#psych system reform

[sysmedsaresexist]

Please don't forget our mentally ill brothers and sisters that aren't well enough to come hang out on tumblr

In many ways, we are the glamorous versions of our disorders, the cute and (mostly) functional

We may struggle, but many more stories will never be shared, and far too many never had the chance to share

Don't forget how bad it can get, how hard it can be, how dark it often is for the larger community, and never stop advocating for them, too

Keep them in mind when we talk about system reform

Your argument against the system needs to have a viable alternative for those who can't advocate for themselves, and the families of those people

[trans-axolotl]

People saying that mad liberation started on tumblr (or is a recent thing in general) is so fucking funny lmao bc like. My first experience with mad liberation was learning of the history of the (former) asylum I live next to, which in the seventies got abolished and repurposed as a museum + theatre + art gallery and archive of the patients paintings throughout the years. Also like have these people ever listened to anarchopunk? Those bands love talking about how psychiatry is a capitalist tool since the 80s lol. If they think you're being too radical they should go listen to that and hopefully their brain will explode so they stop bothering you godbless

RIGHT like. i saw someone make that comment and i was like you will get shocked and amazed if you ever start talking to people about mad liberation irl. i was talking with some punk friends about mad lib stuff and they were telling me all this wild stuff they were doing twenty years ago and the amount of overlap between the local punk scene and mad lib organizing in their city and shit they were doing when they were literally 12. which was absolutely crazy.

anyway the repurposing of the hospital sounds really cool and i honestly love learning about mad liberation history so much, there's so much cool shit people have been doing for years and it's so important to learn about! mad pride started AGES ago like. the first bed push was years ago!!! long before tumblr. there's so many old patient newsletters, protests, etc that are really cool things to be able to see that we've been fighting for a long time.

whenever my posts leave my like. tumblr circle i guess. i always get a lot of comments from people who just seem to not realize that radical organizing exists and that there r just people doing anarchist and abolitionist organizing in our real lives and that most of our time is not spent talking about it online bc we're busy lmfao.

it annoys me but also it's like tumblr is a fraction of where my time and energy is spent and i just need to remind myself that a lot of annoying shit on here does not really matter that much.

[astrofaeology]

Uranus in the Signs

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ᡣ𐭩 Please support me by reposting, liking, following me and commenting your placement. Uranus is the planet which rules over innovation and social reform, it can represent where in life you break the rules and reform. Note that since it's the outerplanet it's slow moving and the interpretation for all the signs is mainly because of degree theory.

0º is the degree which doesn't have a coresponding sign assigned to it. It's a fresh new degree and will amplify the themes of the sign that it's in

Aries (1,13,25º) The natives who has Uranus in Aries are driven to take the initiative and act on their own initiative. They are often the first to embrace radical change, eager to defy expectations and forge their own path. This placement may manifest as a restless, impulsive personality that is prone to sudden shifts in focus and a desire to transform their immediate environment.

Taurus (2, 14, 26°) When Uranus is in Taurus, the native's unconventional personality frequently collides with a profound desire for stability and security. They frequently challenge traditional notions of comfort and affluence by expressing their individuality through innovative approaches to resources, money, and personal beliefs. Their material environment may alter abruptly and unexpectedly, or they may devise a unique technique of establishing their worth.

Gemini (3, 15, 27°) Uranus in Gemini is linked to restless curiosity as well as a very imaginative way of thinking and speaking. They can be at the forefront of intellectual or technological advancements, and they are usually drawn to novel concepts and distinctive forms of communication. They thrive on mental stimulation and independent thought, and they are constantly seeking out new information and relationships. Their communication style can be unexpected or surprising.

Cancer (4, 16, 28°) The urge for independence and unconventional living frequently has an impact on the native's home life, family dynamics, and emotional security when Uranus is in Cancer. They may hold extreme beliefs about family structures and rituals, or they may experience dramatic shifts in living circumstances. There is a need to overcome emotional dependence, which can result in creative ways of caring for oneself and other people, or a propensity to defy traditional roles in the home.

Leo (5, 17, 29°) When Uranus is in Leo, the native's creativity, self-expression, and leadership demonstrate their distinctiveness and desire for independence. They could be leaders, artists, or outlier performers who challenge the current quo and inspire others by their unique perspective. This positioning may also signal rapid shifts in their public persona or a rejection of authority figures in order to prominently display their individualism.

Virgo (6, 18° ) A native with Uranus in Virgo tackles work, health, and everyday routines with inventiveness and investigation. They may be at the vanguard of new scientific or technological discoveries in relevant domains, as well as inclined to novel ways to efficiency, organisation, or healing. As they attempt to upgrade and improve systems in their own unique style, there is a risk of abrupt changes in their work environment or health habits.

Libra (7, 19°) If Uranus is in Libra, the native's quest for individuality and distinctiveness has an impact on their relationships, collaborations, and sense of justice. They may be drawn to unique types of partnerships or notice abrupt shifts in their coalitions. There is a desire to challenge traditional notions of collaboration and harmony in order to change social norms and promote equality and justice in their own unique way.

Scorpio( 8, 20°) The native's desire for radical change and liberation is closely tied to their psyche, intimacy, and group resources when Uranus is in Scorpio. They might learn things about power, death, and regeneration that are shocking and transformative. A strong desire to escape control or unconscious psychological patterns may be symbolised by this placement, which could result in ground-breaking realisations and a novel strategy for personal development.

Sagittarius (9, 21°) The natives with Uranus in Sagittarius is driven by a strong desire for philosophical and intellectual independence. Seeking to widen their minds in new ways, they are typically drawn to unorthodox religious systems, other cultures, and revolutionary ideas. This placement may imply dramatic shifts in their perspective, a disregard for traditional thinking, and a strong desire to experience and grow in the realms of spirituality, travel, and higher education.

Capricorn (10, 22º) When Uranus is in Capricorn, a native's career, public persona, and sense of duty typically reflect their drive for originality and independence. They may question established hierarchies and power structures, resulting in significant shifts in their area of expertise. This placement could reflect rapid shifts in one's career or an unorthodox technique for achieving one's goals in an attempt to build new types of structure and order.

