Why Work? > Why Work?
Against Therapy
Nation of One:
I have to vent. Since I have to restrain myself during "treatment" I am going to paste some paragraphs from rational.org here that I also noted in the current Book of Nonsense. It helps me process my rage against what we are subjected to, most likely nation-wide, in the name of "rehabilitation," "treatment", and government funded "mental health-care". ::)
Dear Counseling Professional,
There could not be a more confused, incoherent, counterproductive, unethical, unscientific, and harmful approach to addiction recovery than the disease/treatment/recovery-group concept of addiction that prevails in our social service system.
The widespread practice of professionals forcing or intimidating clients into addiction treatment services is an unsurpassed ethical catastrophe, one made more ugly by the fact that so many who make use of their professional selves to fill the ranks of AA are AA members themselves.
Because of professionals, the public believes that addiction is a treatable disease epidemic, and will consequently tolerate endless expansion of the addiction treatment industry, and the increasing, systematic violation of addicted people's civil rights. In this, we have betrayed the public. If you tell your clients that addiction is or is caused by a disease, you are lying to them because you know full well there is no evidence to support that contention.
There is no way that the professions can be forgiven for their intolerable conduct during these frenzied years of freewheeling addiction treatment funding. The burden of guilt for the public health cataclysm of addiction treatment will remain a permanent, dark stain on all of the health professions.
If you are a licensed professional engaged in addiction treatment or counseling, I advise you here to get out of the business. It is a matter of your personal honor and professional stance. Substance abuse counseling is a bogus occupation, newly created around 1980 to accommodate rivers of federal cash. If you are a certified substance abuse counselor, find new work in an occupation for which you are qualified. Your certification is worthless, a kite flown on the winds of discontent, misguided trust, missionary zeal, and unwise legislation.
There is no help for addicted people, and as a professional you ought to know this. Addicted people will have to quit drinking and using, not a great accomplishment for any of them, but your "help" is only a distraction from, and often an obstacle to, their very serious task.
I will take the professions, and perhaps you, to task for the grievous error of offering services called addiction treatment, and for the unforgivable error of referring individuals into the social cult, Alcoholics Anonymous.
Also, for those counsellors who prescribe "Smart Recovery" to supplement AA 12 Step Groups, I'm not going for that shiitt either:
SMART Recovery is a spin-off of Rational Recovery consisting of professionals who believe that addiction is a psychological problem or has psychological origins. They waste peoples' time disputing irrational ideas and getting people to attend their recovery group meetings. SMART uses my literary albatross, The Small Book, and they refuse to recommend the later, and far better book, Rational Recovery: The New Cure for Substance Addiction, which takes the reader directly to complete recovery within the time it takes to read the book. The reason they won't recommend the better book, is that it eliminates the need to attend SMART meetings and makes fun of REBT pop-psychology. Stop wasting your time with recovery groups.
If I were to express these sentiments in a "program", would I be accused of having a negative attitude? NO SHIITT ... How can they get away with this? I wouldn't be the least bit surprised, although it is impossible to prove this theory, that these "programs" that claim to help people abstain are more likely to drive one to drink or cause serious depression and other psychological anguish. It makes me want to scream.
And these self-righteous judges who fancy themselves on the moral high ground ... [CALM DOWN, Mikey ...]
We can't fight from a position of weakness. I see too clearly. It is enough to see and understand ... and get the f*ck through it. What is one to do? Why couldn't they just leave me be? Now I have to witness their systematic misguided hall of mirrors, and if I flip out, then I'm the one in need of psychiatric medication.
I see.
black sabbath
Nation of One:
Note: The book by Sarah Perry (Every Cradle is a Grave: Rethinking the Ethics of Suicide and Birth) does not pull any punches. This is definitely not a book to discuss in a "treatment center". Professionals are not trust-worthy when it comes to discussing ethics.
My best strategy may be disengagement and non-action.
I will continually ask myself, "What kind of person takes a job where they lord it over people who are trapped in the system"?
Hence, I somehow turn the tables and analyze those who choose to make a living in this capacity.
