People Are Strange

[H2O Man]

81. Thank you.

I appreciate that you shared your story here. I wish that I could say that your experience is extremely rare, but it unfortunately is not. Frequently on DU:GD, I talk about “systems,” and the events you speak of bring to mind two systems that come into play. I have experience as an employee of both, and hence may have some insights that you may find interesting. They are, of course, merely the opinions of a now-retired psychiatric social worker, who did a bit of teaching graduate students from the state university in their “field experience.” I’ll add that while my performance reviews were always at the highest level, various systems viewed me as a pain in the ass from time to time.

The goal of the university system is to have paying students enrolled in classes. The goal of teachers is to instruct and inspire students. But not all students are created equal. Some graduate in the top of their class, others in the middle, and some at the bottom. But, so long as they are paying, the university system promotes everyone with a passing grade.

Even among those in the top of their class, students will have different life experiences, beliefs, and goals. And abilities to relate to different populations, ranging from those in their comfort level, to those far outside of it.

From college, they go on to employment. This may be at a clinic, private practice, or a range of other settings. In each, there are two goals: to assist others, and to make money. These two goals have the potential to conflict: in order to get paid by a person’s insurance carrier, for example, one has to apply a diagnosis -- which implies a treatment method and goals. So now, we have the therapist-patient relationship, being impacted by the synergy of three external systems.

There are many, many talented, caring, insightful, and capable mental health providers. They are able to assist the person who is coming to them for help, and also navigate the bureaucratic systems. That is not to imply that they are “perfect” -- whatever “perfect” may be -- but they are outstanding, overall, in what they do.

There are also plenty who are good in some areas, not so good in others. And there are some who just aren’t good, at all. For the same education that builds the foundation for a talented therapist to help people, can be mis-used or abused by an un-talented individual. Sad to say that in my years of employment, I saw a handful of people who had no business being mental health providers; a few were dangerous.

I’ll fight the urge to talk on and on here! Obviously, I tend to babble on and on. So I’ll say this: there are a lot of people who can benefit from therapy, who not only do not have a major mental illness, but really don’t have any “diagnosis” other than having issues with family, friends, co-workers, etc, and some degree of discomfort, and who do not have a support system that includes an objective person to talk to. Quite often, having an objective person who can help them re-arrange the order of the way they view certain factors is all they need. Someone to say, yes, you are correct in assessing a problem, have you tried dealing with it this way? For, in the final analysis, we are all people. Just human beings, trying our best.