Exceptionalism

 

This essay portrays three incarcerated men. Capt. Alfred Dreyfus was imprisoned on Devil's Island; Dr. Viktor Frankel was in four different Nazi concentration camps; and Capt. Louis Zamperini in four different Japanese prisoner of war camps.  They were all subjected to unprecedented hate, sadism, brutal and inhuman and unconscionable levels of extreme physical and emotional stress.  Yet, these three demonstrated their resilience and overcame obstacles that confronted them daily and were able to give back to their fellow man.  This is a brief look into their character. 

Initially it can be stated that emotional and/or physical pain is in the eye of the beholder.  For example, when describing pain to a health provider, one is asked to rate that  on  a scale of 1 to 10.  Doctors prescribe pain medication based on one's complaint.  If addicted, one goes to multiple providers for their meds.  The number of pills can be limited but there is no objective way of discernment regarding pain or discomfort.

Years back, psychologically, an external stress index was created in an attempt to measure the stress levels of different life events.  Numerical values were  assigned to each episode.  A few examples of the higher valued levels of stress: 1.  Death of a spouse = 100  2. Divorce= 73 3.  Marital separation = 65  4.  Jail or imprisonment.= 63 and 5.  Death of a close family member =63.  Note, there was no measure for solitary confinement; being falsely accused of treason  ; being publicly shamed; being a witness to family and other human beings murdered; being subjected to starvation; being physically beaten and sadistically treated as if you were a nonhuman , or  being treated without any sense of morality, right, wrong, or reason.

Capt. Alfred Dreyfus, of Jewish ancestry, was born in Milhouse, France .  In 1870, the Franco- Persian war occurred and the Dreyfus family moved to Switzerland because that part of France was annexed by Germany .  After Alfred finished high school, the family moved to Paris.  That war, Germany taking what was once France , led to Alfred's joining the French military.  In spite of anti-Semitism, "Jews were not desired," Alfred was promoted  and became part of the general staff that was, anti-semetic.  Shortly thereafter, a French housekeeper found a torn up handwritten note of  French military secrets in a wastebasket at the German Embassy.

Alfred was accused of being a traitor and at his closed court-martial,  one member of the French staff testified that the handwritten note in question was written by Capt. Dreyfus.  With that "evidence" the military tribunal found him guilty of treason.  He was told that if he admitted the crime, he and his family would be exiled.  Alfred denied the preposterous charges.  That he would give war secrets to Germany, the country that made him and his family leave France, nonsense.

There was a ceremony  to humiliate and publicly shame Capt. Dreyfus in front of the military and the public.  Dreyfus had his rank insignia, buttons and braids cut from his uniform and his sword broken in  two pieces..  Capt. Dreyfus responded to the age-old shaming attempt with dignity and self-respect.  He looked straight ahead, not downward or shy away with a whimper.  His pride did not allow him to lose face as he cried out, "I swear that I'm innocent, I remain worthy of serving in the Army, long live France.  Long live the Army."  These are not words of the traitor, but of a proud, patriotic, Jewish French military officer.  France's motto of liberty, equality, and fraternity were absent along with honor of the military.  He was exiled to Devil's Island in French Guiana from 1895 until 1899.

Alfred was given food and shelter  in solitary confinement.  During those years, he wrote letters, but was not allowed to receive any .  He was cut off ,alone and isolated.  Yet, he prevailed, he did not allow the sadistic abuse to put him in despair.  During that period, on the home front, Emile Zola had published in a French newspaper, the lies, the betrayal and anti-Semitism related to that closed phony hearing by the French military.  A second trial was held. Of course, he was found guilty.  However, in order to save face for the military's mistake, he was given a pardon by the French president.  However, if he had refused the pardon, he would've been sent back to Devil's Island. In  Dreyfus's mind, he  was still seen as a traitor to France and said at his release.  "The government of the Republic is giving me back my freedom.  It is nothing for me without my honor."  He lived in house arrest until he was finally exonerated by a military commission in 1906.  During that time, the actual French traitor told his story and it was published for all to see.

