I was kinda kidding with respect to the 'new treatment' thing. But it got me thinking about 'new treatments' and about ethical approval for new treatments and stuff like that.

What if the treatment was shown to be effective?

That is unlikely, because it is unlikely that people would get ethical approval to actually test it in the first place...

But what if the treatment actually was shown to be effective?

There is this joke I heard somewhere. Training to be a psychologist / psychiatrist... One of the rules of the profession is that you aren't allowed to sleep with your patients no matter how much it might actually help them. It was meant to be a joke, but it is interesting to reflect on that a little... I'm not at all contesting the point that the majority of patients who sleep with their t's are harmed. But individual circumstances etc etc etc. There might be the odd individual case where it actually would be beneficial to the patient but that doesn't matter because it is 'major league malpractice' and so that is that.

It isn't something that gets tested.

Treatments are this funny blend of 'common sense' and experimental data. The treatment has to be okay enough with 'common sense' to even get to the testing stage. But that being said there are some very bizzare varieties of therapy out there...

Some people with OCD compulsively check their rearview mirror because they compulsively think they have hit someone while they are driving. A behaviourist technique for 'treating' this was to suggest that people remove the rearview mirror from their car! Reminds me about the joke where this person had been seeing a psychoanalyst for 4 years because he couldn't sleep as he was so terrified of the monsters that lived under his bed. The analyst was talking to him about his childhood... He had one session with a behaviourist and was cured. The analyst asked the behaviourist 'how on earth did you do that?' The behaviourist replies 'it was easy i just told him to cut the legs off his bed'.

There is something deeper than a mere joke going on there... And some deeper point with respect to 'appropriateness' and 'common sense' and also with respect to how much alleviating symptoms just is fixing the problem and how much alleviating symptoms just shifts the problem.

I'm not sure what I'm raving about.

It was hard to get clear on what happened with the case... There was no evidence of criminal conduct (there was no evidence he slept with her or hit her) and that is why he got let off. On the other hand there is no evidence (I really don't think) that indulging fantasies by role playing (going along with dressing up and encouraging / allowing the client to call you 'master') helps with respect to building rapport or helps with respect to stopping acting on fantasies. Well... He said someone told him it was an acceptable strategy but he refused to disclose the name of this person and hence was fined for contempt of court.

His career is over. Just as well most probably...

But... It is a little freaky how it IS wise to be wary huh. There are some cranks out there... Oh yes indeedie do...