See my entry about U. of P's Schizo Web Site and OCD Course Design

Boy, I know I am stepping into can of worms, but here goes. I know patients/clients can be touchy about their diagnosis and can easily get offended when they think they are being labeled by their therapist. However, unless you are engaged in a therapeutic relationship with BlackBird, what does it matter how he uses the term schizo? He is not personally applying the label to you. Doesn’t he have the write to post without his professional competence being called into question? Bottom line, if he is not your therapist and if there is no therapeutic alliance between you guys, then he has the right to use whatever words he chooses to make his point. Doesn’t he?

 

Yes, he has that right. However, others have the right to object. Blackbird has not been censured or restricted in any way. He has, however, been confronted by some people who object to his views. Blackbird, and everyone else, has the right to free speech but that doesn't mean that people need to simply sit back and silently accept his ideas. To my way of thinking, when a member makes a deliberate decision to include his academic credentials in his sig line then I expect that this person will act within the guidelines of that profession. Blackbird advertises himself as a doctoral level mental health professional yet has made some pretty nasy statements regarding people with mental illness. I'd bet that he'd never make these same statements in a face to face meeting with clients or colleagues. I consider his statements to be very unprofessional. Does he have the right to act in an unprofessional manner. Sure, if that's what he wants. Of course, since he posts anonymously he can say anything he wants without worrying that it will come back to him. Except of this forum.

At the same time I would also like to point out that my objection to his postings in this matter would be the same even if he had no status in the psychology field. To me it was just a stupid, insensitive thing to say and I'd confront anyone who said such things, regardless of whether they had a psych degree or not. I just think that a psych professional should know better. Overall Blackbird has a long history of being a positive member of this forum. I hope that continues. On the other hand, if he continues to make insulting, or insensitive statements then he can prepare himself to be confronted.

 

Kizmet,

With all due respect. This whole thing is about several people who objected to me using "Schizo" when I used it to describe a non-person... a website. I am being accused of using the term as if I were applying it to a person. I was asked to apologize to a person that took it out of context. I have committed no sin. The offended person has repeatedly tried to reframe, twist and change the meaning of my words. No one points that out.

As for being a responsible Mental Health professional, you have also misunderstood me. First, you don't know what I do in confidential sessions. Second, like the gentleman said, you or the other fellow are not my patients.
Thirdly, you can often have clients/patients that try to control, turn the tables, attack, trash, accuse, create drama with the therapist. A bad therapist would play right into that game and would not help that client/patient. I find that the attacks I have received here are similar to those of a drama queen who takes on the position of a victim. What is going on here is a game. I refuse to play it.

I am sad that this forum has degenerated into childish games that look like trolling. I am sad that the administrator(s) cannot see what is truly going on. In the early days of Alt.Education other than Steve Levicoff, most folks were pretty much respectful of each other and there was little adolescent grandstanding.

The purpose of my original post was simply a complaint shared in the form of quasi-humorous description of how it feels qualitatively to be involved with an institution NOT AN INDIVIDUAL as it was misrepresented.

I hope that most fellow-forum members can see what is going on here. I hope that we can all rise above this type of idiocy and return to some kind mutual respect.

 

I actually more take offense to you calling their design OCD. Someone who is an OCD web developer would typicially be very exacting in their work... which this is clearly not.

Having said that, I think it's in poor taste to use psychological metaphors in this way. However, I will agree that UoP's organizational system is f*cked.

Ted Heiks: Psychologists who try to put people in their "place" tend not to get a lot of repeat business. You see them work a lot with captive audiences (in-patient, school, kids, and often not practicing at all). Psychology is about compassion, at the end of the day -- or at least it's supposed to be.

 

The man used a diagnostic as a pejorative, thereby revealing his absolute and total disrespect for the very people whom his profession is supposedly organized to help. That is equally as disrespectful as if a Euro-American individual were to go to work for an African-American civil rights organization and commence using a word that quite literally means a tiny little garden shovel (or a suit in a card deck) when he's not really talking about garden shovels (or card suits). That's something that civilized people just don't do. Bottom line: I would never take someone as terminally shallow as Dr. Blackbird to be my shrink.

 

Hey BlackBird do your business cards say....
Dr Schizo from Latin America...now that would be funny

 

Now that's a good one!