 

While in the military, Alfred served the Army for France from 1890 to 1918 and achieved the rank of Lieut.  He participated at the battle of Verdun and the second battle of  Aisne during World War I.  Lieut. Dreyfus was promoted to officer of the Legion of Honour, and there is a statue of the Lieut. holding his broken sword at the exit of Notre Dame des Champs Metro Station . He passed at the age of 74.

Dr. Viktor Frankel was born in Vienna, Austria, and was educated as a neurologist and psychiatrist.  He later also earned a PhD in philosophy.  He founded a logotherapy school of psychotherapy that described a search for life's meaning as a central human motivational force.  Dr. Frankel , in nine days, wrote a book originally titled "A Psychologist Experiences the Concentration Camp."  This book was translated into English as "Man's Search for Meaning."

In 1942, nine months after his marriage, Dr. Frankel and his family were sent to the Theresienstadt Concentration camp, where his father died.  In 1944, the family was transported to Auschwitz where his mother and brother were murdered in the gas chambers.  His wife died later of typhus in another concentration camp. .He spent three years in four concentration camps and witnessed mechanized disgraceful mass beatings and killings of innocent men, women and children.

Briefly, he assisted many prisoners , with their psychological issues, during those terrible years despite the tragic losses he personally experienced.  Viktor had to confront his own anxiety, despair, depression, and grief.  His strong sense of self, identity and ego gratitude allowed him to be human despite the inhumanity all around him. 

He founded Logotherapy. It’s based on paradoxical intentions ie.  overcoming concessions and anxieties, distancing and humorous exaggeration; dereflection drawing the client's attention away from  symptoms; and Socratic dialogue asking questions designed to help clients find and pursue self to find meaning in life.  Self talk and challenging irrational ideas and illusions ; pursuing a future and future goals are significant for modifying negative emotions through verbalization.  These patients , in the past , had successful careers and family, and in the present suffered severe trauma, starvation, and loss of loved ones.  It was therefore  important to focus on many things, and not dwell on the past. The task was to find and focus on positives while searching for meaning in order to make sense of the sadism in their surroundings.

In 1947 Viktor Frankel remarried and he had one daughter who became a child psychologist.  It was later reported that after his death , he prayed every day and had memorized the words of daily Jewish prayers and Psalms.  He died in 1997 in Vienna, age 92,  of heart failure. His gratuitous life was characterized by responsibility ,staying intact , completeness, honesty, moral obligation, delight, psychological harmony ,psychological and ethical eros, sincerity, prudence, conscience,  amiability and holiness  . Other books he wrote include: The Doctor and the Soul, On the Theory and Therapy of Mental Disorders, Psychotherapy and Existentialism,  The Will to Meaning, The Unheard Cried for Meaning, Viktor Frankel, Recollections and Autobiography ,Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning, Yes to Life in Spite of Everything. Dr. Frankel earned many decorations and awards as well.  In 1995 he was Honorary Citizen of the City of Vienna and Great Gold-Medal with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria. Strength, resilience, achievement, and humanism define his character.

Louis Zamperini born in 1917, attended the University of Southern California and ran in the 5000 m race in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin finishing eighth while setting a new lap record in the process..  After the race, Hitler shook his hand and said, "you're the boy with the fast finish."  He was commissioned into the United States Army Air Force as a lieutenant, rose to the rank of Capt. and served as a bombardier on a B 24 Liberator in the Pacific.  He  later received the distinguished flying Cross award.  His plane crashed in the Pacific ,and after drifting at sea ,starving and fighting off sharks for 47 days with two other crewmates.  They landed on the Japanese occupied Marshall Islands and were captured.

 Capt. Louis was taken to  four different prisoner of war camps in Japan where he was tortured , mistreated and severely beaten specially by Mutsuhiro Watanabe.  This prison guard was called "the Bird '' and later included Gen. Douglas MacArthur's list of the 40 most wanted war criminals in Japan.  Louis was also held in the same camp as Greg.  "Pappy" Boynton .  The major described the Italian recipes that Louis wrote to keep the prisoners' minds off the food and conditions.  Once again the use of positive  thinking helped alleviate emotional distress.  Focusing and obsessing on the negative emotional reality becomes unproductive and contributes to anxiety, distress, depression, without future hope.