Aquarius (11, 23°) When Uranus is in Aquarius, the native's intrinsic drive for individualism and societal change becomes even stronger. Driven by a desire for a more equal and forward-thinking future, they are frequently at the forefront of technological developments, humanitarian causes, and community-building efforts. This placement indicates a strong desire for individual liberty in social settings, as well as a unique, often unconventional attitude to friendships and groups.

Pisces (12, 24°) When Uranus is in Pisces, a native's career, public presence, and feeling of duty usually express their quest for independence and freedom in spiritual or humanitarian endeavours. They may dispute established boundaries and traditional conceptions of empathy and communal well-being, dramatically altering their field of competence. This placement could signify quick changes in one's chosen route in terms of art, healing, or social issues, or an unorthodox method of reaching their aims in order to create new sorts of compassion and universal understanding.

DISCLAIMER: This post is a generalisation and may not resonate. I recommend you get a reading from an astrologer (me). If you want a reading from me check out my sales page.

@astrofaeology private services 2025 all rights reserved

[sexhaver]

Was marika motivated only by the desire to be personally free of the Elden beast? She knew that shattering the ring would plunge the lands between into chaos, and she probably anticipated that the tarnished who would become lord would be liable to cause a lot of chaos and damage on their own. do you believe she was just willing for her own people to be casualties? & did she want the greater will to be gone from the lands between entirely. And in that case is the gold mask ending the bad ending.

there's enough ambiguity to argue several different cases here but my personal take is that Marika saw any outcome for the Lands Between as preferable to the rule of the Golden Order and the Two Fingers, which lost any contact they might have had with the Greater Will millenia ago - recall how the Roundtable Hold's fingers are completely blindsided by the thorns over the doors and would have needed to wait literally a thousand fucking years to even potentially get an answer back from the Greater Will as to what that's all about. realizing that the Two Fingers lied to her and that the Greater Will actually stepped out to buy cigarettes 100000 years ago probably did something to Marika's psyche, especially after she conquered all of the Lands Between and genocided the mountaintop giants at their behest. tbh i think she'd be all in favor of the Frenzied Flame ending

Goldmask is Bernie Sanders, presenting arguably the best possible plan for reforming a system that is beyond reformation and rotten to the roots. Aldia really did say it best back in DS2: "no matter how tender, how exquisite, a lie will remain a lie"

[queer-reader-07]

Top 5 non-fiction books?

(I'm working on answering your ask, so you're allowed to add an extra one. Because my answer will also have a special mention)

omg this is actually so difficult to choose for me, especially since I've started reading way more non-fic in the past couple years. but here goes!

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green - the foundations of my radical hope, my love and belief in the human story, and in some ways my care for infectious disease. This novel in no uncertain terms changed my life (I recently reread it and realized just how much it has stuck with me). This is part memoir, part love letter to humanity, entirely made up of reviews of elements of the Anthropocene. Ever since I read this novel I've had the words, "for me hope is not some philosophical exercise or sentimental notion; it is a prerequisite for my survival." burned into my psyche.

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin - this is a short piece of literature consisting of two letters and I remember it rocking my whole world. Baldwin's writing has a way of shaking me to my core, the way he writes of despair and hope as a pendulum, of love as a daring pursuit. "Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliot - this is a gutting memoir discussing colonialism, racism, and misogyny that brought me to tears. There's a chapter titled "Half Breed: A Racial Biography in Five Parts" that I think about weekly. I remember reading that chapter and feeling so seen in a way that doesn't happen often, I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've seen race discussed in a way that allows me to go, "that's me. that's my life too."

Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis - Davis is one of my favorite feminist thinkers and writers and I think about this book weekly. I particularly love her essays on collectivism and community and how the only way through is together. “It is in collectivities that we find reservoirs of hope and optimism.” This novel is about how we cannot make concessions in the name of liberation, how there is no true freedom if we are leaving the most vulnerable behind, how when we do leave people behind we are only giving ourselves the illusion of freedom. I truly believe this is leftist required reading, it is a life changing and radicalizing novel.

Crisis Averted by Caitlin Rivers - a public health, epidemiology, and disease book! Every book I love is a get hoped book and this is that to a T. This novel explores the history of public health- from learning how cholera spreads to the eradication of smallpox to the COVID-19 pandemic- and what we can learn from past experiences as we try to reform the field of public health for the modern age. This novel explores not only public health's successes but also its failures, especially failures as they pertain to systems of oppression. There's this phenomenal section where the author discusses the importance of place in discussions of public health, how we cannot just look at disease or health care outcomes from a scientific lens when where a person lives has such drastic impacts on their mortality and access to treatment. This book speaks to my heart especially as a biochem & global health student with a huge interest in public health as a field.

also because I get a bonus, a special shoutout to Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green. I didn't include it in the main list since I already dropped John's other nonfiction novel, but I LOVED this one as well. Another disease book (a fav sub genre of mine) that speaks to infectious disease as a radicalizing force- which is a topic near and dear to my own heart. This novel takes a really humanizing look at disease and delves into how many infectious diseases reach a tipping point where they go from a scientific issue to a social issue. (for TB this occurred sometime in the 50s/60s when a cure was developed but poorly distributed globally. we can also see this pattern in HIV/AIDS as there are effective and life saving treatments that are similarly poorly distributed on a global scale- especially in the wake of cuts to disease prevention programs).

[schizoid-hikikomori]

I came across some anti-psych stuff on here and to be frank, I think it's no different than fear mongering any other field of medicine.

A lot of the issues people argue with the psychological and psychiatric field are issues that are present in the medical system and society at large: women and people of color are less likely to be taken seriously, listened to, diagnosed, treated the same as their privileged counterparts.

This isn't an issue with psychiatry, this is an issue with society. These are social issues that make their way into every field of care that need to be taken care of at a systemic level.

The study of psychology is not some evil brainwashing nonsense meant to promote some idea of "sanism". I feel that people don't know that psychology isn't just about the mental illnesses. There's so much more to it than that. And pop psychology has diluted the public understanding of what true psychology is.

