Mental health and the patriarchy.

[poshsinglemum]

To what extent does the patriarchy contribute to the poor mental health of both men and women? I am thinking along the lines of men ''unable'' to express their emotions due to rigid gender stereotypes and women taking valium when staying at home to look after the kids. I know that these are stereotypes in themselves but please tell me your insights!

It has been well documented that Sylvia Plath was chronically depressed due to Ted Hughes infidelity. Is this patriarchy or simply human nature?
Virginia Woolf had a distrust of the psychiatriactric profession marking it out as a male dominated/patriarchal system even though she had major mentalhealth issues.

Do you think that woemn are seen as ''hysterical or mad'' under a patriarchal system as it seeks to repress the emotional side of life.

Also; why does patriarchy dismiss emotions when they are such an important part of everyday existence? Is it not possible to be both rational AND emotional? Does it serve to justify the staus quo and capitalist alienation from nature? Phew!

I'm just...just speechless at your last post sAf.
I only got as far as the part about men restraining the girls and stopped. I'll have to read in in increments.

I thought that only happened in US dramas... shit, I thought I'd heard it all

sorry but PMSL at organic components. what a joke, seriously

SaF, there is no doubt in my mind you helped that girl. Is there any way of finding out how she is now?

What a drop in the ocean though. Imagine all those other girls who didn't have you. God, must stop thinking now or my brain will explode.

or told that they were born faulty and that there's a chance they're the way they are because of some inborn 'organic' inherent trait
Only under patriarchy...

I work in an environment exactly as Swallowedafly has just described. I spent the majority of the day on monday sat on the hospital floor trying to do anything to distract a young woman from harming herself.

Im at a loss as to what I can do. seriously.

the thing is, what these women need is nature and walks, and cups of tea in cozy armchairs, not being holed up in institutions. That would drive any sane person mad, wouldn't it.
you sound like a saint as well, tiredemma. Do you have any power where you work?

(before someone jumps in and says I'm ignorant for saying mental health issues can be solved with nature and cups of tea)

I meant that being holed up in an institution is not going to help someone's mental health is it? I am a very private person, for example. I need my privacy. When it's invaded by people (MIL, for example turning up unannounced on my doorstep regularly before I stopped her) I feel tense and anxious. I cannot imagine that living in an institutional environment could be of any benefit to mental health sufferers.

I have no power, no. And there are good staff where i work who are just as frustrated as me.

Walks and nature not an option - its a 'special hospital' so quite restricted in terms of getting outside. I feel we are just 'containing' people.

It is unfortunately true that mental health care is a line of work which attracts a percentage of thoroughly abusive people (like social work attracts a percentage of bullies and abusers) along with the many well-intentioned, dedicated individuals doing their best to help. It's even more unfortunate that many of the latter group, the compassionate and non-abusive ones, tend to burn out. More funding, better training, more regulation would improve this situation but it's not likely to be forthcoming at the moment.

However, it still seems a bad, unhelpful idea to insist that all mental ill-health is down to abuse in childhood. Some mental health problems respond well to drug treatment, suggesting that there is an organic component to them. And for some people, being told that their distress must be due to abuse is going to make them feel even more powerless to help themselves (particularly if they know they were not abused). It's also pretty rough for the families of those with severe mental health problems to be told that it's all their fault and that they either abused the sufferer or condoned the sufferer's abuse by others, when this isn't true.

this is an interesting thread.

Nobody is suggesting that all mental health problems are down to abuse in childhood. A one-off incident can cause them (rape, for example) Bullying at work, not being supported enough after having a baby etc.

PND is yet another example of women being told it's their fault they're suffering- because of their hormones- when the truth is that the emotional and practical support offered to mothers post partum in our culture is inadequate. And if she is dependant on a spouse who is not understanding then that doubles her vulnerability. What women need is society's support. Society has to change to fit women, not women change to fit society.

I agree drugs can sometimes help, but that is a separate issue. The issue here really is not drugs, it's acknowledging that it's the person's life experiences and circumstances that have contributed to their problems. Then drugs can be regarded as a short term solution. Otherwise you can justify keeping someone on drugs forever (at a big profit to the pharamaceutical industries)

saf - your posts reminded me of that old technique of managing dogs - if they fight, you kick the underdog. It is supposedly very effective in getting them to submit.

Maybe that is what is happening on a societal level. The victims are being punished, soft targets that they are.

sounds grim tiredemma

Sakura, there is much debunking of your favourite "researcher" Oliver James, on the blog I linked to above. He is notorious for cherrypicking anything that supports his own prejudice, and ignoring the work which does not.

There is an emotional reason to wish that mental illness has entirely environmental causes, especially for those of us with family histories of it. We can cling to the hope that, if we do things right, we can protect our children from this inheritance. It is not so straightforward. This stance also puts an unbearable amount of blame and responsibility on the parents who make mistakes, which we all will.

Drugs can sometimes be a long term solution - I know someone who feels her life has been transformed by them, and is unable to come off ADs. She says that taking them is like "seeing the world in colour for the first time". Would you deny her these ADs on principle?

I have little time for Oliver James, a man who once insisted to me and a colleague that all people with a certain sexual preference were mentally ill because all the ones who came to see him were. When we pointed out to him that people who are not mentally ill (or in distress if you prefer that term) but quite happy with their sexual preferences do not come and see psychiatrists, the idea had clearly never occurred to him. Silly tosser.

'saf - your posts reminded me of that old technique of managing dogs - if they fight, you kick the underdog. It is supposedly very effective in getting them to submit.

Maybe that is what is happening on a societal level. The victims are being punished, soft targets that they are.'

Unwind, that is an incredibly thought-provoking post.

SaF - I am appalled by what you describe. I honestly had no idea.

bit disappointed that Minx didn't stick around long enough to explain why she thinks women can be worse enemies of other women than the patriarchy is.

Unwind, Oliver James is NOT my favourite "researcher"
I said that Daniel Dorling was my favourite academic researcher.
I just mentioned OJ because he was an example of a clinical psychologist who categorically does not believe in 'organic' factors.

It's true that it's reassuring to say that environment is the contributing factor, however people who say this do have the cold hard facts on their side. Those who attempt to say there is an organic component are only speculating, because as there cannot be any "control" environmnent to prove this.

I happen to think that it's reassuring to families to say that the mental health problems of a family member are down to 'organic' tendencies. Especially if that family member is a young girl who has been sexually abused by her father, for example. I reckon these girls are scapegoated by their families on a regular basis.

sorry, that large quote I gave was Daniel Dorling, but I didn't say his name, so I can see now why you thougt I was quoting OJ