FIRST-PERSON/Entry for November 12, 2007
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November 12, 2007 Why when I go see a psychiatrist does it seem like they can’t see the whole me? I know part of the problem is the way we fund the public mental health system. They can’t spend very much time with me and they certainly aren’t going to deal with any physical problems I might have. Also, when I go to my medical doctor I know he/she can’t spend any time dealing with my mental illness. In fact, if I happen to be manic or near manic they seem to not want to treat me at all. It is hard to get my medical needs taken care of. It is hard to be seen and treated as a whole person.
Back to the original question. One of the big problems is how the mind is viewed. Daniel C. Dennett and many others see the mind as simply the brain in action. That has been a convenient viewpoint for the drug makers and the funders of the system. If a person’s mind is only an action of his or her brain then a pill will fix the problem.
What if Dennett and those who think like him are wrong? What if mind is more than merely the action of one’s brain? Cartesian dualism says they are wrong, but modern science simply dismisses Descartes (1596-1650) as a philosopher without the facts of modern science. I simply dismiss Dennett and his theories as not having all the facts. You do not have to be a Cartesian dualist to disagree with Dennett.
When I do seminars on FIRST-PERSON
I am basically trying to get across three concepts. 1) We are bio-psycho-social-spiritual beings therefore our minds are greater than merely a function of our brains because we also have a soul through which we can communicate with the Creator.
2) That the person has FIRST-PERSON knowledge with respect to the contents of his or her mind, whereas others (third persons) can only get at these contents indirectly. Therefore the person has FIRST-PERSON AUTHORITY.
3) FIRST-PERSON AUTHORITY means the person is the one who gets to make the decisions on the recovery journey because they have the best most accurate knowledge. When I am at my worst I will need help, but if you haven’t built a relationship with me on this principle then I will not let you help me. I will not trust you when I need to.
FIRST-PERSON
may sound simple or it may sound wrong to you, but it works. It is along with hope and learning to Dream Again the keys to being able to walk the recovery pathway. I know. I am walking it each day. Sometimes I stumble way back down the mountain and have to pick myself up and start all over. I have been doing this since 1964 and I can tell you I don’t trust anyone who does not trust me. You can’t help me if I don’t trust you. FIRST-PERSON shows you trust me. Then I might trust you when I need help. You can reach me directly at [email protected]
