no other reason than to get our wheels
> turning in the direction of asking such questions as "who wrote/translated
> this?" and "why would this person write/translate this?" and particularly
> "what would this person have to gain from this work presented in this
> particular way?"  I think these are questions that are extremely important,
> particularly when in comes to translation.  Basically, while translations
> are incredibly beneficial when one does not know the original language, one
> also has to trust in the veracity of the translation, and the honesty and
> integrity of the translator.  I think we have come to assume, as a culture,
> that translations are somewhat of a pure act, devoid of political or
> economic motivation, when in fact, translators are in a position to take
> liberties that have huge political and economic repercussions.  
OK, now I'm just ruminating so I'll keep it to myself.  Blessings to all. 
> I wish you happiness today."  "I am a ranger.  We walk in the dark places no others will enter.  We stand on the bridge and no one will pass.  We live for the One.  We die for the One." ~ Marcus Cole, Babylon 5  T.K."
 
JMN To T.K. :)  Thanx for responding and your kind words.  I agree with your directions of study, thanx for the out and insights.  As always, I post articles, etc., I even disagree with, as I'm actuating study, not people agreeing with me.  Thanx to a half an hour of deleting a day, I'm okay with the routine flamming that goes on.  Yet, there's been moments, one post of mine on another list went over 1200 replies because of my being misquoted and misrepresented, and my having to address it continually; they were 6 so they got the last word, though.  My only qualm with the hue in which you've painted the foreground of your post is that, while it informs historically, it also doesn't sociologically (though Adler attempted to at the time).  While Freud's scientific work was co-opted, subverted and corrupted, his projections of conclusivity (being a man of his times while ahead of them), his mechanistic departmentalism of consciousnesses, and mechanistic interpretations of their
 inter-relations (somewhat addressed by Jung), all lent themselves to the conversion of his work to a patriarchal tool of the corporate structure, and facilitator of societal deterministic control; mainly through their substitution of psychology with behaviorism and chemotherapy.  Resources, pour vous :)  "The medical businesses model, of which psychiatry is one of its forbearers, doesn't do justice to the needs, humanity, of its "patients"; nor, the society of which it purports to serve.  "A 21st century science of mind needs to incorporate the findings of quantum physics and knowledge of non-physical realities into the understanding of mental health and mental illness."  ~ Dr. Andrew Powell.  As in client-centered therapeutic community centers that actuate (if they do), instead of modify and house in institutions; at exponentially higher costs of all kinds to all.  So, we also have to address the facts that the medical business is primarily market driven, and social responsibility
 isn't what drives markets. They make their money on patriarchally intervening in "their patients", lives, usually with detrimental effects, for the society at small. This necessitates a restructuring of the medical business, so dividing and conquering its patients isn't the most efficacious way for them to make money. Though, the newly resurgent sales pitch for mass consumption of psychiatric supposed quick fixes (pharmaceuticals), and similar behaviorists interventions (lobotomies, Ect, etc.) is directly aimed at thwarting these evolutionary efforts long-term changes realized in society.  In short, the     A.P.A. and the medical model have fallen woefully short in their charge to help to heal the mental health needs of our people.  Counter-transference, at best, as practice, mainly through substituting behaviorism for psychology, has determined human suffering and an exacerbation of mental health needs in our society; nevermind the escalation of all related and collateral costs."
 JMN
 
Two posts of a historical perspective on profit maximization focus in patent time limits and rapid approval by nat. reg. agencies :).  "Healy (The Antidepressant Era) claims that earlier psychiatry was also scientifically based and had some notable successes, such as the treatment of catatonia with shock therapy. Healy's second theme is that because the success of psychiatric drugs, the choice of treatment options is largely dependent on the financial preferences of the pharmaceutical industry.  For example, the author argues that "randomized controlled trials" of drugs are favored by the pharmaceutical industry because they allow products to be marketed to a wide audience, but what is desperately needed is more research on the effects of medications on more specific types of patients. While this theme has certainly been sounded before (T.R. Luhrmann's Of  Two Minds is an accessible discussion of the pitfalls of drug-based psychiatry), the detailed history of the development of
 psychiatric drugs and the "culture" surrounding them makes this book unique. For academic libraries."  Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, WA.  Jonathan Cole's leadership of the Psychopharmacology Research Center within the National Institute of Mental Health, that multiple seminal meetings during the 1950's were held in France, the United States, Italy and elsewhere to grapple with  the amazing clinical and scientific impact of chlorpromazine, that clinical  rating scales become of validating importance, that there were vigorous disputes about lithium utility and the concept of panic disorder, that there was an unfortunate shift away from clinical
significance to statistical significance, that the pharmaceutical industry
dominates clinical research, that this is facilitated by the abdication by
NIMH and academia of clinical psychopharmacological science in pursuit of
the sub-synaptic, that industry's narrow, profit maximization focus on
patent time limits and rapid approval by national regulatory agencies (e.g.,
FDA) dominates marketing strategies, dissemination of positive information,
downplays side effects, limits research to acute efficacy studies, limits post-marketing surveillance, and promotes debatable, simplistic, theories of drug action to provide a persuasive veneer of scientific solidity to therapeutic claims.
 