After  returning home, this veteran, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, experienced  nightmares, thought about strangling his former captors and began drinking heavily, attempting to repress his POW experiences.  He had symptoms associated with PTSD. His dreams and nightmares were an insight into the sadistic situation that he experienced.  Thus, his dream symbolism were  sophisticated defenses against taking those actions to reality. He was safe in his dream world.  And when he mastered the symbolism of terror  of  his dream life, it set him free  and was again  to live with  ego integrity . Fortunately, his wife Cynthia became a Born-Again Christian and encouraged him to attend a Billy Graham Crusade. He found meaning ,his religious experience also reinforced his ability  to forgive his captors and when that happened, his sleep improved.  He then began a career as a Christian evangelist .  He visited many guards from his POW days and told them that he had forgiven them.  Four days before his 81st birthday, Louis ran a leg in the Olympic torch relay for the Winter Olympics in Japan not far from the POW camp where he had been held.  Louis  sent " The Bird" letter stating that while he suffered great mistreatment, he forgave him.  Louis never received a response and the bird died in 2003.  In 2005,  Capt. Louis returned to Germany to visit the Berlin Olympic stadium.  In his 90s,  he attended USC football games, appeared on Jay Leno's show and died of pneumonia in 2014 at the age of 97. Capt.  Louis' character and resilience was illustrated by slaying his demons and giving to others.  His character is associated  with  ego integrity.

  In summary, these three humans experienced  chronic stress with unimaginable levels of cortisol that not only endangered their being but also created traumatic memories and flashbacks pertaining to their inhumane nightmare.  Despite these conditions, these men were able to integrate  and unify  their ego integrity within a strong sense of self. Because of ego integrity , they were able to  adapt to the horrific  sadistic dark side  actions of their captors; they were able to accept the insecure, dependent, helpless reality of their situation because of their inner strength and fortitude.  They were also  able to defend their dignity of who they were, and not feel  despair ,despite the  consistent physical and emotional threats to their well-being.  They didn't fear death as they had the inner resources of their character and  personality .They had  personal meaning to give back to make the world better. 

Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact, said William James, philosopher and psychologist . 

Reference

Beebe, John.  Integrity in Depth. 

Erikson, Erik H.  Childhood and Society.

Assisting the Unfortunate

 

The article in the New York Times December 11, 2022    "A Doctor Has New York's Ear.On Mentally Ill"  is the topic for this disquisition.  Psychiatrist E.  Fuller Torrey  advocated  mandatory mental health treatment for many years.  In fact, he's been instrumental  with the enactment of  treatment laws in many states for the mentally ill.  States have enacted mandatory treatment or Kendra's law based on the belief that mental illness and crime are one of the same. However, epidemiological  research  found about 4% of violent acts can be directly attributed to mental illness while many of them are low-level assaults such as in pushing, shoving and slapping people. Recently, Mayor Eric Adams of New York  instituted a policy that  sends people with untreated mental illness. to hospitals even if they posed no threat to others. Unfortunately, the article did not define mentally ill,  treatment provided, particulars on how  individuals would be selected with what criteria, by whom and carted away in what type of vehicles.  If individuals did not want to cooperate, are they  now criminals?  Further, is there a plan to evaluate this policy ?

 California, with Short-Doyle legislation, began closing state mental health hospitals In the 1970s.  Funds were transferred to mental health treatment centers in  county  locations.  These mental health facilities provided outpatient mental health services for the general population, and for  the hospital patients that were being released into the community.  The outpatient treatment was provided by psychiatrists, psychologists, MSW's, MFCC’s and licensed mental health workers . The  psychiatrists   prescribed psychotropic medication .The treatment program also incorporated individual and group therapy along with other structured experiences.  Psychotropic medication was significant, and a major and necessary part of the treatment. Group homes,in the community, were also established to provide meals, housing, and staff on a 24-hour basis for these patients .

