So I was watching Oprah on Dec. 9th and it was an episode on an "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Camp". Dr. Jonathan Grayson with the help of Dr. Oz ofcourse, recruited individuals who displayed "obsessive compulsive" behaviours and thoughts, like being terrified of germs and constantly keeping clean and worrying about keeping clean, to undergo their camp of Exposure Response Therapy.

Now what bothered me was not the type of treatment that was used. Although it was VERY extreme (Dr. G got individuals to rub toilets and the inside of dumpsters and then lick their hands), it did not get to me as much as the language that was being used. These people were everyday people with genuine difficulties in dealing with the stressors of life. However, the Oprah show depicted them as something different. Words and phrases were thrown around like "this illness is the worst example of being trapped in our thoughts"; "it is terrifying to have this problem"; "irrational thoughts"; "crippling";"her OCD takes many forms"; "that's not normal", "fragile patients", "disabled", etc. etc. So now, instead of seeing these individuals as very normal people dealing with abnormal circumstances (like overarching systems attempting to control them, like poverty, like discrimination, like loss, like suffering, etc.), mainstream media has depicted them as crippled, as problems, as abnormal???!!!!! Even on Oprah????!! And I love Oprah! Gals and Guys, this issue of Negative Diagnostic Labelling/Branding is A LOT bigger then any one of us realizes.

In the episode, there were real issues and difficulties that these people were facing. Their behaviours did, to a large extent take over their lives as they explained. One man said that he lost his marriage and family due to his behaviours and thoughts taking over his life. However, the show did not go into WHY  these people were having such a difficult time overcoming these thoughts and behaviours. Nor did the show go into HOW  they became addicted to these thoughts and behaviours. There was little to no deeper, meaningful discussion of why and how these people were hurting so much. Ok, ok, there was a two minute little portion where they explained that one woman's sister had died and she had "survival guilt" so that's what "triggered it". But then she goes on to say that she's "probably always had it"!! WHAT??!! Wow. She's always had "OCD". This label was not even invented when she was born!! How could it be that she always had something that did not always exist?

I, myself, have difficulties with thoughts and behaviours taking over. I can also be overly clean to the extent where I would use a napkin to open doors. Do I have a disorder? Am I an "OCD fragile patient" as Oprah says?? Do you have any idea how disempowering this would be if I allowed myself to accept a destructive, negative label such as this? I am not disordered by any means. I am not fragile, nor am I crippled!! I am an ordinary person dealing with extraordinary circumstances that pose so many pressures and toxins on me. I have to fight every day to breath clean air (if there is any left), to live with my physical ailments and pains, to try and break free of the chains that larger systems and institutions tie me up in, to help others break free from their chains, to be able to survive and make a living in a world were there seems that there is more suffering and hurt then good. So, %#&!*% YEAH! I am going to be "Neurotic" every now and then and get lost in my thoughts and behaviours. But labelling me with a very DEMEANING label after you mainstream society has screwed me over is just a way to suck the life right out of me. It's called an attempt to MINDFUCK me. And many-o people, get mindfucked by this system.

Why Isn't this Issue of Diagnostic Labelling/Branding Being Seriously Harmful Spoken about?? Why doesn't Oprah know about this?? Why have I not heard it in news broadcasts or talk shows? Why have I not read it in newspapers or mainstream journals? What's going on here??? We love to talk about how the medications hurt us, but we would not need the medications if the diagnoses weren't there to begin with!!! That is the key people!! GET RID OF THE DSM (DIAGNOSTIC STATISTICAL MANUAL) and replace it with a different language. A more realistic, detailed language. A language that is focused on EMPOWERING rather then disempowering. A language that truly serves to HELP rather then hinder. Plain and simple, a language of love rather then hate.

Please Help Me to Bring this Issue to the Front Line Everyone!! 

I got what you said Laura. 

Oprah is an entertainment show first and foremost.  It's entertaining to an audience to sit and be fascinated over other people's problems and lifestyles and such.  Sort of like the old time freak shows, sort of like a milder version of Jerry Springer.

There isn't anything wrong with diagnosing something---AS LONG AS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT'S TRUE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOU'RE SEEING CORRECTLY, AND YOU CAN FIX IT OR DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT (IMPROVE IT).

Medical doctors make diagnoses, but they are usually capable of the above things.

Psychiatary, and mainstream psychology are virtually incapable of this however.

Also, TELLING someone WHAT THEIR PROBLEM IS, is a bad thing to do. 

There definitely are irrationalities in the human mind.  Something that is not correct where it should be correct (as in 2 plus 2=5).  Something that is not what it should be...a person looks at a horse and sees a dog.  A person does something that interferes with their life---always has to wash their hands more than logically required etc.   On and on.

