Wow, I can’t imagine working in the self-help field after realizing how culty and coercive it all is...how do you deal with it? Are you open about your own views and beliefs in the workplace?
I am so happy someone else here recognizes the absolute awfulness of the mental health industry, and how similar it is to the self-help industry. You are SO right that both use heavy amounts of victim-blaming to convince people that any suffering is their own fault and if the treatment/self-help group isn’t working they just aren’t trying hard enough.
I don’t necessarily think all suffering is inevitable or that people just have to cope with it though. My preferred approach is much more social justice informed - I think a lot of suffering would be reduced if we put an end to capitalism/neoliberalism and people could spend more time with their family/friends/close relationships than in the workplace. Also if we focused more on accepting people and valuing people for who they are rather than requiring them to change or “transform” through mental health, dieting, self-help, etc., I think people would generally feel much happier.
I think the thing that worries me most about self-help/LGAT ideology and mental health ideology is that it serves the interest of capitalism and neoliberalism. If you are struggling it can’t possibly be that you are overworked and underpaid, or that you are experiencing the effects of the patriarchy or racism or whatever it may be - it’s that you yourself are fundamentally broken and you need to “just do X” to stop suffering.
I am so happy someone else here recognizes the absolute awfulness of the mental health industry, and how similar it is to the self-help industry. You are SO right that both use heavy amounts of victim-blaming to convince people that any suffering is their own fault and if the treatment/self-help group isn’t working they just aren’t trying hard enough.
I don’t necessarily think all suffering is inevitable or that people just have to cope with it though. My preferred approach is much more social justice informed - I think a lot of suffering would be reduced if we put an end to capitalism/neoliberalism and people could spend more time with their family/friends/close relationships than in the workplace. Also if we focused more on accepting people and valuing people for who they are rather than requiring them to change or “transform” through mental health, dieting, self-help, etc., I think people would generally feel much happier.
I think the thing that worries me most about self-help/LGAT ideology and mental health ideology is that it serves the interest of capitalism and neoliberalism. If you are struggling it can’t possibly be that you are overworked and underpaid, or that you are experiencing the effects of the patriarchy or racism or whatever it may be - it’s that you yourself are fundamentally broken and you need to “just do X” to stop suffering.