Mental illness refers to a wide range of symptoms and conditions that affect mood, thinking and behavior.  There are many examples of mental illness with diagnoses  found in the DSM - 5, the  diagnostic  bible.  However, only a limited number of  diagnoses found in the DSM 5 are covered by health or medical insurance. 3rd party payers discriminate. If a diagnosis can be treated by a pill, that condition  likely qualifies for a limited number of treatment sessions. The motive is profit , not mental health for the insured. Therefore, what individuals, with what mental illness diagnosis, are to receive mandatory treatment in New York  ? And, what are the particulars for the hospitalizations in New York?

As a psychologist in an outpatient treatment center and in private practice,  I provided individual, couples and family psychotherapy therapy  with a wide range of  diagnosis’ . Included, in treatment, were foster care children.  I also administered psycho diagnostic evaluations at residential group homes for adolescents; locked door facilities for adults; and for  incarcerated prisoners referred for competency to stand trial.  Psychotropic medication played a significant  and necessary role in treatment , for some,even with  side effects .  Unfortunately, meds  do reduce or minimize symptoms , but they do not reconstruct one's character or personality.

Mental illness is a broad category ,easily  misunderstood and loosely used. Do we use  an insurance definition of mental illness or the DSM-5 ?   Even a schizophrenic reaction  can be misunderstood.  For a brief  example, there is not only a wealth of symptoms and  various types of schizophrenia  but also they are not all mutually exclusive.  They are not even separate or are even separate subtypes of the disease.  Schizophrenics may have difficulty and misinterpret reality, sometimes exhibit delusions and hallucinations.  Mood changes occur with loss of empathy with others and actions  may be withdrawn, regressive and bizarre. Further, schizophrenia can be treated with  individual and group psychotherapy, drugs, group homes,and structure  as previously mentioned. 

 Briefly, precipitating factors for schizophrenia  are a loss or threatened loss of a major source of gratification as well as a loss or threatened loss of basic security.  The onset is often slow and insidious. Not being able to meet ordinary life demands becomes obvious.  Many schizophrenics have lived as children within a pathological family organization.  It's not uncommon for a potentially psychotic parent to be able to keep reasonably clinically well, by scapegoating one of their offspring - the identified patient or crazy .

One of the primary contributing factors for a schizophrenia diagnosis are the parents.  Some parents are sadistic, neglectful, or indifferent to the child who then  has no chance to internalize a stable parental image.  Some parents don't realize their craziness and defend what they are doing , even though it’s inappropriate, wrong and unhealthy.  Some parents are severely mentally ill  and have also been reared in a dysfunctional  family organization .

Last year, a 17-year-old from the state of Illinois, attended a political protest in another state.  This boy, armed with an automatic weapon,had his accomplice mother drive him.  She did  drive him and he murdered.  That mother was an accomplice and should have been charged too.  Also, a teen in Michigan  , killed  four students at his high school.  This time his parents were also charged.  Parents of adolescents should be held accountable for their role in contributing to their killer children.

Currently, there are over 400,000 children and adolescents in foster care.  These foster care children experience high rates of mental health disorders and are at an increased risk of experiencing negative long-term health outcomes as well. Further, the number of homeless in the United States is estimated at 552,830 and approximately 16 to 33% of these people are mentally ill.There is likely a significant and positive correlation between foster care children and adult homelessness.  More than likely, there is a great  percentage of mental illness with foster care, and homelessness   significantly related to parenting conditions.  Yes, sex is a psychological need, but rearing children is not.  There is no manual on child rearing or who should be a  parent.  Parenting is complex, difficult to say the obvious.  Socioeconomic conditions, divorce,political dysfunction, social media, Covid -19  add to fear, anxiety, threats to safety, security  and wellbeing .  

