Page 34 - NAMAH-Jan-2018

Namah Vol. 28, Issue 4, 15th January 2021

psychiatry, particularly in the United States. its world-dominant capitalistic model. For
For instance, the current viewpoint is fatalistic in example, as recently as 2008, pharmaceutical
nature as it views humans as entirely at the companies spent approximately $20.5 billion
mercy of their brain chemistry and genetics, thus on marketing alone in the US for their drugs,
limiting one’s perceived power to modify and $15.7 billion of which was spent directly
overcome their nature. The current viewpoint on physician detailing (i.e. having sales
is also quite simplistic and overly-rational as representatives directly provide physicians
it proposes that Problem A can be resolved by with free samples, gifts, meals, etc.) (6).
Solution B, thus losing the unique individual Furthermore, illustrating the undue influence
experience and complexity of each human and of these marketing strategies, physicians
further making clients dependent on ‘experts’ who practise in states where marketing
for solutions, rather than fostering the clients’ has been restricted, prescribed new mental
own capacity for psychological growth. Lastly, health medications less frequently, especially
the current viewpoint has failed to identify the when gift-giving was banned (where
deeper processes that underlie psychological reductions ranged from 39% to 83%) (7).
growth: mainly one’s increased self-awareness While medication for psychological disorders
(4, 5) and meaning making (i.e. using challenges certainly has its place, it appears to have been
in life as an opportunity to learn about and seized by the reductionist rational mind and
change oneself) . collective vital of the field for its own benefit.
1
Process-based psychotherapies may one day
The present materialistic viewpoint in be an antithesis to this.
psychology is a reflection of American
culture in general, which tends toward Already existing process-based views
gross materialism and seeks solutions
through material innovation and systems. As mentioned, research does exist demon-
More specifically, American culture believes strating the importance of process — or a turn
that material objects and technologies must towards human subjectivity and complexity
be innovated for people to develop, having — in psychotherapy. For instance, a large
yet to see that humans themselves can change body of research has shown for some time that
and innovate. Of course, the latter is only there is no difference in effectiveness between
that which would lead to a true change in different types of psychotherapies (8) and that
the individual and, subsequently, the society. one of the best and most consistent predictors
of psychotherapy outcomes is actually the
Despite ample research to the contrary, the therapeutic alliance (i.e., the strength of
current materialistic view has been fomented the relationship between the client and the
by the commercial aspect of American psychotherapist) (9). Furthermore, dating
2
society in its seeking for money as part of back to the 70s, Carl Rogers (a pioneer

1 Note that this is an initial form of ego destruction, as one uses life’s challenges to identify their own
deficiencies, rather than expecting the circumstances of life to change in order for their suffering to cease.
2 Interestingly, the therapeutic alliance is also predictive of outcomes in different types of therapies,
including psycho-pharmacotherapy.

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