When l returned to school, at the age
of forty, I was already ''older then dirt'' Most of the time I found myself
being asked for wisdom by younger classmates, In most classes there seemed to
be this belief that Carl had the answers, or should have them, or would get
them, I found some professors who would profess ultimate knowledge of why we,
each one of us, act/behave, think, feel, react, believe, etc., etc., the way we
do. Many exhibited various forms of distress at my seeming threat to their
leadership role after all I was only a ''student'' and a freshman at that. Many
of my young freshmen peer would sit taking notes imprinting the supposed
knowledge these professors would expound into their memory banks. It seemed to
me that the information speech had not been changed or updated in a very long
time. Each person seemed to believe, without question, the information given by
this all powerful giver of candle light.
One or two in the class would,
attempted to let sun light in by question using the ''why'' to the knowledge
givers, But, in order to receive the grade needed to pass, one did not question
beyond what was clearly acceptable to the professor, Slowly their individually
alike boxes were being formed about them; creativity stifled, The ideas passed
on in class after class offer views of how to correct the problems of
Twenty-first century humans based mostly on Nineteenth century ideas.
Expectations of how a person is to act were formed, according to what label is
applied. The label (diagnosis at times) does not insure recovery from a
particular dysfunction, and the label may perpetuate the prognosis.
Depression, as an example, may have
several epidemiological beginnings
yet the depressed person is, in order to be labeled (diagnosed) depressed, must
display certain behavioral criteria. Once an acceptable, to managed care
companies, diagnosis is made ''treatment'' can begin. Overtime these criteria
will either continue which will mean more treatment, or abate which will mean a
cure has been achieved. This is the basis for the medical model of wellness.
There is only one way a person can
get influenza and that is by being infected by the virus. If someone were to be
infected by an influenza virus they would be treated in a specific way. There
are not many cures for one particular disease. So each person who contracts an
influenza virus can expect to be treated the same way, Since mental Illness can
have many entomologic beginnings how can people with mental health problems all
be treated the same? Chemotherapy has replaced behavior therapy and
psychotherapy due to increased case load and cost of patient care. Warehousing
(mental institutions) was societies answer to giving rid of those that are
undesirable and cannot be boxed. This practice in effect for hundreds of years
ended in the nineteen seventies. Now we call them the ''Homeless'' and use bus
therapy on them.
These quick fix, band-aiding, of
those who suffer must be stopped and it is time to stop the oppression of those
who are different.
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