As an aside, a recent dialogue which I think you'll appreciate :)    "Hi Reality: There is much that you said that is very in keeping with my thoughts about 'everything.' I honour your spirituality as witnessed in your choice of words (like we, their) etc. to convey your thoughts, as everything is political.  Their are so many thoughts to comment on, but I thought that I could clarify one (that I know you know) that others may not understand.  You said, "For example, the U.S. has 5% of the world population, yet, 29% of its prisoners. The number of immigrants in the Federal system grew 90% in the last 7 years, although 98.5% are of them are nonviolent. If we really wish to address the unrest in the world, we have to start in our own back yard."  Your 1st statement is an excellent point as to the self-injurious behaviour that belief in the 'melting pot' of sameness has perpetrated and a product of the elite's capacity to acculturate people's behaviour to self-mutilate through a belief
 in biological hence social superiority, represented in the continuing belief of monoculture and all the denied 'isms' represented in victim-blaming.  Monoculture denies that the horrors of yesterday are being committed regularly today and for the same ends, as born out by the statistics of criminal justice and welfare/disability.   The tools have changed but the weaponry remains the same.  An example, of one such tool was to eliminate the 'immigrant' from access to social service funding (housing, food, clothing, medical, legal-aid), a direct result of racial and social bigotry. Of course, the crime rate jumped several %'age points in a year in the Hispanic community alone. Clearly, peoples who persist upon survival are criminal. The repercussions of this single example of wholistic, destructive
force are ongoing. Another product of this example is what the Am. people(s)
lost - the elite (seemingly) gained, i.e. I left and came home where it is
very much the same, but as yet has not 'peaked' to the critical point of
'implosion'.  You spoke of hope and my hope goes with you.  Hope is the
daily creation of life in the living.  Our work is ongoing...  Katie"
 
Yes, the self-abuse you speak of is so prevalent in the sociological
programming of Western Societies populaces that delusional constructs that
support it like, "have it like that", etc., are threatening to socially
addict most to consumerism, expressing their inner askewed animas and
animuses negatively (Jung, mostly through neurosis, aggression, violence, etc.), addictive personality traits (e.g., compulsive-obsessive, etc.), and
enumerable other addictions, 'mindsets' (like anti-social, etc.), etc..  As
well, it's gone a long way towards actually defining what it actually is to
not only be an individual, a citizen, a human, in a group, but, also life,
itself; to all life's detriment; i.m.h.o..  I also agree that the non-study
of 'mono-culturalism' that has replaced the enumerable studies that could be
termed multi-culturalism, is detrimenting any and all studies.  As David
Dinkins was apt to say, " All Peoples can be part of a beautiful mosaic", of
course he meant, not to the detriment of any, rather, the nurturance of every.
 
As for the line you thought problematic, I agree, it could be misinterpreted
:) If we really wish to address the unrest in the world, we have to start in
our own back yard.  I was attempting to say too much with too few words, as
I'm apt to do, since I'm in constant pain and anything, like typing, only
increases it; sometimes to excruciating levels, irregardless of painkillers.
I meant that our injustice system's agenda of getting more of our populace
'into the system' (by closing youth programs, having mandatory minimums for
first time offending non-violent drug users, etc.) to meet the needs of the
corporate structure's addiction to controlling the populace in order to
determine present to future markets, their control, and consumers in them,
etc., is also determinedly racist and anti-immigrant; as well as flawed.
Thereby, increasing, mainly through divide and conquer,  the corporate
structure's defacto-slavery (as inmates only get .03 cents an hour, etc.),
and perpetuating the increasing growth rate of all related businesses in the
prison industrial complexes, and the devolutionary direction of society in
order to effectuate those processes continued growth; irregardless of crimes
rates lowering, etc..  For, the non-violent immigrant offenders, a
percentage of which are so due to lack of language, cultural awareness in
their chosen land, are filling up the broken injustice system, which, for
e.g., has to let out violent offenders who haven't served their sentences
just to make room.  Ergo, the more violent offenders are getting out of jail
and devolutionarily effecting society; in pathological to vicious cycles.
 
I also appreciate your discernments concerning victims, for I understand
that, for the most part, the victim/oppressor duality (part of societies,
dualistic and dichotomous sociological programming of its populaces to aid
and abet any and all divide and conquer scenarios they propagate) is a
complex of delusional constructs; which takes great psychological and/or
other growth processes to not fall into.  Yet, like any delusion, its roots
are not only elemental, they're so deeply entwined with our sub and
unconsciouses that the weeding of them out is, at least sometimes,
painstaking and tedious work that never ends; on "the road to find out", as
Cat Stevens would say.  Yet, still, substantively, that 'victim/oppressor'
societal mold doesn't exist, of course, only to the extent that "we"
struggle to not 'have or be had' by it.  For, "we" can usually struggle
through most situations to realize liberation from them, and, if we're
lucky, help teach those who are deluded into thinking they're oppressors
what reality is.  Though, usually only by the fact that reality tends to be
evident.  I agree with you about something similar to hope, compassion.
For, yes, they say, "where there's life, there's hope", (remember they want
us to be good lowest common denominator consumers in a near constant
homeo-static state of addiction, for e.g., survival replacing alival) yet,
if we reach the point where the ecological destruction of Mother Earth is
such that it's irreversible, then who would cling to even such a fine word
as hope, even if it were true, even then?  Sometimes compassion doesn't seem
hopeful, yet, I prefer the word and its studies to that of hope.
 