I cannot pretend to respect their authority, but do acknowledge their ability to f-u-c-k with me. I am not the only one in there who is experience this. What a farce! What a hall of mirrors!
I try to wake up early enough to get my head together for another round ... back into the ring. I've been checking out orange-papers.org and madinamerica.com
Focus, focus, focus ... know the enemy ...
--- Quote ---Looks like England has severe consequences for anti-work people.
“The benefits clampdown comes after chancellor George Osborne on Monday announced plans to make all long-term unemployed people carry out unpaid work, report to a job centre daily or undergo treatment for mental illness in order to keep receiving benefits.”
So, for the unemployed – either work for nothing, be detained in day prison at a government agency or be treated for mental illness.
OH MY WORD. Is that not Hell on Earth?
They’re using psychiatry as a PUNISHMENT.
Apparently, the jobs simply do not exist. Why sit in an agency for 35 hours per week looking for a non-existent job? Is that mentality NOT some form of mental deficiency? Is this really how they’re handling their issues?
psychiatry (oops, I mean the antichrist) has TOO MUCH influence and control. “mental” treatment is going to be used a punishment!! Scream!!!
--- End quote ---
Deep breaths. The anger I feel towards this situation, since I fear the consequences of really standing up to those employed to "supervise" so-called behavioral health treatment, my anger turns inward which becomes depression. The most important thing to do at this point is to intercept that process. I mean, I am acknowledging my anger, and I will have to express my resentment toward their entire profession. I refuse to be silenced as this will lead to mental anguish and a "broken spirit".
Fight it.
Holden:
You once wrote on whywork that though you go by the name Broken Spirit you are strong enough to withstand the gort onslought.
And its true.
You are on direct road to salvation my friend.
I could divide my life in to two:Before Hentrich ,After Hentrich.
There is an idiom here:The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking.
Never mind the gorts.Though you are too modest to accept :
Even bronze is aged by time, but not all the ages, Hentrich, shall destroy thy fame, since you alone did show to mortals how to stand in truth.
Nation of One:
Hey, that's generous of you to say, Holden.
"The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking."
I am amazed that you say this. I think "uncanny" is the right word. There was a liquor store near where I lived, let's see ... 2 residences ago ... It was called Wine World, but I used to call it Vine Vurld. I would say, may I please have a bottle of Viskey and a pack a Vinstons.
If you ever listened to the cuckoo recordings I called The H Files, I don't know which one it is ... I don't have too much motivation to listen to those yet, maybe if I live to be very old ... but there are a few files where I was in that liquor store. One of the guys that worked there once told me the same thing: The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking.
I had been walking down the highway as is my manner, and I was dressed like an Eskimo since it was cold. When I got into the liquor store, I complained to the guy at the counter, who I considered a friend. I mean, if he needed a coffee run, I would go. If his boss needed some dirty job done, I would do it for some booze. [Like Kafka, I have this thing for demeaning myself through spontaneous acts of manual labor ... I understand that it is sometimes a spiritual exercise to clean toilets and all that. Anyway, I was a bit worked up because some gorts had yelled out their car windows, kind of taunting me while I was walking. Right around that time, the jerks who ran the bar across the street had banished me from entering their establishment.
Well, after I finished complaining about the rude shouts coming from the gort-mobiles, the guy from the counter (from India), told me, "Don't worry about that, Mike. You are like the elephant. The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking."
Ever since I have been able to keep walking ... although I have flipped the bird plenty of times as well.
I feel calm tonight.
I'm glad you have been as receptive to Schopenhauer as I was. I will never forget the first time I came across that name. It was in an essay called "Life as Evil."
Nation of One:
I was proactive today. I spoke to my "case manager" about how the judge had specified I participate in "anger management" counselling (as a stipulation of probation for "terroristic threats" charges).
I was told I have to submit clean urines for 3 straight months. Even though I have not indulged in over 300 days, I have only been submitting urines to this place since mid-November, so, evidently it has to be on record. The good news is that means I may be released from this "day program" in mid-February. Then I will be attending Anger Management which is only one evening per week for 12 weeks.
So, just knowing there is some kind of light at the end of the tunnel makes me more calm and less combative.
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