aaah but where and how do you draw the line and say "this problem is definitely
not rooted in a cognitive behavioural failing so the
solution cannot be cognitive behavioural... the problem MUST be biological so the solution must be chemical"???
can we prove that
extreme highs and lows are
not rooted in poor patterns of communication with self, negative patterns of thought, damaging lifestyle patterns?
the flip side of this coin mate is that I believe a perfectly healthy normal person with no "biological brain disorder" or "chemical imblanace" can experience huge amounts of emotional and psycholigcal torment on a scale where death can seem preferable- do you see my point?
I take cognitive/ behavioural roots of "- mental illness" as seriously as i would a physical illness or (if i believed in that model wholeheartedly) a "psychiatric illness"- quite simply because I have seen with my own eyes them leading directly to death, sometimes quick sometimes slow, always heartbreaking - all the more so because it was avoidable
two mates of mine in the last 3 years have passed away, one worked himself to death and the other ate himself to death, both were under 35 both left behind a wife and kids- the root of both their problems was psycholigical and emotional
I believe, or rather I KNOW one can be driven to total self destruction and a complete functional breakdown without a biological dysfunction because that is
just how powerful our minds are we can literally (and on this occassion I do literally mean "literally"
) THINK OURSELVES TO DEATH
I put it to you that if I worked with anyone suffering from BPAD or any labelled mental illness in therapy for an hour I could point out at least 5 potential roots of that "illness" that were behavioral or cognitive
at least 5... AT LEAST!
until all these issues (poor diet, poor exercise, drug/alcohol abuse, poor sleep patterns, negative patterns of thought and behaviour) are explored and remedied how can we in good faith put people on drugs that "cure" them?
Ask anyone who suffers from BPAD this question
"in all honesty do you think you are doing everything you can to support your own mental and emotional well being?"
and number two
" do you repeatedly engage in negative patterns of thought that are obsessive or destructive?"
usually the answer to the first is "huh? what you on about? I CANT do anything to make myself better, its a MENTAL ILLNESS you nitwit"
the answer to the second is usually "hello? negative thinking?? Im fucking depressed you fuckwit, of course I engage in negative thinking!!!"
the FALSE assumption of both is a LACK OF CONTROL, something the medical community doesnt seem too invested in battling to overcome... I wonder why?
cui bono?Im not saying these problems arent real, they are very REAL and dangerous, but that they are frequently exagerated responses to everday issues- that doesnt make them less painful or dangerous- Im sorry if I implied that it did, wasnt my intention to appear glib.
My (fervent, almost religiously so) point is that the medical community has nowhere near as much of a clue as it pretends in this area, we cannot trust the intentions of anyone who seeks to make money from us being ill and alternative therapies are not only effective but lend much dignity and power back to the client that the medical model strips away.
I dont have all the answers either, there are some people who are so far gone into their psychosis you cant do much more than give sedation and paliative medicine, in which case modern western medicine is the way to go- I DO get a cob on when a femal friend of mine goes to the doctor for issues with PTSD and walks out with a prescription for anti depressants!
off me soap box now before i send everyone
Home 
and becoming aware of the real world, and just right now. But there is a good book for taking control of that way you think that could help.
