Wojtek writes (Monday 6/22/98):
"It is a well known fact that people who struggle to make ends meet have little patience for psychotherapy. Thus, inasmuch as ideas are permeated with middle class preoccupation with the psyche and symbols of psychological suffering, they would fall on deaf ears of those for whom such symbolism is alien."
Doyle Dear Wojtek,
Please listen to what I say here, when you equate psychotherapy with "middle class" preoccupation with the psyche and symbols of psychological suffering, I would hope you understand that you are talking about people who have disabilities. Mental illness is not just a "middle class" disease of psychic suffering. If you look at the streets, they are full of people who have been emiserated by the system because the mental health system put them there. They are the poorest of the poor. For them support services helps.
If someone is depressed is a drug that relieves their suffering ok? If someone is schizophrenic, is it ok when they are lucid to hold a job because a psychotherapy worked for them?
I believe you spoke as you did, because of your best intentions. Just remember to look at the content of the words. Where does mental suffering stop? In which class? Do the poor working class women really agree with you that if they could get therapy, they would pass it by because it does not speak to their needs. People in a position of real mental anguish are usually enmeshed in some one of these categories; addiction, depression, abuse, and on and on with the variations. My experience is that you see poor women who use these services all the time, with gusto. I mean in county health programs, street front health crisis centers etc. Doyle Saylor