They tell you to talk to someone about it. They say that sharing your feelings can help you cope. They tell you to live in the moment, instead of being stuck in the past. They tell you what they thinks is wrong, why they think it's wrong, and exactly what they think you should do about it.
The problem is, sometimes it's all poxrot. Stop telling me what you read in your textbook, and listen to what I have to say to you.
Of course, such an action would go against standard shrink procedure. However, that's not the point at the moment.
Here's a question. Imagine Person Q is depressed, and is advised to start talking to people about it and sharing her or his feelings. So, Q goes to talk to friend W. Q shares struggles, fears, nightmares, everything. Now, Q is still depressed, and W is worried about Q. Seems to me as though we've just spread a bit of sadness, rather than doing anything to solve the problem.
Now, feeling worse for the pain, however minor or major, inflicted on a friend, Q ventures into the world of shrinks. After doling out a considerable sum of money, Q is stuffed into a small, staged, supposedly soothing room with someone who pretends to listen, though they've already diagnosed the patient before Q can finish the first story. Soon enough, a small slip of paper, dreadfully judgmental, even in its simplicity, sends Q in search of a pharmacist. Only the span of a few hours separates Q from a drug infected lifestyle. Of course, there was a brief schpiel about the general purpose of the drug, but Q has no idea how to tell the difference between a side effect and an intentional result. So, after every thought, feeling or action, Q must wonder, "was that the medicine, or me?"
Then it spirals downward and Q doesn't know the difference between "talking it out" and complaining. The depression that may or may not have been there in the first place has grown into a minor obsession.
Okay, I'm going to stop ranting. That's enough for tonight, I hope.
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