TAW122
Emissary of the right to die.
- Aug 30, 2018
- 7,245
While I've generally had an anti-psychiatry and anti-psychotherapy stance (which is also based on personal experiences as well as my own research) throughout my life, there is an interesting though I had. The title is written in such a manner that illustrates and reflects the current state of the mental health system's paternalistic approach towards CTB ideation, attempts, and such, similar to how religion was back in the earlier part of human history (several centuries ago).
To answer the question, "Would I change my stance on psychotherapy and psychiatry (part of the mental health system) if they no longer had the legal means or ability to actively impinge on one's civil liberties, personal bodily autonomy, and freedom?", the answer is simply "yes, but only marginally." In such a scenario where the mental health system loses it's paternalistic and authoritarian powers towards those with CTB ideation or attempts, it would make it similar to modern day religion. This is because after the Church (and it's dark history associated with it, especially during "The Inquisition" period) lost it's power on governance and yielded to the modern governments, as well as over the last century or so when civil rights became a thing and citizens of various nations throughout the world, over the last few centuries started to have more inalienable rights (not just limited to the US but in general, in the US). It was throughout the last few centuries that instead of the church and religion having a strong hold on civilians and citizens in society, it was then the State (the government) that gained more authority.
When I mentioned that I would change my stance "only marginally", I am referring to the fact that I would still hold views against the practice as a whole (seeing it as nothing more than like 'modern day religion' rather than when religion used to be very powerful and dictated peoples' lives), but I would be less vocal and less antagonistic towards the practice itself, compared to present day reality. In other words, I would still find the system to be nothing more than a waste of time at best and choose not to interact with it, though I would not have this notion of "risk of saying the wrong things and losing one's freedom". I may even be more expressive without fear of temporary detainment, holds, sectioning, or any custodial action taken against me.
However, back in our present day reality, especially with the ever growing paternalistic practices of psychiatry and the mental health system in general, it's more oppressive and invasive than it was decades ago even, especially under the guise of 'help' and other things. Would your views and attitudes towards psychiatry, the mental health system, and psychotherapy in general shift or change if such systems and policies no longer had the same authoritarian and paternalistic powers to detain, take away (even forcibly) one's civil liberties and freedom?
To answer the question, "Would I change my stance on psychotherapy and psychiatry (part of the mental health system) if they no longer had the legal means or ability to actively impinge on one's civil liberties, personal bodily autonomy, and freedom?", the answer is simply "yes, but only marginally." In such a scenario where the mental health system loses it's paternalistic and authoritarian powers towards those with CTB ideation or attempts, it would make it similar to modern day religion. This is because after the Church (and it's dark history associated with it, especially during "The Inquisition" period) lost it's power on governance and yielded to the modern governments, as well as over the last century or so when civil rights became a thing and citizens of various nations throughout the world, over the last few centuries started to have more inalienable rights (not just limited to the US but in general, in the US). It was throughout the last few centuries that instead of the church and religion having a strong hold on civilians and citizens in society, it was then the State (the government) that gained more authority.
When I mentioned that I would change my stance "only marginally", I am referring to the fact that I would still hold views against the practice as a whole (seeing it as nothing more than like 'modern day religion' rather than when religion used to be very powerful and dictated peoples' lives), but I would be less vocal and less antagonistic towards the practice itself, compared to present day reality. In other words, I would still find the system to be nothing more than a waste of time at best and choose not to interact with it, though I would not have this notion of "risk of saying the wrong things and losing one's freedom". I may even be more expressive without fear of temporary detainment, holds, sectioning, or any custodial action taken against me.
However, back in our present day reality, especially with the ever growing paternalistic practices of psychiatry and the mental health system in general, it's more oppressive and invasive than it was decades ago even, especially under the guise of 'help' and other things. Would your views and attitudes towards psychiatry, the mental health system, and psychotherapy in general shift or change if such systems and policies no longer had the same authoritarian and paternalistic powers to detain, take away (even forcibly) one's civil liberties and freedom?
