Choice Theory

Yes, Glasser is the father of reality theory...and this "new" theory was orginally called CONTROL rather than CHOICE. hmmm

Glasser is hedonistic. He operates from the premise, imo, that one's own pleasure is the ultimate goal in life. That humans are motivated by pain and pleasure...only.

Yes, we do have choices, yes there is some element of control in each person's life... but come on. NOW that you are an adult, and able to learn about how your past has affected you, you can decide to change.

"Happiness is a choice." That's a deep subject, imo. I like to use the word "perspective" is a choice... and that does affect happiness.

PS shouldn't this be in psychotherapy forum?

Meds approved and prescribed are not working on the placebo affect, that had already been studied during pre clinical and clinical trials before release to public.
Research shows changes in brain chemistry while taking meds to help stave off negative symptoms originating from the disorder.
I may be way off here, but I have not heard of any pharmacy filling scripts for "sugar pills" (placebos) but at the same time, I cannot say that there are people that haven't been inspired by the power of suggestion and/or placebo effect.
Chemical imbalances in the brain DO EXIST, and they DO cause changes in behaviours, that we do NOT choose to experience or display.
Not being everything in black and white,I'm sure the grey area allows for what this author is spouting, I'm more inclined and lean towards science, and what studies have revealed and what can be done.
Just my opinion(s) at the same time that concept of one healing oneself through positive thinking, just doesn't cut it, when there are physical things,controlled or out of control in the brain, and/or body behind it all.
2 cents added here, or just discard if you wish.

I'll see your 2cents and raise the next one 2

Sky wrote:
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"Happiness is a choice." That's a deep subject, imo. I like to use the word "perspective" is a choice... and that does affect happiness.

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Very good way of putting it!

I agree that we can control most things in our lives, although some of that control has to be done early in life, when we may not realize how much our decisions can affect our lives. Of course, there are some things we can't control, like natural disasters. Smart people learn from their mistakes, and smarter people learn from other people's mistakes as well.

Yeah, Choice Theory was originally called Control Theory--they both refer to the same idea, however. Reality Therapy has been implemented heavily in institutional settings (prisons, hospitals, group homes, etc.) and I think the "Control" term was turn-off because it implied that the staff was using it to control the inmates/patients/residents.

I don't think that anyone--including Glasser--would argue that neurochemical imbalances don't exist. I don't think it's always so simple as "neurochemical imbalance causes mood change", though. There are instances where changes to behavior change the neurochemistry, so it can work the other way around. A lot more work needs to be done, of course, but I suspect we're going to find out that it's not the same for every problem or every person.

Whats to say that this method could not work for some people..I actually believe this worked for me..I don't believe that it is true for all people though..if that makes sense..but my personal story I think applies here..and Jennie..I think you will agree, no? I went to doctors for YEARS..was diagnosed with many different things..from many different doctors..put on many different medications..and nothing helped..I got worse with time..to the point of self mutilation and a suicide attempt..and hospitalization up to three different times but in the end, it was I who chose to stop the circle of madness for myself..I chose to quit the therapy that I had been going to since the age of 13, I quit the group therapy..I stopped all the medications..and I stopped listening to all the damn doctors telling me what was wrong with me..I stopped believing that there WAS something wrong with me and the day that I quit going to all that stuff and taking all those meds and believing all that crap about myself was the day I started getting better! So I think that this can be true for some people! Or am I way off on what the book was talking about? I also hope that I am not making people mad..I do not believe that people bring on mental illness in any way whatsoever..but I do believe that their are TONS of people out their that have it shoved down their throats as well...that they believe they have something wrong with them when in reality they don't..and they could be better and perfectly normal if they just weren't being told lies..because I believe those lies are eventually believed and eventually learned..growing into behavoir...when, like me, all it was, was a masked-behavoir for what lied beneath-pain and fear..
if I controlled it I was okay..if I didn't control it..I had a mental disorder? Is that right?

Well...it seems like you can imply this authors logic to any illness:

If you don't want heart problems, then do not eat greasy food and live an unhealthy life style.

...thus, there is no such things as "heart problems" just what you do to yourself to create such a problem.

... And if you don't do things that cause the problem, then the problem doesn't really exist, does it?

It's an subtle play on semantics I think.

I think this auther is asking a little too much of an individual: we cannot control all the things that happen to us, nor our emotional responses to them...if we could do that, then half of the problems in this world should have been solved!

Now granted, some mental illness's can be improved by taking a different perspective on them, but that is the cure for most alignments: taking a different out look on things, then using that to improve one's self, whether through medical help or other factors.

My opinion, of course

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Liv28 said:Whats to say that this method could not work for some people..I actually believe this worked for me..I don't believe that it is true for all people though..

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I tend to agree. Mental Health research tends to focus on the question: "Which form of treatment works best for a specific problem?" rather than "Which form of treatment works best for a particular person with a specific problem?"

I think that's another legacy of the medical model. Example: everyone that has the flu has contracted it through exposure to some influenza virus. No exceptions. But who's to say that everyone who has PTSD, ADD, or Major Depression "got it" the same way as the other people who have the same problem?