[Elysium]

I found this interesting, and IMO, excellent read, by Maureen B Roberts, PhD, while perusing the Internet this morning. I read it in Awe!!

I wanted to post it to share with others, not to claim that it is truth or the way things "should" be, or to damn the current thoughts and treatment modalities on "mental illness", but to offer a different perspective which I have not seen embraced here on PC much at all.

I myself will most likely read through this a few more times as it has intrigued me to really think about how we, as a society, view and treat "mental illness". As I read this article, I felt liberated in a sense and I felt relief that someone was paying attention and asking the difficult questions.

I don't know that I subscribe to this theory in it's entirety, or even know how I really feel about it yet, as I only read it this morning, but I enjoyed reading it and it's definitely challenged my views and thought processes. At this point, IMO, It seems like there is another continuum, and that maybe the most civilized answer may fall somewhere in the middle of that continuum?

I would love to have a discussion and hear people's opinions on the topic as I think it is a good exercise of stretching our intellects. It's a bit long, but I think it's definitely worth the read.

Lots to ponder!! Here's the link.... http://www.psychiatrywithsoul.com/pd..._in_Crisis.pdf

Instead of accusing already suffering people of being 'ill', perhaps we should therefore be seeking to cure the 'illness' of a society which cannot accept emotional, relational and spiritual suffering as essential to the human condition

The author is good at condemning the current modalities of treatment, but less than clear about the protocols needed to implement policies she advocates. A lot of what she says seems to be more of the "just get over it" mentality that is not very useful.

Undoubtedly, the current treatment of mental illness is inadequate. I think the process for change has started. Politics and Big Pharma unfortunately will impede innovation and the challenge of improving treatments.

Even so, until the author provides the specifics of a demonstratively better approach to treatment, the article remains little more than one person's opinion.

[Elysium]

Originally Posted by TheByzantine

Even so, until the author provides the specifics of a demonstratively better approach to treatment, the article remains little more than one person's opinion.

Agreed. She doesn't offer guidance or therapeutic ways of moving towards a healthier system. It would be nice to see more implementation on her part, and on the parts of others who subscribe to similar perspectives.

What excites me about this is that someone is actually using their voice professionally to, at least, get the wheel of thought turning. I would love to see her keep moving forward with her theories and to see them put into practice more IRL. I don't know how accepted her school of thoughts will be however with Gov't and Big Pharma pulling the puppet strings.

All in all, it got me thinking, and that's what I appreciated. I've always been a person who has found the Western approach to medicine to be a good, solid approach, but I have had some experiences as well that show when Western Medicine and Eastern Medicine (and other modalities) come together, and the utilization of those modalities are respected, for the better health of the person who is suffering, that that person tends to "heal" and become whole, or as close to whole as they can become on a biological level, psychological/emotional level, and spiritual level, more quickly and with less discomfort all around.

Thanks for reading and sharing your opinion Byz!!