COOKIE CUTTER

Too often I see what is called “cookie cutter” treatments where one size fits all and they basically suck in my opinion. These treatment options can help to a point. I believe those generic treatments are primarily used by most clinicians that have no idea what they are dealing with. If they don’t know, then maybe they could ask. That is one of the many ways I learned and I was reading between the lines at times. For example I had a lot of Vietnam veterans losing consciousness while working and or driving. One in particular was driving a Uke on a coal mining strip job and crying as he drove along. After listening about his experiences in Vietnam and the memories he still carries around with him, I asked if he could be remembering the war. He was affirmative about the possibility. So when I have others that have had similar situations when doing something mundane like driving I address it from the same perspective. The perspective being that the clients are remembering something that happened in combat. Every single combat veteran I have approached from this perspective has agreed it was possible. After working these troubling memories, from an emotional view point each one of them has not had issue with those memories again. The troubling memories can be stirred back up if they choose to begin the merry go round again, of course. They are given self-talk and other cognitive behavioral exercises to use to keep the thoughts in the present and away from the past.

Just because doctors can use the same treatments for physical illnesses does not mean it will work for mental health.