For e.g., I've found that no matter how much losses, nor how much 'they'
take away from me, I am my soul, and spirit, manifesting as it does. I've
always known 'using', 'having' are illusions, and 'possessing' a delusion,
experientially; that knowledge has helped me and all a great deal. For,
whose strength is in the arm that outstretched gives another a hand up, no
matter how strong or weak the hand of either? I've always known it wasn't
mine, or our common humanities', alone. For e.g., we must study to relax,
also, if one pushes themselves or others too hard, reality usually pushes
back. The slow-motion blitzkrieg that "we" have all been facing for decades
from the republican conspiracy (which is facilitated by the dempublicans),
has been focused on some individuals, groups, demographics more than others,
and more or less intensely at varying times; in order for them to facilitate
their delusions like 'have it like that', etc., and the division and
conquering of a formidable opposition to it. How, because most or parts of
most of that formidable opposition have thought they 'have it like that',
and have facilitated their and others evolving processes demise. Now that
the republican conspiracy has seemingly successfully taken it to the whole
world, life may be realizing it has to stand against it to avert humanities'
and large mammals extinction, or even to just slow it down; so, there's
hope. Not hope for one, or any group, but, rather, for all people and life,
as all life are threads in the whole of its fabric. Yet, it will always need
mending, and if my life was just a stitch in time in life's fabric, that may
have saved nine, that slowed 'la machine's' 'krieg, then so be it.
The losses of humanity and life will be astronomical before the delusional
constructs of destruction and murder, etc., defined as 'power', etc., are
dissipated; and reality is left more evident and real than ever before. You
know if "we" waste the time to dwell on life's losses, it's time not spent
in its defense. You know if someone's not taking bullets, they're making
them; a lesson humanity learned from WWII. If "we" don't find the ways, or
trailblaze them, to unify in a common direction, albeit only paralleling at
times, the evolution, you and I know 'they' will end any hope. You, and I
friend, will continue to the breach, singing our own song of fraternity
while we appreciate others'...; i look forward.
 
In closing, here's a question that could easily be said to sum up "we" the
people's evolutionary and spiritual dilemma. If the roots of lack of
compassion for the diseased, disadvantaged, children, etc. and the en vogue
economic tool war, one being psycho-pathic greed, aren't addressed in
Western societies sociological programming of their populaces, won't the
corporate structure's convolution's devolutionary direction eventually
determine more apathy and social pathos in global society; ergo, less
funding for prevention, treatment, and research into curing AIDS, defense of
reproductive rights, and opposition to war as a substitute for economic
growth and foreign policy, in the long run? Yet, who will entertain it, let
alone pose it? What does the fact that it won't be posed, like the question
of spiritual relations with others, portend for the existence of whole
continents, like Africa, nay humanity itself?
 
Sample Letter To Editor :)  Deaths of those in all gov't institutions:
The fact that inmates are dying in record numbers is indicative of the fact
that the Justice system is broken, just as the fact that the death penalty
is unfairly applied to lower income citizens and minorities is, as well.
Before it becomes the injustice system, it needs fixing. State Initiatives,
like Sonny Scroggins in Kansas, which look to establish programs that can
independently investigate any death of a person held in institutions by the
gov't, can go a long way towards addressing these injustices.
 
We've a moral obligation as citizens to insure that no person held in
institutions of our gov't are abused, or killed. Therefore, there should be
a full investigation when anyone dies while in any gov't institution. For,
being American isn't only having the rights guaranteed to us by the
Constitution and Declaration of Independence, it's also affording them to
others. As well, while rights are being taken away from one, they are
slowly being chipped away from all. So, when we are doing our civic duty by
insuring the rights of those held in institutions, we're also insuring that
our and our families' rights will be upheld.
 
We must remember Angela Davis' words, "Prisons don't disappear problems,
they disappear human beings." Also, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s', "We're
caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of
destiny. Whatever affects one directly, effects all indirectly." Lest "we"
forget, if you don't exercise responsibility, its Siamese sister, freedom,
will wither, as well. Also, injustices have costs, if addressed their
individual, if not addressed, their global, too. For example, the U.S. has
5% of the world population, yet, 29% of its prisoners. The number of
immigrants in the Federal system grew 90% in the last 7 years, although
98.5% are of them are nonviolent.   If we really wish to address the unrest
in the world, we have to start in our own back yard, for e.g., violent
offenders being cut loose very early to make room for all the 'new' non-
violent ones they wish to put into the system.  Thank you.  Truly Yours,
 
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.  Viva
la evolution, viva green party! 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.)".     Thanks!  Au revoir.
 
Matutinally Yours,         james m nordlund    reality (aja) :)  Enjoy a festive eve' as you
can.



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