Carla
I continued, even after the author made some dubious claims about the field of psychology and how, exactly, the DSM is created and then used by professionals. (Source: I have a BA in psychology and an M.Ed. in counseling, so I was getting a little twitchy.) She also kept bemoaning the fact that hospital psychiatrists weren’t performing what would amount to psychotherapy sessions with the subject of the book, and with the other patients in the hospital. In a milieu like that, the psychiatrists are there to manage medication, and oversee care, and occasionally be in charge of group therapy sessions. But yes, personal one-on-one appointments will be short, because they have many patients to manage, and many nurses to oversee as well, usually. It’s a difficult role with too many moving parts.
I continued, even after the author started making excuses for the subject’s violent behavior, i.e., it was understandable that he assaulted a nurse, threatened to kill a bystander who was just trying to read on their lunch break, and tried to commit suicide by cop (his words), because he didn’t want to be hospitalized anymore. Then said subject was hypocritically appalled when a fellow hospital patient assaulted a nurse for throwing away all of their belongings. Good, good. Hanging in there. I can understand how she may have joined with him too much, countertransference.
I stopped abruptly at this sentence which began an argument that, I believe, was supposed to prove that delusions aren’t real, aren’t pathological. And I quote: “There is no clear line between hyperbole and delusions.”
No. No. There is a reason that we are precise with our language, because words have power. I am too kerfuzzled to expound any further, except to say this:
The author is not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist, nor a therapist, nor an expert on the history of or the philosophy of psychology. She is a true crime author who has spent time with prisoners teach them literature.
Edit to add: the author states in her Goodreads author bio that she is a psychoanalyst, but she has a doctorate in English Language and Literature from Oxford. I don’t see her credentials to practice listed. They weren’t on display in this book.
Edit to note: the narrator almost attempted South American and East Indian accents. It was offensive. Don’t do that.
I continued, even after the author made some dubious claims about the field of psychology and how, exactly, the DSM is created and then used by professionals. (Source: I have a BA in psychology and an M.Ed. in counseling, so I was getting a little twitchy.) She also kept bemoaning the fact that hospital psychiatrists weren’t performing what would amount to psychotherapy sessions with the subject of the book, and with the other patients in the hospital. In a milieu like that, the psychiatrists are there to manage medication, and oversee care, and occasionally be in charge of group therapy sessions. But yes, personal one-on-one appointments will be short, because they have many patients to manage, and many nurses to oversee as well, usually. It’s a difficult role with too many moving parts.
I continued, even after the author started making excuses for the subject’s violent behavior, i.e., it was understandable that he assaulted a nurse, threatened to kill a bystander who was just trying to read on their lunch break, and tried to commit suicide by cop (his words), because he didn’t want to be hospitalized anymore. Then said subject was hypocritically appalled when a fellow hospital patient assaulted a nurse for throwing away all of their belongings. Good, good. Hanging in there. I can understand how she may have joined with him too much, countertransference.
I stopped abruptly at this sentence which began an argument that, I believe, was supposed to prove that delusions aren’t real, aren’t pathological. And I quote: “There is no clear line between hyperbole and delusions.”
No. No. There is a reason that we are precise with our language, because words have power. I am too kerfuzzled to expound any further, except to say this:
The author is not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist, nor a therapist, nor an expert on the history of or the philosophy of psychology. She is a true crime author who has spent time with prisoners teach them literature.
Edit to add: the author states in her Goodreads author bio that she is a psychoanalyst, but she has a doctorate in English Language and Literature from Oxford. I don’t see her credentials to practice listed. They weren’t on display in this book.
Edit to note: the narrator almost attempted South American and East Indian accents. It was offensive. Don’t do that.