A mentally ill planet

[TLR1138]

I don't remember where I found this years ago, but I thought I'd post it. It would be funny if it wasn't so true.

ALL INHABITANTS OF PLANET EARTH DIAGNOSED AS MENTALLY ILL
The following was written by Mike Shirley, an actual Mental Health Nurse working at a psychiatric facility.
PSYCHIATRIC UNIT: PLANET EARTH

Patients appear guarded on approach, pressured, agitated, somewhat hostile. Patients attempt to transfer issues towards personal observations about this writer or other patients to avoid own issues. Patients sometimes hysterical about world situation and express paranoia and mistrust towards others. Mass depression among worldwide patients continues to complicate into impulsive actions and hopeless feelings about the planet. But patients express no insight or self involvement into resolving issue.

Patients express some remorse as well as anger about globalization and corporate control of world economy, but expresses no insight into problem solving or developing a plan for cognitive changes about the human condition.

Patients state “thats just how it is. just gotta go with the flow.” Other patients maintain denial by ignoring negative issues and focusing on own happiness and what gives them an escape from reality.

Mass impulsive consumerism observed through out the day. Global patients appear to be expending money with extreme waste, without planning or a practical purpose. Patients provided one billion in profits towards Grande sized frappucinos at Starbucks today. Patients continue to Self medicate with consumer goods and mindless activities of entertainment without regard towards environmental, health, mental, or personal economic consequences.

Many patients express anger and hopelessness due to lack of independence in providing basic care for self. 2/3 of all patients appear gravely disabled.

Patients observed breeding without regard towards welfare or proper nurturing of offspring.
Mass sterilization recommended to worldwide Psychiatric CARE team.

Writer provided encouragement and re direction concerning patients hopeless behaviors. Patients did not respond , but continued to appear hidden behind a guarded emotionless expression of disregard towards each other.

Patients appear to have paranoia about allowing vulnerability.

Mass ‘anti-hedonism ‘ atmospheric spraying performed in pacific northwest. No visible effect noted.

Low dosage anti-psychotic zyprexa added to water supply, hopefully to lower chronic paranoia.

Blood pressure high at 170/110. pulse high at 110, respirations shallow, 55 per minute. Temp 102.8. Doctor notified about unstable VS 12 times in 24 hours. Has not responded to call. Will continue to observe world patients.

[Emeline]

As my mother used to say, "many a word said in jest....."

[Mr. Bones]

Hooray for mass brainwashing?   

[the Black Hunter]

Derrick Jensen, in his book "Endgame," argues compellingly that we are all in this culture necessarily more than less insane. 

I can't argue with him.  Look at a list of what most of us simply accept - as "normal" - these days.  Filthy air, filthy water, lousy food, streets unsafe for children, public school unsafe for children, wage slavery, never actually owning the home we 'own' (property taxes)... the list could go on for pages...

[LarchSavage]

Derrick Jensen, in his book "Endgame," argues compellingly that we are all in this culture necessarily more than less insane. 

I can't argue with him.  Look at a list of what most of us simply accept - as "normal" - these days.  Filthy air, filthy water, lousy food, streets unsafe for children, public school unsafe for children, wage slavery, never actually owning the home we 'own' (property taxes)... the list could go on for pages...

Derrick Jensen kicks ass! I am currently reading "A Culture of Make Believe" and find it extremely compelling, albeit depressing but such is the truth often times. Which is why I am rooting for further collapse of civilization as any "recovery" would only mean further destruction of the planet in order to allow rich stupid Americans to have more gadgets...

[the Black Hunter]

Derrick Jensen, in his book "Endgame," argues compellingly that we are all in this culture necessarily more than less insane. 

I can't argue with him.  Look at a list of what most of us simply accept - as "normal" - these days.  Filthy air, filthy water, lousy food, streets unsafe for children, public school unsafe for children, wage slavery, never actually owning the home we 'own' (property taxes)... the list could go on for pages...

Derrick Jensen kicks ass! I am currently reading "A Culture of Make Believe" and find it extremely compelling, albeit depressing but such is the truth often times. Which is why I am rooting for further collapse of civilization as any "recovery" would only mean further destruction of the planet in order to allow rich stupid Americans to have more gadgets...

Yes - Derrick, whom i also find supremely depressing, cuts to the core of an issue i like to bring up: sustainability.  Without which, of course, we're toast - by definition.  People not only don't get that (they think it is synonymous with "desirability" is the best i can fathom), they don't understand that a sustainable culture is not likely to look like their futuristic fantasies, either, anymore than we're flying to work in our own little private pod-like sky craft as some predicted for the year 2000 back a few decades ago. 

In reality, sustainability will have nothing to do with industrialism - not cars, not gold mines, not planes, not trains, not sky-scrapers - none of that.  Nor even, I hazard to guess - (egads  ) - solar panels nor wind 'farms'.   And we will never admit this.  Which is why, to become sustainable - and we will - we must collapse first, to the point where this stuff becomes a fondly (or not) remembered impossibility.  Then we are on the road to sustainability.

[Hendrek]

Derrick Jensen is good with this topic.  Someone else I would suggest is Chellis Glendenning, as she approaches it with a PhD in Psychology, and explores how the traumatic experience of civilization (she calls it domestication) reflects and perpetuates itself in modern culture and individual psyches.  Interesting stuff.

[Brigadoom]

PREMISE TEN:  The culture as a whole and most of its members are insane.  The culture is driven by a death urge, an urge to destroy life.

Endgame totally changed my life.  In a way it really helped me come to terms with collapse and crystallised all my thoughts that something is horribly wrong with civilisation.  Everyone should read those two books.

Hendrek, i'm going to check out Chellis Glendenning - thanks for the tip.  Does she appear in What a Way to Go or another film like that?  Her name sounds familiar.

[Hendrek]

PREMISE TEN:  The culture as a whole and most of its members are insane.  The culture is driven by a death urge, an urge to destroy life.

Endgame totally changed my life.  In a way it really helped me come to terms with collapse and crystallised all my thoughts that something is horribly wrong with civilisation.  Everyone should read those two books.

Hendrek, i'm going to check out Chellis Glendenning - thanks for the tip.  Does she appear in What a Way to Go or another film like that?  Her name sounds familiar.

Yes she does!  Good catch.  I've only read her "My name is Chellis, and I'm in recovery from Western Civilization" so far, but it was pretty good.  She's of the psychoanalytical school and references Freud and Jung, so there's a little skepticism that arises within me, but I found the book to be good and insightful overall.  Definitely worth reading.

[the Black Hunter]

I'm checking out Chellis right now, thanks for the lead.

Reading Jensen has me thinking daily of saying "fuck it all" and retiring to the river with my canoe and survival gear for a last ditch do-or-die bid for a taste of real freedom.