Introducing Astrid

[Sheila]

Astrid -- I’m sorry you had to go through the ending of a long-time friendship. That is very hard, even when you know it is the right thing to do.

Swimming is such a great, relaxing exercise. It uses a lot of cross-body synchronization, which is very neuro-rehabilitative.

You’re really doing a great job in an extremely difficult situation.


<< Everybody in the pool!

[Junior]

And that's what it precisely is, Chris. The money factor (the Big Pharma raking in huge money from the sales) is just a "collateral benefit". That is what Michel Foucault and Tomasz Szas, among others, pointed out;

“One of the most influential and time honored criticisms is associated with Michel Foucault’s social control thesis. Foucault’s critique of institutions (i.e. psychiatric, penal) viewed confinement of the noncriminal as a method of controlling (or isolating) the socially undesirable….Given Foucault’s position, a number of important issues arise that yield alarming, or at least troubling, effects. Specifically, psychiatric and legal systems of control (e.g., the hospital and prison) promote legitimate social welfare interests; however, these interests are based on questionable and, in some cases, inaccurate science….This article examines the present-day vitality and utility of Foucault’s social control thesis as revealed in several enduring psycho-legal controversies”


'Although we may not know it, we have, in our day,
witnessed the birth of the Therapeutic State. This is perhaps the major
implication of psychiatry as an institution of social control.'

Thomas S. Szasz, Law, Liberty, and Psychiatry:
An Inquiry Into the Social Uses of Mental Health Practices,
The Macmillan Company, New York, 1963, p. 212.

And, as they say, the most efficient prison is this of which bars are almost invisible... Too bad for the controllers that so many, and to such an extent, started to see those bars in recent time.

That is really interesting Luc. Thanks for posting. I have read Foucault's book "Madness and Civilisation" which takes the reader through the history of how mental illness has been treated. It ties in with social control I think. Have you read it?

Actually, when I think about it, I wonder if this form of social control - essentially using 'science' - has replaced religion which, in my view, has often been used in the same way.

[Astrid]

I swam my 35 lanes today too :)

And you did that while you were in a bad wave, that's really good Claudius...WOW. Petje af!

[Luc]

That is really interesting Luc. Thanks for posting. I have read Foucault's book "Madness and Civilisation" which takes the reader through the history of how mental illness has been treated. It ties in with social control I think. Have you read it?

Actually, when I think about it, I wonder if this form of social control - essentially using 'science' - has replaced religion which, in my view, has often been used in the same way.

Oh yes, *they* have been phasing out the institutional type of religion for the insitutional science for quite a time now, and it has gotten to the point when we have this false dichotomy placed in front of our eyes; choose either insitutional religion or institutional science, whereas, to me at least, the answer lies in a healthy spirituality, or whatever to call it. Once one gets snapped out of this fake choice they were forced into, it turns out that there's the "third way"...

I did read "Madness" years ago, and even tried to re-read it not that long ago in WD, but no chance in hell, b/c of the WD (as usual). I lose track of what I am reading after 5 secs.

[Luc]

Keep walking, folks! And, keep swimming. :)

[Astrid]

Is there anything that you do that helps you with the symptoms? You mentioned watching movies, which is an perfect thing to do. I hope they are uplifting movies, because we are more sensitive in w/d.

What really helped me through the last 2 months of tapering was watching all 8 seasons (yes, all 8!) of the Australian series McLeod's Daughters on dvd....

The problems of the characters distracted me from feeling bad. It was in the summertime, so it was almost like I booked a vacation to Drover's Run and stayed there for two months ;-)

So to the people who are still tapering, I can recommend you to get a big box of dvd's with many seasons and episodes to watch, from a tv series that you like.

[Sheila]

That is such a good coping strategy, Astrid. I have done the same thing -- immerse myself in a multi-year TV series or a book series. It really helps enormously to go to another world that feels warm and safe, and take a break from the world of w/d. And you always learn something. Everything I know, I've learned from fiction. :)

[Junior]

Oh yes, *they* have been phasing out the institutional type of religion for the insitutional science for quite a time now, and it has gotten to the point when we have this false dichotomy placed in front of our eyes; choose either insitutional religion or institutional science, whereas, to me at least, the answer lies in a healthy spirituality, or whatever to call it. Once one gets snapped out of this fake choice they were forced into, it turns out that there's the "third way"...

Ahhh yes, the false dichotomy. It takes a bit to break away from that sort of thinking. It is fed to us from birth. But once we do, it is actually very enlightening.


I did read "Madness" years ago, and even tried to re-read it not that long ago in WD, but no chance in hell, b/c of the WD (as usual). I lose track of what I am reading after 5 secs.

Awww I'm sorry :( Maybe one day when you heal we can have some philosophical discussions / debates. We seem to agree on so much.

[Junior]

That is such a good coping strategy, Astrid. I have done the same thing -- immerse myself in a multi-year TV series or a book series. It really helps enormously to go to another world that feels warm and safe, and take a break from the world of w/d. And you always learn something. Everything I know, I've learned from fiction. :)

One sometimes wonders what is real anyway ....

[Sheila]

Indeed! ;)