Parenting plays a significant role in increased numbers of the mentally ill’ What can be done about it ? A few suggestions: 1.  Years ago, lepers were taken to Molokai.  They were  pushed  overboard and had to swim  to shore for their survival  2.  We can continue the same policies and expect the same results  3.  We could limit the number of children per family and legislate who should be allowed to be parents  4.  We could encourage and support abortion  5.  We could establish some form of a kibbutz with collective principles that would generate very different upbringing. 6.  We could build more hospitals, more locked  facilities and have police round up  all the crazies 7. We could place clinicians in schools to help evaluate and recommend treatment and/or options for children and their families for those in need 8.  We could evaluate current foster care and / or implement a new model when taking children from their parents.  9. We could invest in mental health and make it a priority.

In reality, our capitalistic socioeconomic system is predicated on profit for a  minority.  Historically, that has been the policy and enactment of those in power.  Altruism, on the other hand, requires  concern for others and enlightened thinking. The Dalai Lama once said "our prime purpose in this life is to help others.

Reference

Cameron, Norman.  Personality Development And Psychopathology .  A Dynamic Approach.

The Dark Side

 

Over the years, children have been referred to as our most precious resource and wanting them to have a better  life.  However, revenue for public school funding has  been inadequate ,especially in metropolitan cities ; political pressure dictating what can be taught in the schools; and a declining interest  and supply of teachers suggests something very different regarding valuing  children.  The Education Office for Civil Rights logged a record number of discrimination complaints in the past year.  The complaints alleged  discrimination based on disability, race or sex. Child obesity rates continue to be a problem  ; depression, anxiety and mental health issue rates have increased for children; 11  countries have higher average mathematics scores and seven  countries have higher  science  scores.  Two thirds of eighth graders are not proficient in math and reading  and most common countries of origin for a degree in engineering are India and China.  And over 400,000 are in foster care. These statistics along with an article  in the December 18, 2022 edition of The New York Times also supports  the idea that children are not the most precious resource with the title "Since 2020, gun violence has surpassed car accidents as a leading cause of death for American children.  This disquisition points to significant thinking and action tendencies as described by Freud’s Id and Jung’s Shadow. 

A few statistics from this article : 1.  In our history, disease was once the number one killer of children and later was followed by automobile death.  20 years ago, even with the seatbelt  laws ,American children were still three times more likely to be killed in a car accident than to be killed by a firearm.  2.  The gun death rate for children is  five in every 100,000  3.  In 2021, 3,597 children died by gunfire according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 4.  Nearly 2/3 of those gun deaths involving children, or 2239 were homicides.  5.  The number of children that have died by suicide with a gun has also risen . Over the last decade , suicides made up about 30% of child gun deaths or 1,078  6.  Black boys are eight times more likely to die by gunfire historically 

 Applying the id  to children's gun deaths, the following is associated with murder . The id, according to Freud,  was the mechanism in which psychic energy was distributed and/or  also used by the ego and superego.  One of these systems could gain control over the available energy at the expense of the other two systems and become stronger than the weaker other two . Originally the id was seen as possessing all the energy and using it for reflex action and wish  or need fulfillment ( sex and aggression) by means of primary process  while pursuing pleasure  . This means these activities are  in direct service of the pleasure principle . In this very fluid state, actions  easily move from one action or image to another action or image.  Unfortunately, if the id had retained control over a large share of the  psychic energy, the behavior of the person  tends to be impulsive , primitive and aggressive in character. Thinking and behavior   becomes impulsive, irrational ,with dominant  tendencies and not affected by reason , objectivity, truth  nor  about right and wrong as with hate, prejudice, destruction and  murder .

Keeping irrational thinking and behavior regarding gun ownership in the forefront, the following questions and/or rationalizations are raised: 1.  The Second Amendment pertained to having  state regulated militias, a musket and not an AR automatic killing device.  2.  The gun is going to keep me safe, especially when I wear it in open view  3.  How many guns are required to keep an individual safe?  4. Bad guys have guns so I have to have a gun too.  Note, these rationalizations pertain to  underlying fear and anxiety.  The world can be dangerous and unpredictable.  Having control over many of the external random happenings  is fiction and fantasy.  Fear is about danger, it's objective and it's internal.  Anxiety is about danger.  It's subjective and it's internal.  Having the largest  Military and Defense expenditure in our budget is supposed to keep us safe and reduce anxiety or fear?  Having a multitude of  gun weapons is supposed to keep us safe and reduce fear and anxiety ? These beliefs are fantasy , delusional and crazy . An irrational  sick person with a gun is  dangerous.