There's of course stigma and bias in the field itself, but how is that different from similar stigmas in other medicine?

The medical field is full of privileged white people in America and has been for the longest time, to no surprise. This country has been built on oppression. And medicine has been unethical and abusive and the systems are in need of reform.

This does not mean psychology and psychiatry are just wrong systems. It means we need a better way to help people without being dismissive or further stigmatizing certain issues.

People who don't even get diagnosed with anything still go to therapy to help sort out their issues.

Fear mongering that psych as a whole is a brainwashing system to get you to conform is a very black and white way to look at things. There's so much more nuance to it and it involves societal systems at large. The truth is, some people do need therapy and medication to live their best life. That isn't "sanism" or trying to force people to be normal. Quite literally, it's unethical for medical practitioners to force you to take medicine you don't want. It is their job however to help you discuss options.

Going to therapy or getting medication isn't a death sentence. It's also not something everyone needs, but it is something that people do need and there's no way to abolish this whole branch of science without compromising people's lives.

Not to mention, science is based on the principle of continuing to learn. While western science has been warped and distorted by colonial ideas and white supremacy, that doesn't mean it's a lost cause. There's just reform to do. And in all honesty, shifting research perspectives is part of the work I intend to do going into psychiatry.

[the-alarm-system]

need validation on my values from a stranger on the internet /lh anon because i dont like being doxxed >:3 i am kinda like. more into psychiatry system reform than abolition. because that can like. work. if we fund psychiatry research and stop underpaying workers, and view psych wards as more. help than containment. and uh. also emphasize diversity in that workplace. and talk about the implicit n explicit biases when it comes to white mentally ill vs others. it can work. or im being delusional. anyway. review my words i beg -silly person.

I'm sorry this is pissing me off but you're probably just new to all this, I will not validate your inherently abusive opinion. Psychiatry reform will not work, it's like prison reform. It will only strengthen it's oppressive regime as reform usually does. For better perspective on that I recommend reading

The First Civil Right How Liberals Built Prison America

and

Are Prisons Obsolete

Psych wards will never be help, which angers me most about this ask. Psych wards will always be a tool of oppression and hiding of those perceived as "not normal" which is a construct built by oppressive psychiatry. Pysch wards are the sword of abuse forced onto psychotic people using forced restraint and forced medication.

Psychiatry at its base creates the concept of insanity and mental disorders to turn away the blame from capitalistic oppression. Those deemed psychotic are silenced by the psychiatric system whenever they attempt to question the abuse psychiatry puts them through. Psychiatry has always been a weapon to push white supremacist rhetoric, examples of this include how homosexuality was pathologized, as was running away from slave owners. A modern example can include oppositional defiant disorder which basically is "if you dont listen to the authorities you're mentally ill".

Here is some sources on anti-psych you should get on to if you plan on starting

also supporting an abusive weapon like psych wards is not silly, it's abhorrent

[babydollfairy333]

My Personality Info

Inspired by @sienablackwood

Sun Sign: Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra | Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces

Moon Sign: Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra | Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces

Rising Sign: Aries | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra | Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces

Myers-Briggs: ESFP | ISFP | ESTP | ISTP | ESTJ | ISTJ | ESFJ | ISFJ | ENFJ | INFJ | ENFP | INFP | ENTP | INTP | ENTJ | INTJ

Life Path Number: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 33

Four Temperaments: Sanguine | Melancholic | Choleric | Phlegmatic

Enneagram: The Reformer (Type 1) | The Helper (Type 2) | The Achiever (Type 3) | The Individualist (Type 4) | The Thinker (Type 5) | The Loyalist (Type 6) | The Enthusiast (Type 7) | The Leader (Type 8) | The Peacemaker (Type 9)

Instinctual variant: sp/so | sp/sx | so/sp | so/sx | sx/sp | sx/so

Tritype: 125, 152, 215, 251, 512, 521-The Mentor, 126, 162, 216, 261, 612, 621-The Supporter, 127, 172, 217, 271, 712, 721-The Teacher, 135, 153, 315, 351, 513, 531-The Technical Expert, 136, 163, 316, 361, 613, 631-The Taskmaster, 137, 173, 317, 371, 713, 731-The Systems Builder, 145, 154, 415, 451, 514, 541-The Researcher, 146, 164, 416, 461, 614, 641-The Philosopher, 147, 174, 417, 471, 714, 741-The Visionary, 258, 285, 528, 582, 825, 852-The Strategist, 259, 295, 529, 592, 925, 952-The Problem Solver, 268, 286, 628, 682, 826, 862-The Rescuer, 269, 296, 629, 692, 926, 962-The Good Samaritan, 278, 287, 728, 782, 827, 872-The Free Spirit, 279, 297, 729, 792, 927, 972-The Peacemaker, 358, 385, 538, 583, 835, 853-The Solution Master, 359, 395, 539, 593, 935, 953-The Thinker, 368, 386, 638, 683, 836, 863-The Justice Fighter, 369, 396, 639, 693, 936, 963-The Mediator, 378, 387, 738, 783, 837, 873-The Mover Shaker, 379, 397, 739, 793, 937, 973-The Ambassador, 458, 485, 548, 584, 845, 854-The Scholar, 459, 495, 549, 594, 945, 954-The Contemplative, 468, 486, 648, 684, 846, 864-The Truth Teller, 469, 496, 649, 694, 946, 964-The Seeker, 478, 487, 748, 784, 847, 874-The Messenger, 479, 497, 749, 794, 947, 974-The Gentle Spirit

Socionics: LII, LSI, ESI, EII, IEE, SEE, SLE, ILE, ESE, EIE, LIE, LSE, SLI, ILI, IEI, SEI

Big 5 (SLOAN): RCOAI, RCUAI, RLUAI, RCOEI, RLUEI, RCOAN, RLUAN, RCOEN, RLUEN, RLOAN, RCUAN, RLOEN, RCUEN, RLOAI, RLOEI, RCUEI, SCOAI, SCOAN, SLOAN, SLOAI, SLUAI, SLUAN, SCUAN, SCUAI, SCOEI, SCOEN, SLOEN, SLOEI, SLUEI, SLUEN, SCUEN, SCUEI

