Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Laing And Psychiatric Schizophrenic Healing Autobiography Wisdom And Theories

By Donald Lewis


The mental health field boast a number of psychologists and psychiatrists which are also writers. While this is the case, most have focused on orthodox treatments since having left medical school. That is, except for Ronald Laing, a psychiatrist whom originally failed, then passed exams states in a partial psychiatric schizophrenic healing autobiography wisdom madness and folly. In fact, the psychiatrist suggest the failure was due to statements made against orthodox treatments rather than negative test scores.

Laing was a Scottish author and psychiatrist whom authored a number of books and appeared in more than a few films related to mental illness. Most of the psychiatrist's views can be attributed to treating clients experiencing various forms of psychopathological phenomena. In addition, as a student of existential philosophy, the unorthodox methods in which Laing treated patients can most likely be attributed to same.

While most of Laing's views ran counterclockwise to others in the field, the psychiatrist's treatments were often successful. As such, Laing continued to use the nonconventional treatments throughout a long and at times, challenging career. In most cases, Laing believed that seeing feelings which clients found to be disturbing or detrimental were actually real experiences. As such, by removing those experiences, clients could be healed without the need for more conventional forms of treatment.

While labeled as anti-psychiatry by others in the field and a large portion of society, Laing rejected such label and moved forward with a thriving practice. For, the psychiatrist had become accustom to labels as others had been labeling the psychiatrist a New Left thinker for years.

In fact, the film Mad to Be Normal released in 2017 portrays the unorthodox work of Laing's practice in the late 1960s. The film reveals the approach the psychiatrist took as well as the community of clients with which Laing worked. While this is the case, this is just one of many of the films and books in which the psychiatrist has played a major role.

Even as a child, Laing was thought to be clever, competitive and precocious whether related to reading, writing, sports or music, Laing often took the road less traveled. A road which eventually led to the Royal College of Music, then later, the University of Glasgow. It was at the latter where the young Laing failed the exams, then spent six months working in a mental ward before retaking and passing the exams.

During medical school, Laing also started a Socratic Club, appointing well known Philosopher, Bertand Russell as president. After which, Laing became involved in different areas of psychiatry, always pushing for unconventional treatments. Actually, advocating for new and unorthodox treatments was something Laing continued up until passing away in 1989.

Ultimately, Laing's colleagues continued to criticize the psychiatrist for going against the grain with regards to treatments. For, most still disagreed with anything other than traditional and well tested methods. While this is the case, Laing continued to remain strongly opposed to any type of electroshock therapy or chemical medications which had the potential to do more harm than good until passing away in 1989.




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