Freud stated that the id is obscure  and  is in the unassessable part of  personality.  Also , the id contains everything that is inherited, that is present at birth and fixed in the Constitution of the individual. Briefly: 1.  The id is a mental function of idealized images and plays an active role in behavior determination.  2.  The existence of the id is illustrated by behavior, an absurd dream, daydreaming ,intoxications, delusions, psychotic symptoms, and sensory deprivation.  3.  The iid is the core of mental organization that is impervious to external reality,  asocial and never socialized.  4.  It's governed by pleasurable, immediate satisfaction of drives and needs without regard for consequences 5.  It's pleasurable, comforting with contentment, as in daydreams and fantasy 6.  Many different id needs coexist at the same time, and some are in conflict with each other 7.  The id's mental function persists throughout life, governed by drives for immediate gratification, called the primary  process .  8.  It's derived from physiological energy 9.  It gives rise to many irrational contradictions and therefore aspects of behavior are varied, not always understandable ,asocial and expressed in many different ways without consciousness  of what's happening or why.  It has no regard for consequences or logical reflection.

While thinking about Freud's id, I then focused my attention on  Carl Jung’s Analytic Theory. Jung had his own terminology.  For example, a man's personality  includes a Collective Unconscious which contains Archetypes . An archetype was a universal thought or idea, an idealized image in which  emotions  importantly play an active role in behavior determination. He identified many archetypes, One of his archetypes was called Shadow. The shadow was depicted as the  dark side of man. It consisted of  animal instincts which man inherited in his evolution from lower forms of life .The shadow was responsible for man's conception of Original Sin and when it was projected outward , it became the devil or the enemy. In other words, the shadow and/or the behavior is unpleasant and socially reprehensible with its thoughts, feelings and actions.  And, thus,the dark side of man could either be hidden from the public view or repressed into the personal unconsciousness . The idea of the  shadow is significant, with  its primitive animal instincts . It gives a more complete picture of  man’s destructive and aggressive personality and influenced by inheritance, development and societal influences .

Freud and Jung, brilliant creative giants both incorporated, in personality development, a dark ,destructive, and aggressive side of man.  Although both placed emphasis on . biology and personal interactions, Jung delved deeper into  interpersonal and societal and  causes for behavior. In any event,man can be characterized as being like a sheep with tendencies of  dependency  compliant, subservient, docile and following the crowd. Man can also be intelligent as with the Greek philosophers,  Enlightenment philosophers, natural, social  science  and political thinkers and others. They  have provided the world with knowledge, objectivity, morality  and reasoned enlightenment .  Man can also express aggressive tendencies and can  be irrational, impulsive,  reckless, guilty, criminal ,sinful, culpable etc. Religious prophets and laws have had  limited success in containing the dark side.  With that being said, it is obvious and predictable with our current laws, political dysfunction,  gun availability and interpersonal dysfunction, that children gun deaths have arisen.  The  inclusion of the Second Amendment into our capitalistic system is also contributing greatly to the killing of our children.  Perhaps,it takes more white children in high socioeconomic areas to be killed by guns, would there be change?

The dark side tendencies  of  the history of Homo sapiens has been well documented with the preponderance of lies, hate, prejudice, irrationality, discrimination, political dysfunction and death.  The last 250 years or so, our country  has also substantiated the same with the Revolution,  decimation  of native Indians, Civil War, Lincoln  assassination, World War I and with discrimination against German citizens, World War II  with anti semitism against Jewish refugees, prejudice  against  Japanese Americans and the Nazi sympathizers in Congress,  McCarthy hearings,  Korean War,  Vietnam , Civil rights movement, the Kennedy and Dr. King assassinations , Watergate,  Iraq and Afghanistan wars and January 6 etc.  Historically, the dark age of Trump will become history too .