Attitudinal Psyche: FVLE, LVFE, VLFE, VFEL, VLEF, LVEF, FLVE, LFVE, VFLE, VEFL, VELF, LEVF, EVLF, EVFL, ELFV, LFEV, FLEV, FVEL, ELVF, EFVL, EFLV, LEFV, FELV, FEVL

Classic Jungian: IN(T), IT(S), ET(N), ES(F), IN(F), IT(N), ET(S), ES(T), IS(T), IF(N), EF(S), EN(F), IS(F), IF(S), EF(N), EN(T)

Celtic Zodiac: Birch (The Achiever) | Rowan (The Thinker) | Ash (The Enchanter) | Alder (The Trailblazer) | Willow (The Observer) | Hawthrone (The Illusionist) | Oak (The Stabilizer) | Holly (The Ruler) | Hazel (The Knower) | Vine (The Equalizer) | Ivy (The Survivor) | Reed (The Inquisitor) | Elder (The Seeker)

Celtic Animal Sign: Stag/Deer | Cat | Cow/Bull | Horse | Butterfly | Adder/Snake | Seahorse | Fish/Salmon | Wolf/Hound | Fox | Wren | Swan | Falcon/Hawk

Soul Type (one test): Hunter | Caregiver | Creator | Thinker | Helper | Educator | Performer | Leader | Spiritualist

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor | Hufflepuff | Ravenclaw | Slytherin | Gryffinpuff/Huffledor | Gryffinclaw/Ravendor | Ravenpuff | Slytherclaw | Slytherdor | Slytherpuff

The Animal in You: Lion | Tiger | Dolphin| Bear | Wild Cat | Fox | Weasel | Badger | Dog | Otter | Wolf | Sea Lion | Wild Dog | Walrus | Gorilla | Deer | Rhinoceros | Hippo | Sable | Horse | Sheep | Mountain Goat | Warthog | Zebra | Baboon | Elephant | Bison | Giraffe | Cottontail | Mole | Bat | Porcupine | Beaver | Prairie Dog | Shrew | Mouse | Eagle | Rooster | Owl | Swan | Peacock | Vulture | Penguin | Crocodile | Snake

Brain Lateralisation Test: Left | Right

Cerebral Personality Test: 1-10% | 11-20% | 21-30% | 31-40% | 41-50% | 51-60% | 61-70% | 71-80% | 81-90% | 91-100%

Multiple Intelligences Test: Kinaesthetic | Linguistic | Logical | Interpersonal | Intrapersonal | Musical | Visual/Spatial | Naturalistic

Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (Primary Psychopathy): 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5

Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (Secondary Psychopathy): 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5

DISC Profile: D | I | S | C

VIA Character Traits: appreciation of beauty, bravery, curiosity, creativity, forgiveness, fairness, gratitude, honesty, humor, hope, humility, kindness, leadership, love, love of learning, judgment, forgiveness, perseverance, perspective, prudence, teamwork, social intelligence, spirituality, self-regulation, zest

Alignment: Lawful Good | Neutral Good | Chaotic Good | Lawful Neutral | True Neutral | Chaotic Neutral | Lawful Evil | Neutral Evil | Chaotic Evil

Aura Color: Red | Orange | Magenta | Yellow | Logical Tan | Environmental Tan | Sensitive Tan | Abstract Tan | Green | Blue | Violet | Crystal | Lavender | Indigo

[7] Soul Types: Server | Artisan | Warrior | Scholar | Sage | Priest | King

Deadly Sin: Wrath | Envy | Gluttony | Greed | Sloth | Lust | Pride

Nerdy Personality Attribute Scale: 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70

Helen Fisher’s Personality Test: Explorer | Builder | Director | Negotiator

MOTIV: Materialistic | Ascetic | Offbeat | Conventional | Thinking | Haphazard | Interpersonal | Withholding | Vital | Depressed | Easygoing | Rigid

Holland Code: Realistic | Investigative | Artistic | Social | Enterprising | Conventional

Defense Mechanism: Regression | Displacement | Denial | Repression | Intellectualization | Reaction Formation | Projection | Compensation

R-Drive Personality Test: Narcissism | Unconventionality | Empiricism | Vitality | Othercentricism | Independence | Integrity | Intellect | Stoicism | Orderliness | Dynamism | Activity | Romanticism | Hedonism

[sysmedsaresexist]

I think every single anti psych person needs to have a patient either shit on them or throw shit at them before they talk about psych reform

In all seriousness, volunteer somewhere, experience both sides before you form your opinion

Remind yourself what other people's daily reality can look like, how much help some members of our community need, and see firsthand how understaffed, difficult, and traumatizing working in the mental health field can be

Compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, secondary traumatization, secondary stress disorder, insidious trauma and vicarious trauma are all terms that are used in an attempt to label and define what happens, why it happens, and how to live healthily with the experiences... and to preserve the strength of counsellors and advocates.

Guidebook on Vicarious Trauma: Recommended Solutions for Anti-Violence Workers (PDF, careful on phone)

I bet you didn't even know secondary traumatic stress disorder was a real thing experienced by ROUGHLY HALF OF ALL THERAPISTS

It's part of the reason I had to leave the field. I was too young be hearing some of what I was hearing. I went into the field at 20. I wasn't ready.

We need more trained, competent mental health workers 👏👏👏👏 not less

[werewolfcave]

GOD OK I was getting my psych degree when it was announced they'd be adding Maruki

and I was sitting here like "Atlus is gonna fumble this so hard i just know it." because in collectivist countries/cultures like japan, you mind your business and don't air out your problems.

AND I WAS RIGHT I WAS SO RIGHT AND IM SO MAD ABOUT IT.

like thanks for making a prominent to the story therapist be a big time bad guy you CLOWNS. BUFFOONS.

