(Clinical psychologist here) I've always loved Bruce Levine's work. If anyone wants to follow up on Marco's post (sorry, i don't see any corrections to be made!) do look up Bruce's writing. An excellent therapist himself, he has been sounding the same theme for decades and finally, it's quite obvious, as Marco writes, that he's been right all along.
The greatest impediments to advance in the treatments of mental illness are two:
(1) the notion of the mentally ill person as a discreet separate individual. I don't mean in any deep metaphysical sense (though that's important too) but simply as a function of a deeply disturbed, imbalance society. Mental health siince 1977 has been allegedly based on the "bio psycho social model" - so far it's mostly bio with a little psychology thrown in and rarely, a consideration of sociological factors.
(2) the dependence on talk therapies. There are so many astonishingly good somatic therapies and those involving radical shifts of consciousness (Richard Miller's iRest therapy, a development of Yoga Nidra, and incorporation of Loch Kelley's effortless awareness, which gives even beginners a taste of rigpa, the Self)
Could we include in 1) also mass shootings? I once tried to bring up this perspective and it met immediately with an emotional "no, no, no... this is not a justification!!"
Wait, it sounds good but could you add a sentence or two? Not sure what you mean - mass shootings are.... oh wait I just got it - you mean RFK Jr.'s claim that anti depressants are the cause of mass shootings?
That mass shootings are the tip of an iceberg that has broader societal ramifications. In a sense, it is a mental illness that affects the whole of society and surfaces in some individuals in extreme forms as shooters.
Oh, I see. yes on that too. Basically it's part of the evolution of consciousness into the new era - the old consciousness structures are breaking down and this has led so many into a nihilist attitude.
Which is why we need to see more of your writing in a way accessible to more folks!
Yes, but I'm thinking of more circumscribed issues. Such as a (more or less implicit) culture of violence in our society, the widespread mobbing in the working places, the "looser vs. winner" mentality, the ever-increasing social disparities, the equally widespread ideology of a "toxic masculinity", the subliminal messages that certain film industry seeds into our minds, the dysfunction of social services, etc.
I guess my friend Don Salmon will suggest corrections and amendments to this post...(?) :)
Yo Masi - you gonna make me work!
(Clinical psychologist here) I've always loved Bruce Levine's work. If anyone wants to follow up on Marco's post (sorry, i don't see any corrections to be made!) do look up Bruce's writing. An excellent therapist himself, he has been sounding the same theme for decades and finally, it's quite obvious, as Marco writes, that he's been right all along.
The greatest impediments to advance in the treatments of mental illness are two:
(1) the notion of the mentally ill person as a discreet separate individual. I don't mean in any deep metaphysical sense (though that's important too) but simply as a function of a deeply disturbed, imbalance society. Mental health siince 1977 has been allegedly based on the "bio psycho social model" - so far it's mostly bio with a little psychology thrown in and rarely, a consideration of sociological factors.
(2) the dependence on talk therapies. There are so many astonishingly good somatic therapies and those involving radical shifts of consciousness (Richard Miller's iRest therapy, a development of Yoga Nidra, and incorporation of Loch Kelley's effortless awareness, which gives even beginners a taste of rigpa, the Self)
Excellent column!
Could we include in 1) also mass shootings? I once tried to bring up this perspective and it met immediately with an emotional "no, no, no... this is not a justification!!"
Wait, it sounds good but could you add a sentence or two? Not sure what you mean - mass shootings are.... oh wait I just got it - you mean RFK Jr.'s claim that anti depressants are the cause of mass shootings?
That mass shootings are the tip of an iceberg that has broader societal ramifications. In a sense, it is a mental illness that affects the whole of society and surfaces in some individuals in extreme forms as shooters.
Oh, I see. yes on that too. Basically it's part of the evolution of consciousness into the new era - the old consciousness structures are breaking down and this has led so many into a nihilist attitude.
Which is why we need to see more of your writing in a way accessible to more folks!
Yes, but I'm thinking of more circumscribed issues. Such as a (more or less implicit) culture of violence in our society, the widespread mobbing in the working places, the "looser vs. winner" mentality, the ever-increasing social disparities, the equally widespread ideology of a "toxic masculinity", the subliminal messages that certain film industry seeds into our minds, the dysfunction of social services, etc.