Reference

Freud, Sigmund.  The Ego and the Id.

Jung, C.G.  The Integration of Personality.

Our Troubled Republic

 

Current statistics  on income inequality, mental and physical health, Covid-19 death, domestic violence, military expenditures  (  An article on the front page of the December 18, 2022 New York Times  titled "Bonanza for Arms Makers  as Military Budget Surges -Amid Ukraine War and Growing  Threats, US plans, 858  Billion in Spending "), global warming, IRS dysfunction  and homelessness suggest personal and interpersonal  toxic dysfunction. Other factors interfering with man's pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain is based on the ravages of nature as in hurricanes, fires, etc.; the decline or decay of the health of the body , as in obesity, asthma, diabetes,  cardiology , virus, cognitive deficiency; and  other restrictions, conflicts and disappointments occurring in our republic.  This essay addresses  Freud and Murray’s thinking regarding man's needs and drives for survival, affiliation, sex,  destruction and death.

Life is  difficult  with its numerous and painful disappointments, conflicts and impossible situations to resolve for  well-being and survival.  Man  attempts to distort this reality with various deflections, such as immersing himself in sports, entertainment, travels, social media;  finds substitute satisfactions such as imagination, fantasy, art, music and science;  ingesting intoxicating substances such as nicotine, alcohol, drugs;  and   withdraws as in yoga or seeks religion to be taken care of  and for affiliation along with it’s preposterous explanations of   life and afterlife meanings .

What is the purpose of life?  Why do we exist?  Is it seeking pleasure, happiness and the satisfaction of one's needs?  In any event, the relation of unhappiness  to happiness goes back and forth . The reduction of pain is called happiness.  A brief example follows.  One of my friends, in his early 70s, recently experienced 12 1/2 hours of surgery with four surgeons .  His recovery was difficult and taxing .  From that assault on his body, he  recently told me that he was happy because the doctors didn't find cancer and now he no longer has to carry a bag.  But, he has to be within 15 minutes of the toilet.

The striving for pleasure and avoiding unpleasantness is difficult because of the forces of nature, the physiological changes in our body and the multiple relations with others.  Therefore, the  seeking of pleasure is extremely difficult to fulfill and our pursuit of pleasure is really a protection against suffering.  However suffering is a sensation that exists because we feel it.   Also, perhaps, most of our suffering within human relations is related to our society, with its restrictions, unfairness, and contradictions that are contrary to the satisfaction of  drives and needs?

Freud described man's drives for survival,  destruction and death while Murray identified man's needs for Affiliation (To draw near and enjoyably cooperate or reciprocate with an allied other. To please and win affection of a cathected object.  To adhere and remain loyal to a friend.) ;  Sex To form and further an erotic relationship.  To have sexual intercourse ) and Abasement (To accept injury blame, and criticism .  To blame, belittle or mutilate the  self.  To seek and enjoy pain, punishment, illness and misfortune).  Statistically, the behavior of roughly half the individuals in the United States are pursuing short-term pleasure for  long-term pain  with issues of obesity, diabetes, asthma, heart disease.  A great many are expressing aggression and hate directed both inward and outward as suicide and death rates multiply.  The pursuit of pleasure for the unhappy is  temporary and  has harmful long term consequences for  well-being.

Number of years ago nursing homes were established to provide  care for individuals unable to return home because of lack of family support and for those requiring nursing  assistance.  Family support was compromised because of mobility and separation between parents and children.  It was  not uncommon for children to leave home and search for their fortune elsewhere.  Other  living arrangements for seniors were established and became available that provided assistance for those requiring it.  When  mother was in her 90s, she wanted to remain  living at home rather than enter some senior citizen arrangement with all those old people.  Around that time, corporate America created a franchise that would send a minimum wage employee non medically licensed into the home to assist.They were there to meet one's affiliative needs.  Capitalism took advantage of the separateness and assisted many  seniors in meeting their affiliative needs.