Sorry I just. I needed to say! I AGREE hes interesting and I see a lot of traits that would make a good therapist but BOY HOWDY. He makes me so fucking mad the way he was handled lmao

Okay I totally get where you're coming from and do agree framing a therapist in a bad light especially as the first therapist in the series is going to have negative consequences. BUT when I was talking to my own therapist yesterday it occurred to me that Maruki is a genuinely a fascinating critique of the clinical psych field. Because, as my therapist pointed out; "[Maruki] makes you realize how silly and unrealistic the idea of no one experiencing pain is. It makes you stand back and stop idealizing that idea of no one experiencing that pain because it's so absurd and harmful."

I then added onto that by pointing out how a lot of his ideals are a very interesting reflection of the psychology field when you look at it from a Western Standpoint (I am not sure how it is from an Eastern Standpoint I do apologize about that), because in the West we are very caught in the idea of Intervention instead of Prevention, and Maruki is obviously under the same idea.

See the Clinical Psychology field fails when it views things under the medical model, that mental health problems are something one can just "cure". Viewing pain as unique to the individual and that it's something that can be fixed is a very temporary solution. Instead there needs to be prevention, which is focusing on that pain comes from systemic places, and that we need to reform society rather than focus exclusively on individual pain. I will get into how we can tell Maruki is focusing on intervention exclusively in a moment, but first let me further lay out what Intervention vs Prevention is using an excerpt for a Reflection Essay I wrote for my Community Psychology Class:

"The concept of Prevention vs Intervention can best be explained up with a parable often credited to sociologist Irving Zola. The parable tells of man standing on the edge of a river, when suddenly he spots someone drowning. The man jumps into the river and drags the person out, and just when he manages to get that person out, he hears someone else. So he goes in to drag that person out as well. And it repeats. Eventually the man is exhausted and there is still people falling into the river. It is then that he realizes he never even thought to go upstream to check how people were falling in in the first place. This parable tells of the way that intervention by itself will never be truly successful, because there will always be people falling in, and never enough resources to keep pulling people out. This most efficient solution would be to fix whatever is causing people to fall in."

It should be stated that Intervention is not wholly unnecessary, as I go on to say in that same essay:

"Yes there has to be someone who goes upstream to address what is getting people in the river in the first place, but that isn’t possible with someone staying downstream. Because of we yet to prevent the harm from being done, we do still need intervention. To allow the preventionists to do their work they need the interventionists to keep that hurt at bay until we can prevent the hurt from happening in the first place."

Now, returning to Maruki. Maruki obviously has the idea in his head that he can remove points of pain for people, and that at all costs someone, to be healthy, must avoid a situation in which they get hurt. We take all of this with the fact that capitalism, corporations, etc still exist in this world. Let me break that down as to how this itself is a prime example of how his idea of a world with no pain does not take into account systemic oppression nor works as a long term solution.

A.) If one's pain stems from, say, low wages making it hard to pay rent and thus having to work multiple jobs, Maruki's solution would likely be to raise the amount of pay for whatever job is preferred by the person and continue from there. We do know that he makes it so that way Okumura Foods is a more idealized company that treats its workers fairly and has more ethical sources for its food. But this only works within the short term, as there is still a need to get money to put food on the table, to keep a roof over your head. Economic stress is still there even when paid well enough, because there is still the fact that you must keep getting more of a limited resource to pay for the ability to live. There are still people who come out on top, there are still people who are working the factories, there are still people who must do backbreaking work. Additionally Maruki is of the mindset that if your dream isn't working out you must abandon it, which will leave those whose dreams lie in underpaying jobs (such as an artist who makes a living through their art, and is hit with art block that keeps them from producing work) they are to abandon that for something that will keep a roof over their head. This leads to a rather soulless existence.

B.) To quote the Combahee River Collective, a Black Feminist organization that is responsible for intersectionality really making it's way into the collective consciousness, in their Coalition Statement:

"We realize that the liberation of all oppressed peoples necessitates the destruction of the political-economic systems of capitalism and imperialism as well as patriarchy."

That is to say that systemic oppression cannot be undone without the removal of capitalism. Scholars such as Cedric Robinson and Ruth Wilson Gilmore talk of how capitalism itself is rooted in the oppression of racial minorities, especially Black people. This is a concept called Racial Capitalism, which put as simply as possible in the Wikipedia entry for this concept is:

Racial capitalism is a concept reframing the history of capitalism as grounded in the extraction of social and economic value from people of marginalized racial identities, typically from Black people. 

While not a study on Japan itself, and instead China, here is a fascinating chapter on Racial Capitalism in China wherein it states:

Emptied of their former political content, the disarticulated concepts of race and ethnicity have often been reduced to foreign and domestic modes of social differentiation in the reform era, which can allow nationalists to claim that there is no racism in their country and can allow China scholars to deny the relevance of race to the field. Yet, the externalization of race and racism is particularly dubious these days as China’s participation in global capitalism has been accompanied by prominent examples of Islamophobia and anti-Blackness.

And to address how Racial Capitalism is relevant to Japan itself, we are to look at Race Relations and the Capitalist State: A Case Study of Koreans in Japan, 1917 through the mid—1920s by Kazuhiro Abe. From the Abstract:

"Expansionist Japanese capitalism developed racist ideologies toward Korea and the Koreans. In 1910 Japan annexed Korea. After 1917, Korean labor was imported on a large scale into Japanese society, where racist attitudes were rapidly taking shape. However, cheap Korean labor produced a wage differential that caused a split in the labor market along ethnic lines. Thus, competition for jobs between Japanese workers and Korean immigrants transformed racial prejudice into overt ethnic antagonism."

