3 ms·

Agreed, to me it seems that the "therapy culture" is missing a key element of actual therapy, working to address the root causes and cultivating a sense of agen

Agreed, to me it seems that the "therapy culture" is missing a key element of actual therapy, working to address the root causes and cultivating a sense of agency and ability to change one's situation in life. Acknowledging one's own mental illness or troublesome state of mind is an excellent first step but it needs to progress past that. What I'm seeing is a sort of "pop-therapy" where people self diagnose and then wallow in it looking for sympathy while not making sincere efforts to overcome what they have to deal with.

pmoriarty 5y ago
"people self diagnose and then wallow in it looking for sympathy while not making sincere efforts to overcome what they have to deal with" The thing about depression is that it makes making an effort hard. You can feel hopless, have no energy (even to get out of bed, shower, brush your teeth, or feed yourself), and be full of slef-recrimination and self-loathing on top of that. The more they don't do the worse they feel, leading to a worsening spiral. It's easy to say that the sufferer should just make the effort to get out of this state, but it is the nature of depression to prevent that. The lucky ones can do it, but many others can't. Saying to a depressed person that they should make the effort is like telling a gambling addict not to gamble, an alcoholic not to drink, or a person with an eating disorder to just eat less. It's a lot easier said than done, and what keeps them from doing so often runs a lot deeper than people who make offhand dismissals realize.
- s1artibartfast 5y ago
  Speaking as someone who has struggled depression, alcohol, eating, and other issues, I can confirm that the only solution is to make the effort to change. Therapy and medication can help, but every solution comes down to individual effort, and nobody can do it for you. It is important to recognize that falling into depression, addition, and neurotic behavior IS a personal failure, as only then can someone forgive themselves and seek change. Acceptance, accountability, and agency are key
ta1234567890 5y ago
> working to address the root causes and cultivating a sense of agency and ability to change one's situation in life. Have you considered that people with issues might not even be capable of doing this? That they could have a very low sense of agency and maybe no idea about the real root causes of their issues, and they might have tried a thousand times to “fix” them without success?
- s1artibartfast 5y ago
  >working to address the root causes and cultivating a sense of agency and ability to change one's situation in life. >Have you considered that people with issues might not even be capable of doing this? Nobody can do it for them. Friends, medication, and therapy can help, but progress is impossible without individual intention and agency. Mental health isn't like a broken leg that someone can fix for you.
  - BitwiseFool 5y ago
    And, it's often the case that even the smallest efforts can launch people on an escape trajectory from learned helplessness.

pmoriarty 5y ago

"people self diagnose and then wallow in it looking for sympathy while not making sincere efforts to overcome what they have to deal with" The thing about depression is that it makes making an effort hard. You can feel hopless, have no energy (even to get out of bed, shower, brush your teeth, or feed yourself), and be full of slef-recrimination and self-loathing on top of that. The more they don't do the worse they feel, leading to a worsening spiral. It's easy to say that the sufferer should just make the effort to get out of this state, but it is the nature of depression to prevent that. The lucky ones can do it, but many others can't. Saying to a depressed person that they should make the effort is like telling a gambling addict not to gamble, an alcoholic not to drink, or a person with an eating disorder to just eat less. It's a lot easier said than done, and what keeps them from doing so often runs a lot deeper than people who make offhand dismissals realize.

s1artibartfast 5y ago
Speaking as someone who has struggled depression, alcohol, eating, and other issues, I can confirm that the only solution is to make the effort to change. Therapy and medication can help, but every solution comes down to individual effort, and nobody can do it for you. It is important to recognize that falling into depression, addition, and neurotic behavior IS a personal failure, as only then can someone forgive themselves and seek change. Acceptance, accountability, and agency are key

ta1234567890 5y ago

> working to address the root causes and cultivating a sense of agency and ability to change one's situation in life. Have you considered that people with issues might not even be capable of doing this? That they could have a very low sense of agency and maybe no idea about the real root causes of their issues, and they might have tried a thousand times to “fix” them without success?

s1artibartfast 5y ago
>working to address the root causes and cultivating a sense of agency and ability to change one's situation in life. >Have you considered that people with issues might not even be capable of doing this? Nobody can do it for them. Friends, medication, and therapy can help, but progress is impossible without individual intention and agency. Mental health isn't like a broken leg that someone can fix for you.
- BitwiseFool 5y ago
  And, it's often the case that even the smallest efforts can launch people on an escape trajectory from learned helplessness.