The array of problems

I'd so like to say I have no idea what you mean and be able to show you how wrong you are but that very thing is the reason I lost interest in Psych as a career. Sure, some practitioners do set out to care, and even manage to continue to, but I can't help but feel that at least in the state system there is something very broken.

Without opening a can of political worms I do think that it is in the nature of socialist thinking to actually hate life itself (Ayn Rand & Objectivism if you care to fact check me) so all those seemingly lovely Govt programs (of which this site may well be one) attract people who can't see past their own blinding collectivist hate and it transfers to their patients which lead to all those ugly outcomes.

As for the private sector, some will be great but even there, there really is no perfect system to follow so every situation is in effect seat of the pants both for therapist and patient. Makes a case for stapling the patient to the table but of course, if the patient isn't 'engaged' in creating their own cure then we are back where we were.

Can you think of a way in which if you were the perfect therapist what 'cure' you would create to help your patient?

I really can't agree with your take on illicit drugs & acky-hic tho as in my experience in watching people use them I have yet to see a useful outcome (possible exception being the careful use of medical cannabis).

🙂

Hi @eudemonism

I don't know the details of your situation but I hear what you say and how you feel. Yes, I was definitely saying before that I get that the system is broken and so will fail at east as much as it wins which is sad. I am having to learn in myself that a failing system (the general lack of manners in the wide world) can be acknowledged as existing but if I get myself too caught up in worrying about that I stop building happiness in my own life. The only person I can manage is myself.

I am having to learn in myself that a failing system (the general lack of manners in the wide world) can be acknowledged as existing but if I get myself too caught up in worrying about that I stop building happiness in my own life. The only person I can manage is myself.

Be thankful that the system is there and tries but do what you know works for you as at bedtime you sleep with yourself.

🙂

I know how you feel on that one too. Today has actually been a bit of a wake-up call on that one actually.

I once did a web-based course thingee (from here in Oz) that addressed how we think (CBT): things like "everyone hates me" which is not actually true if you have at least one person who isn't trying to run you over (or something like that LOL). Was free and well worth doing.

Suffering is the core of Buddha's journey of discovery and so bang on for us. Us crazies spend more time with our sufferings that the safely sane (and boring). That means we are more likely to come up with something really cool like art or a portable screen called an iPad. Sadly it also means we are more likely to obsess over our bed of nails. Bogus.

Here is my take on the philosophies of selfishness:

Do what you will so long as you intend no harm, firstly to yourself and then any other.

So the rules are really only in your own morality (which hopefully includes not eating your neighbor as that puts you in prison which is most likely a place of suffering) and walking the path "life" put you here for with pride. The answer to that is far simpler than most believe as the meaning of life is life itself. The real question is what should I do to live a good life, be happy! Not drunk happy but joyful.

It means learning to avoid what I call Dumb: being so self-obsessed that you damage your own self- interest. That can be as simple as the wife who refuses to see Die Hard and then wonders why hubby won't go see 50 Shades of Grey. If wife was happy to go along and enjoy at least time with hubby he would happy do the same with her. Smart self-interest. Sure a bit more work at the start but when life is happy then you are winning.

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Of course, I am not always good at that as I can get stuck on myself as I try to solve something (that others probably would think silly but it bothers me). When that happens I try to acknowledge that feeling and use the AA rule of asking life (or God) for help in finding the new way and simply settle in the feeling. I then stay open for what comes along. Of course, that is essentially what Buddha, Lau Tzu, and even Jesus said.

William Glasser's core book, the one that used to be called Control Theory put this stuff pretty well I think. Many therapists hated him but the sales gurus loved him. Maybe that tells us something 😉

🙂