From the talk of the Theoretical Framework at play:

"The analytical framework employed here is the synthesis of several current theories of race and ethnicity. It draws heavily on Marxist theories of race relations, and especially on the split-labor-market theory. In the Marxist tradition, as Wilson argues (1978, pp. 4-9), there are two major approaches to race relations. One is orthodox Marxist theory emphasizing the manipulative role of capitalists who seek to divide the working class racially by exploiting racist ideologies so as to preclude the emergence of a unified working class. (For an example of this position see Reich 1971 and 1981). The other approach is the split-labor-market theory systematically developed and elaborate by Edna Bonacich (1972, 1975, 1976). This theory involves three groups of actors: business, higher paid labor, and cheap labor. The labor market becomes split when cheaper labor is introduced into the market. Capitalists prefer to use the cheap labor, and the higher-paid labor consequently faces threat of displacement. The higher-paid labor group attempts to forestall such displacement by excluding cheap labor from its territory. If exclusion is not possible, the higher-paid labor establishes a caste system to systematically block the access of cheap labor by certain occupations. The success or failure of these attempts largely depends on the amount of political resources the higher-paid labor group can mobilize"

All of this is to say is that while not on purpose, the game implies to us a complete lack of understanding of systemic injustice that causes much pain in the first place. Maruki is very purely intervention and has no interest in prevention.

Maruki himself talks about totalitarianism and how it is something that forces everyone under one ideal, and Goro himself points out (in an implied sense) that that is precisely what Maruki is doing. He is forcing people into his idea of intervention and no pain, while doing nothing to rid the world of the root cause of unjust pain. He is creating a totalitarian dystopian world without any sort of self-awareness.

[inniave]

sorry for the random ask, but i saw your comments on that forced standing post and more people need to know the continuous barbaric practices that take place in psych wards. i was wrongfully institutionalized for a year, and that was in a US facility. may i ask what country you live in? a lot of people think this only happens in “backward” countries but it really is present in every society.

no need to apologize! i'm also in the US. and yeah, shits fucked lol. it really sucks you had to go through that. it took me a long time to realize people seriously thought institutionalization didn't happen anymore. the little bits of reform that have happened are really just surface level. the wet soaks, the standing, the straight jackets, the forced sedation, the shock therapy, it's all very much still around (and if you are further marginalized in any way all this becomes even more of a risk).

the other part is that prisons house a huge number of people with psychiatric conditions and we know prisons to be just as abusive (and look into how the US gov used schizophrenia diagnoses to write off & imprison Black civil rights activists). the systems are still here, its all the same shit. it's kinda wild the lengths people will go to ignore it. a friend of mine spent several years in a facility that was in a major part of the city, and nobody seemed to realize or care thousands of *children* were forcibly locked up and being actively abused (my friend was sexually assaulted during her stay, i was raped several times during my stays at another hospital, everyone i know who's been in has been assaulted by staff in some way shape or form).

my first "72 hour" hold lasted for weeks (which is illegal but they're allowed to break that law when they see fit, with no judge or oversight) & they only kicked me out when medicaid stopped paying. i had been on 1:1 high alert the whole time and then in a matter of hours i was out on the street. they don't care. they aren't trying to help. they're bleeding as much money as they can from patients & then throwing them out. it's absolutely horrific.

this is why i refuse to go back to therapy. this is why i choose to remain unmedicated. i need help, but the system we have causes so much more harm. there's no way to try to get just a little help without risking everything. once my father hit me when i was crying and told me if i kept crying i'd be locked in a mental institution for the rest of my life. and i took him at his word, i knew he meant it, and i knew the hospital would have 0 second thoughts about an indefinite residential stay. and i was a child. these places aren't just hubs of abuse, they're actively enabling even more abuse in homes & schools & bad relationships. even in neighborhoods. i can't go outside a lot of days because i'm too visibly mentally ill, and in my state my neighbors can call the cops and have me forcibly institutionalized for any reason. at all. and it's happened before. someone hears you muttering to yourself & calls the cops and now your life is over (sometimes literally over, cops shoot mentally ill & disabled ppl at mindboggling rates & and of course race plays a massive role in this- who's most likely to be perceived as "dangerous" in a white "well mannered" society??)

the abuse is rampant and rancid. and it is exactly how the system was built to operate. western psychiatry exists to police minds. nobody should ever have to face that kind of maltreatment, whether they're "actually crazy" or wrongfully admitted. the united states is built on genocide & policing & torturing anyone who doesn't "think right" so it should be absolutely no surprise that psychiatric care is the way it is here.

[raccooninapartyhat]

there's a reason why so many of the actually okay therapists left the nhs to do private practice and every single one i've talked to has said it's because they couldn't help anyone because the system hurts every single patient and there was no way to be a good mental health practitioner under that system. the mental health systems are so busted that if you want to help anyone, you need to be willing to abuse and neglect everyone. the "good ones" can't reform the system from the inside because if they try they're kicked out or slowly become the "bad ones". the system does not let anyone be a good psych. it forces you to be a bad one.

[self-chiller]

anti psych should be (among other things) about reforming or doing away with a system that seeks to sanitize every aspect of a person just because they happen to have cognitive, emotional, or social struggles. it should not be about how "having cognitive/emotional/social struggles is good and virtuous and helps my political agenda actually except for when it inconveniences the rest of my political agenda"

[ponchcronch]

Oh Poncho, a deep analysis of the green hedgehog’s psyche is exactly what I’m looking for and I will be thrilled for that day when that’s all unleashed. 

I also wonder, only because I see nobody else talking about this, if you can, are you able to share briefly on what did Zobotnik mean by remolding Scourge into a force of good? 

It’s just the way he phrased that, made me think Scourge was going to be USED as a living weapon of some sorts. This is a version of Eggman after all.

And it’s those choice of words that made me had a thought about…,I know IDW and Archie have two different continuities, but Kit’s line from issue 56 comes up because of those kind of intentions. (And people do compare Surge to Scourge a lot, y’know how it goes.) 

“All that matters is what we can do. How can you change us. So you can prove your way is right.” 

While it can be argued how it’s not exactly true in IDW’s case, I think it was gonna be actually true in Scourge’s case had they succeeded in his rehabilitation. It’s not about him becoming a good person or even resolving his clear mental issues. That therapy was “optional”. He’s always been labeled as the Evil or Anti Sonic. Why actually change him? The Zone cops have been shown to leave certain things the way they are even if detrimental for some universal balance.  *issue 197

We just never get to see what these supposed reformed criminals look like, and Zouge’s therapy seems to rarely stick considering how quickly the inmates seem to resort back to their own ways despite months of “progress”. 

