Comments on: APA president speaks about a client’s right to self-determination

By: Throckmorton

Throckmorton — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:30:00 +0000

Szasz’s The Myth of Mental Illness had a profound impact on me during my training as did William Glasser’s Reality Therapy. I thought both of them took it too far with their attacks on treatment of psychosis but that’s my opinion. Besides, I like his name.

Yes, about the anons, I have lost track. I think some of them are talking to each other but I am having trouble keeping up. At least, it is all civil.

By: grantdale

grantdale — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 19:22:00 +0000

Warren — you really need to do something about this Attack of the Anons! I’m sure you’d agree it’s getting confusing, even for our galatic sized brains 🙂

Anyway…

Anon # 23,457

Perhaps the idea of gaol as a cure is confusing, but so? (I think I called it “change therapy” or something — and only half in jest)

I think if you read some of Szasz and the (at times ugly, brutal) history of the “therapy” profession you’d be less confused.

Szasz was, of course, halfway to crazy half of the time — but only half way and only half the time. The rest of the time he was a much needed blast of pure fresh air into a profession that was rapidly vanishing up it’s own fundament.

If you appreciate what Szasz was concerned about in 1960+, you’ll understand where I’m coming from.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:56:00 +0000

Sometimes both boys, sometimes only one. Usually turned in by one of the parents with the boys engaging in mutual sex play in one of the kid’s homes. HOW many boys DIDN’T do a little “show and tell” growing up? Remember Sodomy laws?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 04:26:00 +0000

Grantdale,

Although it is possible that some people might have had the idea that sending gay men to prison would turn them straight, I don’t believe that this has ever been regarded as ‘therapy’ as such. It’s just confusing to use that word.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 03:59:00 +0000

I’m trying to figure out if this fits the previous model for incarceration as a cure but these could have just been adolescent experimenters. A few questions:

So was only one of the boys incarcerated or were both boys jailed? How long did they spend in jail? Were they caught doing this in a park by the police or were they turned in by one of the boys’ parents? Over the course of your time there, how many boys were jailed for this offense?

I never heard of this in my community (Thank God!). Could this have been an early hysterical reaction to Aids?