Sex is necessary for  survival.  Developmentally, testosterone is the main hormone produced in the testicles and secreted by the testes.  The major effects of testosterone is that it promotes libido, aggressiveness and sexual desire.  The effects of testosterone are most pronounced during puberty. However, In the 10 Commandments , It's a sin to commit adultery.  In certain evangelical teachings, adolescents are taught not  to masturbate, watch pornography or have sexual intercourse.  The proud boys are not supposed to masturbate more than once a month.  Also, a woman is not to decide on whether or not to receive an abortion. These beliefs  are absurd.

Religious  teaching is supposed to restrict and repress the biological and psychological nature of man?   Well, we know how that has turned out with all the sexual scandals, with priests and ministers.  We even established laws regarding adultery and divorce.  We also know how that has turned out.  Could the so-called restrictions  of the sexual nature of man, result in psychological illness and dysfunction as well as the plethora of pornography ?  Religion has  equated sex and guilt needlessly for too many and it’s preposterous.  Thank goodness, Nevada has a realistic humanistic and rational approach to sex with its legal brothels.  A woman has a right to engage in sex and in a capitalistic society and appropriately charge for it. It's her body and the state  makes money on that business. For example, sex is pleasurable, natural and important for survival.  Franchise genital love bordello’s  without the guilt and shame.

Thou shall not kill and yet the largest monetary expenditure in our budget is for the military.  It's difficult to remember when our country was neither at war nor was providing military aid.  Eisenhower called this the Military-Industrial Complex.  What would happen to our economy if we did not have so much expenditure for guns but had a large expenditure for butter as Paul's Samuelson, the first American to win the Nobel Memorial prize in economic sciences, wrote  ?  Samuelson opposed the craziness of Milton Friedman's trickle-down economics. In any event, our country has no problem when it comes to producing  killing devices.

Our citizens have more guns, and kill others with domestic terrorism on the rise.  To kill plays an important role in our culture.  Yet we have hospice.  Hospice is supposed to provide emotional and virtual care for patients and families. The dying patient requires anesthetizing that masks the pain . Why  witness a loved one in that intoxicated state?  The purpose is? 

 Years ago, Jack Kevorkian was incarcerated.  This physician helped another with incurable illness in  assisted suicide.  This was against the law in Michigan.  Seems to me that it is much more humane to assist someone in their death than to anesthetize them. Why go on in that state?   If the quality of life is important , if none exists, then suicide is most humane. We put down our animals. Yes, suicide is against the law and we have suicide prevention. Recently,  a ride and tie friend had Lou Gehrig's disease.  This  bright athlete progressively wasted away and was confined to an electric powered mobile device.  Thank goodness he decided on assisted suicide, which was a great relief to his spouse as well.

We know that older societies have more realistic practices and do not allow archaic thinking to get in the way of sex and death of a loved one.  It's time, In our country, to realistically address sex rationally and without the association of guilt.  When sex is spectacular  between loved one's, that's terrific for that union.  When sex is not good, that union is generally not working well.  Death and dying also requires rational thought as that too is part of the life cycle. It's clear that our society is challenged and requires change. For example, franchise grief, loss and dignity while removing shame and guilt. Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them, said Leo Tolstoy.

Applying  the analogy of Freud's id, ego, and superego to our fragile experimental Republic, briefly , we find the following. The id is dominant with its irrational , unorganized, no values, no good, no morality   reservoir of  the psychic energy system of  the mental  provinces. It affects the climate change terror and  degree of incorporation, ingestion, consumption of toxic ingredients bringing disease,viruses deadly to the brain and body  along with  hateful, insidious,  aggressive, neurotic and murderous interpersonal interactions.  The ego's executive functions of rational reality testing in which thinking and beliefs are compromised and distorted in the areas of capitalism, religion , politics and humanistic values of love ,respect and integrity .  The  morality of  law, truth and fairness within the superego have been perverted by identification with rigid, sociopathic authoritarianism. The energy of the  id, its irrationality and difficulty with reality  proves to be prevailing all too often.

Reference

Freud, Sigmund.  Civilization and its Discontents.

Murray, Henry A.  Explorations in Personality.