I might be looking too deeply and too literally into the lines myself, but still, the implications.

Oh yeah, thanks for the meme btw. 

Personally, I don’t think Zobotnik was ever molding Scourge to be a force of good; I mean, look at the tactics. He basically encouraged other inmates to beat the crap outta scourge until he was mentally broken. That’s not how you rehabilitate someone; that’s how you make someone a soldier, like you said.

What probably messed me up the most about that arc is how close zobotnik got to basically brainwashing him.

I mean, man’s support system was already trash, and he was pushed far enough to not trust the little support he had. If Fiona wasn’t able to talk him out of it (aka boost his ego), he might have been stuck in a baddd situation.

Scourge is also the perfect candidate for that kind of manipulation; he’s got a fragile ego and he can’t handle the kind of humiliation he was going through.

But considering Zobotnik, I have a neat theory… in that arc, you can see a great bit of tension between Zonic and Zobotnik. Zonic is top zone cop, and Zobotnik is just a warden (dude obviously wants more power). Maybe that’s why zobotnik was ‘rehabilitating’ scourge—he was the first alternate sonic that ended up in zone jail and he wanted to use his power to take over. Idk.

God now I’m imagining this as an au.. my brain… scourge in an enerjak like situation would destroy me bro

[phospadparadscha]

Is fusing considered vaguely intimate in the AU? Harry having fused a bunch and Black Opal being Kim's first fusion kind of mirrors Ruby and Sapphire, and the idea that Kim gets a bit bashful or embarrassed about it in front of other people is kinda funny to me.

I'd like to think that because of the general lack of intimacy in Disco Elysium and Martinaise (people seem to almost never hug or kiss each other / engage in pda and the hug with the working class woman is treated as a very rare interaction), fusion can be intimate for some or at least somewhat taboo. Not necessarily frowned upon by the people of Martinaise but moreso uncomfortable and surprising. I guess it would be less that people are surprised that there's a fusion and more that anybody likes another person in Martinaise or Revachol enough to want to fuse out of anything but utilitarian purposes. All of Martinaise is touch starved and its pretty unusual for that to be proven wrong by anyone. Fusion is definitely frowned upon by the Moralintern and generally by the RCM as a complex, but is still done nonetheless (within C Wing however fusion is less frowned upon). The RCM is based on a partner system after all. Its bound to be that the partners fuse for combat or even recreationally but in the police they are expected to unfuse after their mission is accomplished. I think of how the RCM officers are so limited in their firearms and ammunition and I think fusion is treated like a weapon that needs to be monitored and controlled. Permafusions are incredibly uncommon, though they are more common amongst communist circles and the underground (as a commie pansexual myself I think I speak from the heart). More of my ideas and reasoning under the read more!

I think Harry and Jean could have experimented before with fusing on their good days. Or alternatively, they could have rushed to fuse in a stressful situation or to apprehend a suspect. However, its risky to do so because when a fusion poofs, all gems that make up a fusion poof at the same time. Its seen as a last resort on the field.

It's possible that Jean could have fused with Harry when he poofed, since Harry's RCM cloak has some bullet holes implying he was shot / poofed before in the line of duty, to draw him forcibly out of his gem after unfusing. Like in the Change Your Mind finale of the show where to reform the crystal gems quickly Steven fuses with their gems, and they reform after they unfuse. In Harry's case forcing him out of his gem before he's ready to reform could be what contributed to his damaged psyche and unhealthy view towards fusing, as gems need to recuperate while poofed which is why it takes them so long to reform. The less time a gem takes to reform the more unstable their form and abilities are and Harry would definitely have experienced the consequences of never taking care of himself when he's down since Jean or someone else would force him right back into the ring again.

I think that Jean and Harry's fusion would be a fairly volatile and negative being, prone to humorless self deprecation. A bit like Smoky Quartz is prone to self deprecating jokes in Steven Universe, but here its genuinely toxic. Their fusion usually brings out the worst of them both. I don't think they're Malachite levels of unstable and toxic, but that their morbid humor and combined depression can have poor results. However its not all negative with them as when Jean and Harry are able to synchronize enough to maintain their fusion, the brotherly camaraderie is able to shine through and they cheer each other on with more confidence. I'm not sure how different the fusion would be before and after Harry's retrograde amnesia, but I have some general ideas I'll share at a later time.

I definitely think Kim would be most likely to unfuse first with Harry, less because he doesn't enjoy fusion (he really, really does), but more so that he is more anxious to be caught by surprise or to stand out, which is kind of what fusions do lol. In Martinaise people may not care so much as its a place largely abandoned by any kind of real repercussions, but he still has a reputation he cares about more than Harry does. And Harry has a somewhat unhealthy view of fusion, where its something that is becoming a better person than he thinks he is and disappearing into another person, rather than a mutual dance or union of partners. So this leads to Kim being hesitant to fuse with Harry unless he is able to convince him that their fusion isn't an excuse to disappear into a better half but to instead become someone that represents the joy they both share with each other, as equals.

And yes, Kim is bashful to be a fusion and it is his first time fusing. He may have wanted to fuse with Eyes in the past but never did and regrets not fusing. He thinks its crazy that anyone would ever want to fuse with him. But over time Harry and Kim fuse more often and it starts to represent their love for each other.

