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Forcing a Girl into Therapy
Jamilah Lemieux’s advice column in Slate addressed, among other matters, a letter from a mother whose fourteen year old daughter insists that she does not want therapy. A year ago, when she was thirteen, her father suddenly died in her presence, and she has other sources of distress in her life, so it was certainly understandable that Ms. Lemieux favored requiring her to see a therapist, but the situation is not so clear to me.
The columnist seemed to take for granted that therapy would help rather than harm the girl, but some people have received bad advice from so-called therapists, or otherwise been left very much unsatisfied. For example, the form of therapy that requires people to talk about traumatic experiences has been criticized as re-traumatizing them, and causing them additional distress. I do not claim to have all the answers, but I point out that there are disputed questions. Even if a teenage girl should not be permitted to decide for herself whether or not to take antibiotics for her bronchitis or insulin for her diabetes, psychological “therapy” is a rather different kettle of fish.
I recall an article somewhere (it may have been by Cathy Young) reporting that people who kept quiet and didn’t talk about their personal problems did better than those who did. The author observed that this did not prove that stoicism worked better than letting it all hang out; it might only mean that stoicism worked better for those inclined to practice stoicism. Nonetheless, when there is less than compelling reason to believe in the benefits of a form of treatment or a way of dealing with the pangs and sorrows of the human condition, it seems to me that people, even people not old enough to vote, should be at liberty to make their own choices.
The columnist seemed to take for granted that therapy would help rather than harm the girl, but some people have received bad advice from so-called therapists, or otherwise been left very much unsatisfied. For example, the form of therapy that requires people to talk about traumatic experiences has been criticized as re-traumatizing them, and causing them additional distress. I do not claim to have all the answers, but I point out that there are disputed questions. Even if a teenage girl should not be permitted to decide for herself whether or not to take antibiotics for her bronchitis or insulin for her diabetes, psychological “therapy” is a rather different kettle of fish.
I recall an article somewhere (it may have been by Cathy Young) reporting that people who kept quiet and didn’t talk about their personal problems did better than those who did. The author observed that this did not prove that stoicism worked better than letting it all hang out; it might only mean that stoicism worked better for those inclined to practice stoicism. Nonetheless, when there is less than compelling reason to believe in the benefits of a form of treatment or a way of dealing with the pangs and sorrows of the human condition, it seems to me that people, even people not old enough to vote, should be at liberty to make their own choices.
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Admittedly I did not read all of it, nor did I have to. We fail our children, we fail them by putting them into these situations, and we fail them again and again, that even when there is overwhelming evidence of systemic abuse, torture and mistreatment up to and including death, nothing is done.
Aaaaack. 😠😠😤😢🥺😭🤬🤯😫😫😩😭😢 = simultaneous emotions.
I try to play both sides, or attempt to underhanded all sides, and be open to differing viewpoints on most subjects, even if I disagree with others.
This is probably one of the few, if only, subject matter areas where I cannot do that.
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Children and victims of abuse are held to a burden of proof that is *impossible* to meet, and that’s just for the fortunate few that have a chance to present their case.
That’s part of why I pray constantly for these children to have the strength to hope, to believe, that tomorrow will come and that it can be a better day and that somewhere they find the courage to make it to tomorrow. Coming from experience, I know that can be enough to carry one through even the darkest times. ❤️💔❤️☺️