From: jnigrin@opie.bgsu.edu
Subject: Re: Why?
Organization: Bowling Green State University
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 20:06:32 GMT

In article <1992Nov08.142206.7204@donau.et.tudelft.nl>, thomas@duteca.et.tudelft.nl (Thomas Okken) writes:
> 
> There are certain abnormal behaviours among men, in our present-day western
> culture, that are so widely misrepresented and misunderstood, that I find it
> unbearable to just sit and watch, as people are destroyed by prejudice. I am
> talking about homosexuality and cross-dressing, and also about
> transsexuality.
...
> It is widely accepted that research into these
> behaviours and what causes them is the domain of the science of psychology.
> Now it strikes me that psychologists mostly try to find the right labels for
> their patients. This tradition was probably started by Freud, who would label
> patients for their abnormal behaviours, and then try to find explanations for
> them, based on a theory of the development of the human psyche from childhood
> to adulthood. At certain points in this development certain things could go
> wrong, resulting in all kinds of different abnormal behaviours.
> It is not necessary to go into Freud's theories: they are all only based on
> conjecture anyway, and I will replace them with a far simpler model, that has
> at least as much explanatory power as Freud's: abnormal behaviours are
> displayed by individuals who do not fully believe in our cultural values.
> This failure to believe in the rightness of our culture will often be caused
> by a child's growing up in unusual circumstances. 

Actually, you are wrong on several points.  Sociologists and 
biologists are active in research on alternate sexualities as well as 
psychlogists.  The idea of diagnosing psychological problems, which
arose long before Freud, is arguably more the province of psychiatry
at present.  For example, the accepted reference on diagnosis,
_DSM-III-R_, is published by the American Psychiatric Assocition. 
Many clinicians -- psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers,
whatever -- don't find a formal diagnosis in this sense either
necessary or desirable in treatment.  Often the main reason for
assigning one is because insurance companies require them. 

For the record, it has been accepted for around 20 years that 
homosexuality does not constitute a psychiatric illness.  You are 
correct, however, that transvestism and transsexuality are still 
labelled as disorders.  That does not necessarily imply that every 
clinician will try to change them just because they're "in the book."

Your thesis that we label individuals as "abnormal" when they do not 
meet with social norms is a good one; it has been well developed by 
Thomas Szasz.  See for example his book _The Myth of Mental Illness_.
... 
> Any man who finds himself in an inner conflict because of unMale longings
> should ask himself "why?" until he finds the answer. The answer is always
> there to be found, despite of what psychologists say. If you suffer from such
> conflicts, a psychologist will be of no help to you: they will simply attach
> a label to you and maybe try to "help you accept it". Real help would be to
> resolve the conflict!

I assume you mean the conflict between the individual and society's
intolerance.  I agree, that is important.  And there are things
psychologists and others do in that vein.  For example, the change in
labeling of homosexuality as a disorder was strongly related to
pressure from psychlogy.  The American Psychological Association has a
lobby in Washington that is influential in monitoring and advising the
government on new legislation and judicial decisions, including those
on sexual differences and discrimination.

Many therapists do much more than simply label people or increase
their sense of helplessness with vague admonitions to get used to it. 
It is a fact that society will not change overnight; therefore, people
who are different than the prevailing norms will have a difficult
time.  I agree that it's  terribly wrong and unjust,  but that's
reality.  To make a personal initiative to feel better rather than
unrealistically demanding that all of society change instantly seems
sensible to me.  This does not mean anyone should stop working for
social change, but there is no way it will happen quickly enough to
relieve someone who's hurting in _this_ century.  Some other form of
relief is necessary for the short term.

As a therapist, I feel I have been helpful in fostering many people's
ability to feel comfortable and positive about themselves, even though
others might not like the ways in which they are different.  It's not
for everyone, but I am convinced  therapy is very often helpful for
people in the difficult situation of being different in a socially
"unaccepable" way. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jon Nigrine                              "A foolish consistency is
jnigrin@opie.bgsu.edu                     the hobgoblin of little
                                          minds."  -- Emerson
Newsgroups: alt.homosexual