Posted by Sarah T. on January 9, 2006, at 1:23:22
In reply to Can we work together to figure out what to do?, posted by Dinah on January 7, 2006, at 11:27:47
Hi Dinah,
For some, I think a large part of the problem stems from a fundamental misunderstanding about what Psychobabble is. Dr. Bob states very clearly that Psychobabble is for education and support, primarily education and support among peers. Dr. Bob does not function as a therapist here. No one functions as a therapist here. Even those who are therapists "in real life" are not therapists here. A few Babblers are training to be therapists, but Psychobabble is not their field work. And there are some of us who occasionally like to emulate our own therapists and maybe even "play therapist," but we are not therapists.
Most Babblers understand what is stated above. Sometimes a newcomer asks Dr. Bob a question about medication or a therapy-related question, whereupon an "old-timer" will explain Dr. Bob's role. Usually, that's all that's necessary to set the record straight. Every once in a while, however, a Babbler comes along who refuses to accept what Psychobabble is and is not, and tries to make Psychobabble what she wants it to be. She tries to turn Psychobabble into an arena for ACTING OUT her problems rather than as AN ADJUNCT TO REAL-LIVE THERAPY AND MEDICATION for WORKING THROUGH her problems.
It's almost as if she's saying, "F*** you and your rules! I'm going to turn this board into what I want, when I want. Outwardly, I will pretend to obey your stupid rules. But those rules are for others, NOT for me! So I'll appear to comply, but subtly and insidiously, I will break those rules. And I'm so clever, I'll think up ways to get around the civility guidelines. You folks are here for ME and MY NEEDS! You're not my peers. PEERS, SCHMEERS! I don't care if you struggle with life-long depression or Lupus or Lyme Disease or space-occupying lesions inside your skull or whatever! I don't care how many tragedies you've lived through in your life or in a year. I don't care how many loved ones you've lost. Your needs don't matter; mine do. I'm not going to go to a real live therapist, and I'm not going to take my medication. I'd rather act out my transference on you and Dr. Bob. I will ignore your exhortations to go to a psychiatrist and to take my meds because I am the fulcrum around which Psychobabble revolves, and eventually I will get my way."
That's how I see the problem. The problem is refusing to accept Psychobabble for what it is, and trying to turn it into something it is not. Psychobabble is NOT a substitute for real-live therapy and medication. It is not a therapy board. It is NOT a suicide hotline or crisis center. IF YOU ARE SUICIDAL OR HAVE SOME OTHER EMERGENCY, THEN GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM! This is NOT an emergency room, and NO ONE here is qualified and/or able to treat a suicidal patient.
I know it would probably be impossible to implement, but I believe there are a few Babblers who should not be allowed to participate here unless they are simultaneously in treatment with a psychiatrist for a long, long time. These few have been too consistently and predictably disruptive and/or have consistently flouted the rules. Again, I don't know how this could be enforced, but I think it is the only solution to this dilemma.
poster:Sarah T.
thread:596210
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20051205/msgs/596968.html