Irrationalities in the mind are not the product of anything social etc. in the environment.  The environment HAS gotten into the mind, and a person's mind CAN have irrationalities regarding it, but the cause is not 'pressures' or 'stress' from some condition that the environment is in.

A wise man said, 'the human mind is capable of resolving the problems of the human mind'.

I'm going to send you an email Laura to give you some more information.

Hi Ken,

I do believe that environment (humans in it, chemicals, everything material and non material) does influence the mind. I do also believe that pressures or stress can influence the mind as billions of people who live in war torn countries, or who have been raped or molested, or have had some painful experiences will tell you. Also, irrationality is a western, white notion. This is not a notion that is known across the world. But I definitely agree with what you say, that the human mind is capable of resolving the problems of the human mind. I think the Dalai Lama would agree too. I am one human mind trying to help solve the problems of other human minds. Part of this resolution is conscienceness raising and empowering human potential, and that is what I am trying to do here.

To bring awareness that psychiatry and psychology will label or brand you negatively which disempowers you and allows you to be more easily taken over by the system rather then helping you work through your difficulties. They want you to be addicted to them. Obviously, not everyone is capable of fighting such a large system on their own and not everyone is capable of freeing their own minds! They need support. Just as Neo needed support to be freed from the Matrix (for those that have seen that movie). It is just a movie, but the theme is relevant. So Everyone, please read my above post and feel free to comment!!

~Laura 

Well ok ,,,i steer clear of the sytem dynamics ,,,its easy to label ,,,i work from heart with spirit ,,,i have experienced so so much ,,and re developed my own and others patterns of thinking ,,,NLP s a great resource as is Child Within ,,re shaping internal thinking ,,,and re parenting ,,and un conditioning your thinking ,,,,i am totally out the box know ,,,to others i can appear threatening ,,put downs are quiet normal ,,i get frustated because what i started out to do make a difference ,,,and inspire people ,,has in the UK made the them pick and look for alternatives in who ive become ,,,i find few who are on my level ,,and on the care 2 i have more friends than anywere else ,,,i dont make money out of my gods given ability ,,,,i make money out of property these days ,,and i keep myself to myself ,,,,people in the UK dont like people who are successful and the things said behind my back brough me to my nees ,,,,,i have worked hard on myself helped many people ,,,,it upsets me ,,,,,i am know wanting to empower other woman to make a stand ,,no matter what ,,anything is possible in life ,,,,ignore the sexism ,,racism what ever ism and get your but into gear and get on with it ,,,,i do not bother with men today i find no support from them just judgment on how sexy i look untill that is i open my mouth and then they sweat a lot and kinda disappear .

Laura, maybe we should introduce Oprah to this group or better still try to go to one of her shows and let her know that its wrong to label anyone to the benefit of those doctors who have spent alot of money to educate themselves, who in turn want to fill thier pockets back again.

I always find myself repeating the same ole thing over and over again. OCD is only a way to impress the people at large. Some buy it but then some have the mind to show the other way around which is trampled upon only because there are no fancy words put to the reaction. This have been proven over and over again that the mercury in the vaccination, which is not mentioned conveniently is the main cause of AUTISM today, "another label" yet again....

These kind of so called "disorders" are getting more and more popularity. There is a new book coming out in the next few years which has been prompted to come out quicker. It is the new Psychiatric Disorders Manual. There it is stated as in the media to contain everything including the kitchen sink. In otherwords EVERYTHING will be a disorder.
Now, the object of healing or a doctor is to make patients well. To eliminate disease, cure it. Not with Psychiatry. They invent disease.
A few videos to watch are http://www.rewtube.com/the-trap-episode-1/ 1 of 3 very long but worth watching. Also http://www.cchr.org/#/videos/making-a-killing-introduction this one continues after it has stopped.
Psychiatry and these so called disorders go hand in hand with the Pharmaceutical industry. Which in turn go hand in hand with the FDA a team of rotating Psychiatrists. Non of them have the peoples best interest at heart only money.

Now as far as the above show and the doctor who told this woman to go clean toilets and then lick her fingers - I would consider that a fetish myself! Maybe he needs some of his own medicine!

The problem here with this guy Laura is that while it is widely known to keep absolutely quite in distressing states and that the mind records all data whether you are awake or not. This man continues to talk and give "commands" like in hypnosis. The woman is cleaning toilets under heavy duress which can be quite hypnotic initself and is being commanded to know that she is disabled, crippled, not normal etc.,
That at its very least can leave lasting damage. I think one could see at the very least that everytime she went to clean toilets she would then feel as if she was crippled, not normal etc.,

This kind of method is very disturbing to me. It is like when someone asks you about the loss of a loved one. Give every detail, feel every pain and emotion and then give commands like that so that every time you thought or were reminded of the death you are now required to ------------ on top of all that pain. Hmmmmm something wrong with that picture??

Everyone should have a look at this....