Amy's Winehouse Part II - Psychology

Mental Illness as Metaphor

In my last post regarding Amy Winehouse’s demise I discussed philosophy; in particular, a philosophical perspective on happiness. Seeking happiness from an external entity, whether it comes in the form of  a person, relationship, work, money, alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling, shopping etc. may achieve a fleeting high, but  as soon as that high fades the individual will set on yet another quest.  

If the search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness, perhaps wise living consists less in acquiring good habits than in acquiring as few habits as possible.

People use mental illness as a language because they have not learned to use any other or because it is especially useful for them in their situation. How is mental illness learned? What does it mean to the person? Among a diversity of communicative forms each has its own reason and because of the particular circumstances of the communicants, each may be as valid as any other.

In discussing the clinical treatment of addiction (chemical or process addiction) the perennial frustration of therapists as well as the client’s partner, family, friends, coworkers, etc. comes down to the simple fact that they often try to teach new languages to people who have not the least interest in learning them, i.e., “resistant to treatment.” Recall Winehouse’s lyrics from one of her most popular songs…”They try to make me go to rehab I said no, no, no!”

For many people, playing psychological games is a perfectly reasonable and acceptable thing to do. There are moral choices inherent in psychiatric symptoms and syndromes. Game-playing habits should be seen more as habits clients actually want to keep rather than as happenings they want to lose.

The aim of psychotherapy is three-fold:

·         To illuminate behaviors and the thoughts and emotions which trigger them

·         To understand behaviors are goal-oriented and serve a purpose

·         To maximize the client’s choices in the conduct of her life         

The goal is not to indiscriminately enlarge the individual’s choices but to enlarge her choices by enhancing her knowledge of herself, others and the world around her and her skills in dealing with the important people in her life, her thoughts, emotions and behaviors.

The concept of “mental illness” undermines personal responsibility and precludes an inquiring attitude toward conflicts which her symptoms at once conceal and reveal.

Thanks for reading “Is It Just Me Or…?”
Best,
Rae