Posted by alexandra_k on January 6, 2006, at 22:57:10
In reply to Re: The social construction of (some) mental illne » alexandra_k, posted by Dinah on January 6, 2006, at 19:37:12
> Does it have to be all one or all the other?
?
do you mean all a social construct or all not a social construct?even if it is all a social construct...
there are three different senses in which it could be a social construct...
i guess the issue i'm considering is whether...
if it was widely accepted that DID was a culture bound syndrome (ie that people only exhibit the symptoms because exhibiting the symptoms is legitimated by our culture...) then... would the people be cured?
or...
would the symptoms just manifest in a new way? in whatever way they need to manifest in order to be legitimated by our culture?
i'm wondering about this...
and i'm also thinking... that even if it is true that the symptoms are as they are because the culture legitimates that... that doesn't mean that awareness of the fact will mean that society has to cease to legitimate that. i mean... i fairly much buy this account... the reason why so many people present with DID symptoms is because they are more likely to be helped than if they do not. also... the reason why so many people present with self injurous behaviour is because they are more likely to be helped than if they do not. same for suicide promices or threats or predictions or whatever...
but even if society recognises this as fact...
then i don't think it follows from that that people will suddenly cease with these things and be cured.
because...
i mean... if clincians decide to punish these behaviours then that would work i reckon. but... it would also increase suffering i think.
and it is playing chicken a little too much.but you can be aware of this... yet it doesn't change one hell of a lot. okay so i have alters because thats the thing of this century. last centuary i might have developed hysterical blindness. oh well. doesn't make them go away. doesn't help the hysteric be able to see.
i don't think...
the symptoms may vary...
but imo the distress is very real
the distress is the problem
while the manifestation may be culture bound
punishing the symptoms
ain't gonna help
the real problem...> For example, perhaps the underlying feelings that were expressed in hysteria last century are expressed in self injury today. But that doesn't mean the entire thing is fake. The inchoate feelings are merely arranged around symptoms that have been already introduced to the patient.
:-)
yeah.> It doesn't mean that the symptoms should be disregarded or the patient considered a perfectly healthy malingerer.
absolutely :-)
> With regard to MPS, the feelings of separateness may be at times over history be presented as demonic possession or multiple personalities, or whatever else is recognized in society. But the experience of being separate is nonetheless real.yes. what was supposed to be in common to the examples in the extract was...
'disclaimed action'
ie - i didn't do that it was the possessing spirit / alter / whatever...
it absolves the person of responsibility for their action...
that was the thought.
but then the action only occurs... in order to achieve the end goal...
if there was a 'non-pathological' option available to the person...
if people didn't have to get worse in order to get what they needed...well gee
that might put an end to culture bound syndromes
perhaps...
> By the way, I'm not sure hysteria is dead and gone. I had a nasty rash recently that was apparently caused completely by nervous scratching. It was still awfully itchy.yeah.
thats a little different to the classic symptoms (fairly extreme)
blindness
limb (leg for example) paralysis
etc.not being able to walk
or to see...will get you into hospital too ;-)
and it is fairly easy to tell these days whether limb paralysis is neurological or psychosomatic...
hence...
you tend not to see that manifestation
(because they don't receive the sympathy they used to)
is it pathological to want a little help?
to be hurting inside?i don't think so...
the trouble is that the mental health system is only supposed to deal with the severe cases...
so...
who is prepared to do what they need to do in order to be considered severe?
and all this operated UNCONSCIOUSLY
(most of the time)
UNCONSCIOUSLY
interesting...
poster:alexandra_k
thread:595576
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20051229/msgs/596066.html