[putrefacion]

REGARDING THE STATE LUTE WAS IN SHORTLY AFTER HER CREATION; SHE WASN’T CONSCIOUS, BUT SHE WAS ALIVE — TECHNICALLY, BRUTALLY. NOT AWAKE OR AWARE, BUT STILL PRESENT. SIMILAR TO A CORPSE IN THE AFTERMATH OF DEATH, PARTS OF HER WOULD TWITCH, CONVULSE, SPASM; PAIN WOULD SPIKE THROUGH HER SYSTEM, THERE WAS NO NEURAL FRAMEWORK YET IN PLACE TO INTERPRET IT. NO INSTINCTS, NO MEMORY, NO VOICE, NO PERSONALITY; JUST RAW NERVE ENDINGS MISFIRING IN A BODY THAT DIDN’T YET UNDERSTAND IT EXISTED,

HER FORMATION WAS NOT INSTANTANEOUS; BUT THE PROJECT WAS RUSHED; IT WASN’T DIVINE SPARK & BREATH, SOFT OR FULL OF LOVE & GLITTER LIKE LILITH & THE REAL EVE — IT WAS DIVINE PROCEDURE [ SURGICAL, MECHANICAL, PROLONGED ] THE SERAPHIM ASSEMBLED HER, LIMB BY LIMB…

[ I DON’T IMPOSE THIS ON ADAM WRITERS, OF COURSE; BUT FOR MY DEFAULT LORE: ] ADAM NEVER GAVE HIS CONSENT. THE SERAPHIM DIDN'T ASK; THEY ASSUMED THEY WOULDN’T GET IT IF THEY HAD. ONE MIDRASHIC INTERPRETATION SUGGESTS THAT GOD FORMED EVE LIMB BY LIMB IN FRONT OF ADAM, & HE WAS SO HORRIFIED BY THE PROCESS, SO DISGUSTED BY THE SIGHT OF IT, THAT HE REJECTED HER OUTRIGHT, EXCLAIMING SHE WAS FULL OF BLOOD & SECRETION. THE SERAPHIM WOULDN’T RISK THAT OUTCOME; THEY CONDUCTED THE PROCEDURE IN SECRET,

IT RESEMBLED FETAL DEVELOPMENT IN REVERSE; A BODY FORMING BEING ASSEMBLED WITHOUT BIOLOGICAL ORDER. HER FORM WAS A MESS OF EXPOSED FLESH, UNFINISHED BONE, RAW NERVES, TWITCHING MUSCLE; LIMBS EXTENDING BEFORE JOINTS COULD MOVE, FLESH CLINGING TO BONE WITHOUT PURPOSE OR BREATH. DIVINE MATTER SEEPED THROUGH THE BANDAGES, ADAM'S BLOOD ( BOTH RED & GOLD ) BINDING TO FLESH THAT WASN’T FULLY FORMED,

THIS IS PART OF THE REASON LUTE IS ABLE TO RIP HER OWN ARM OFF; PART OF IT WAS ADRENALINE, TRIGGERED BY BEING CALLED A FAILURE & FUELED BY RAW HATRED FOR VAGGIE — BUT HER BODY WAS BUILT TO WITHSTAND DISASSEMBLY & REASSEMBLY. PAIN ISN’T A DETERRENT FOR HER THE WAY IT IS FOR OTHERS; NOT WHEN HER EARLIEST SUBCONSCIOUS MEMORIES ARE OF BEING PULLED APART & STITCHED TOGETHER BEFORE SHE EVER TRULY LIVED,

ONCE HER FORM STABILIZED, THE FIRST WAVE OF EXORCISTS WERE MADE & THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED, WHICH PROVED TO BE A SEVERE MISTAKE. THOUGH LUTE'S BODY WAS STRUCTURALLY COMPLETE, HER MIND REMAINED UNDEVELOPED — UNDEFINED, UNSTABLE & UNFIT FOR DEPLOYMENT; HER CONSCIOUSNESS HAD YET TO FORM.

& AFTER THE FIRST WAVE PROVED UNSTABLE, LUTE WAS RETAINED FOR PSYCHOSPIRITUAL INCUBATION, TO COMPLETE WHAT WAS LEFT UNFINISHED, & TO RECONDITION; SHE WAS PLACED IN A CRYOPOD FOR CONTAINMENT. INTEGRATED WITHIN THE POD WAS A SIMULATION CHAMBER MODELED AFTER EDEN; A CLOSED GENESIS DESIGNED TO TEST HER OBEDIENCE, LOYALTY, & VIABILITY AS A SUPPORT UNIT FOR ADAM. DURING THIS PERIOD, HER ARTIFICIAL NEURAL FRAMEWORK BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE; SIMULATED INPUTS WERE INTRODUCED INCREMENTALLY: PRESELECTED MEMORIES, LINGUISTIC SCAFFOLDING, INSTINCTUAL DIRECTIVES, & BEHAVIORAL CONDITIONING BASED ON THE SERAPHIM'S INTERPRETATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,

HOWEVER, THE INTENDED REFORMATION RESULTED IN IMPRINTED TRAUMA; THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF HER ARTIFICIAL FALL WAS ENCODED INTO HER CORE BEFORE CONSCIOUSNESS FULLY STABILIZED. SHE DISPLAYED: SPONTANEOUS MOTOR ACTIVITY, UNPROVOKED VITAL FLUCTUATIONS, & EMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO STIMULI SHE HAD NOT YET BEEN TAUGHT. THE SIMULATION WAS EVENTUALLY INITIATED. LUTE WOULD LIVE A FULL ARTIFICIAL LIFETIME AS A REVISED EVE; SHE EXPERIENCED SIN, EXILE, GRIEF, & DEATH. WHAT WAS MEANT AS CONDITIONING BECAME IMPRINTING; THE TRAUMA SHE UNDERWENT WAS ENCODED BEFORE CONSCIOUSNESS FULLY FORMED. WHEN SHE AWAKENED, HER BODY WAS FUNCTIONAL, BUT HER PSYCHE BORE THE AFTEREFFECTS OF SIMULATED GUILD & LOSS. RATHER THAN RESOLVING HER INSTABILITY, THE SIMULATION SEVEREL REPRESSED IT & WHILE LUTE EMERGED BEHAVIORALLY CORRECTED ON THE SURFACE [ OBEDIENT, PRECISE, FUNCTIONAL ] THE UNDERLYING FRACTURES REMAINED INTACT, DEEPENED BY TRAUMATIC IMPRINTING. THIS RECONDITIONED STATE, POLISHED BUT COMPROMISED, BECAME THE TEMPLATE FOR THE SECOND WAVE OF EXORCISTS