 

Griffin,

There are intuitive web developers and non-intuitive web developers. I'm saying that the institution's web site is not very intuitive.

As for psychologists, "Compassion" may take many forms. Soft love and tough love. Each case is judged on what are the facts, the hidden agendas, the background, and if any games are being played by the patient. Ever hear of "malingering"? How about histrionic persons? Or how about Extreme Narcissists or Borderlines? One size does not fit all.

 

Blackbird - So far I've participated in this conversation without resorting to insult. You can not say the same thing. In your last post alone you've either directly stated or implied several insults.

drama queen
childish
adolescent
idiocy

You are the one who is being disrespectful. You are the one who is grandstanding.

grandstanding: to conduct oneself or perform showily or ostentatiously in an attempt to impress onlookers (as in extra-large green font).

My position is simply this: the words you used were offensive to another member. I am willing to believe that the insult was inadvertent. You were confronted about this and rather than simply say "sorry, no offense intended" you've compounded the error by continuing to use insulting language. I jumped in because I didn't want you (or Ted) to think that he's the only one who saw the insult. Rather than accept responsibility for your mistake you're insisting that we are the ones who have a problem. You continue to use diagnostic terms (such as "borderline") as insults. I consider this to be very unprofessional.

My original intent was to support Ted and confront you on your use of words. Having done that I am withdrawing from this conversation. You can respond if you like but I am done. If you choose to respond it would be nice if you could do so without further insult.

 

Countertransference

 

Geee, guys. This is the internet. Cool down.

 

"Originally Posted by dler View Post
hey blackbird do your business cards say....
Dr schizo from latin america...now that would be funny"

I can respect if people are offended by mental health terminology, however lets not spread this common cold and start insulting people and blackbird in regards to ethic origin.

 

Kizmet,

Believe what you want to believe. You are misapplying my words. Words that I apply to a web site. Words that I use as a generic example. They are all getting twisted into being "attacks." Can anyone see how one side has permission to attack having Carte Blanche but I cannot respond without having my words trashed? Anyone notice the racial slur plus the one agreeing with it? Birds of a feather flock together. I guess this is the internet where any or all of one's words can be taken out of context. You can reconstruct a person any way you want to, similar to "yellow journalism."

[By the way, the Green letters are not for "grandstanding" it is for easy readability. I have a hard time with the smaller black font that looks to me as a mass of black. You are reading into my intent. Please be more careful. That is like diagnosing me... something I am not supposed to do according to you and a few others here. ]

 

Countertransference:
A psychotherapist's own repressed feelings in reaction to the emotions, experiences, or problems of a person undergoing treatment.
http://www.answers.com/topic/countertransference

Transference: In psychoanalysis, the process by which emotions and desires originally associated with one person, such as a parent or sibling, are unconsciously shifted to another person, especially to the analyst.
http://www.answers.com/topic/transference

 

In regards to the psychological effects of educational technology, the following article discusses the positive and negative effects of internet use.

"A set of Pearson Product Moment correlations showed positive associations between time spent on the Internet and various dimensions of the IES indicating that excessive Internet use can lead to a host of problems of educational, physical, psychological and interpersonal nature."

"A greater number of students reported positive than negative effects of Internet use. Without negating the advantages of Internet, the current findings suggest that Internet use should be within reasonable limits focusing more on activities enhancing one’s productivity."

http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cpb.2006.9.297?cookieSet=1&journalCode=cpb

 

Political Correctness Police Needed!

 

If you truly believe everything you say, why did you remove the link to your business from your signature? Afraid of insulting those who write your paychecks? I guess that's understandable. I would use adjectives like weak, cowardly, and sad, but I'm only describing your website; not you.

Political correctness is not a new concept. There was a time when one could be beheaded for insulting a king, crucified for blasphemy, imprisoned for political speech that was against the mainstream. In some areas of the world, certain speech can still be considered a crime. You should realize that even in our free society, there are still consequences to the words you choose to utilize. Even though you may decide that the term "schizo" should not be offensive, and you may choose to use it however you please, there will still be those who find it offensive. Your speeches will not change this, and I believe your removal of your business website proves that you fundamentally understand the consequences of your actions.

So go ahead and say whatever you like, but there will always be consequences for your actions, and you may not always like the results. Your free speech doesn't outweigh anyone's free speech to disagree with you...

 

I never made any ethnic origin insults.

 

That's too funny!!!