Thursday, April 22, 2010

Capitalism and Mental Illness

In the United States we have an unfortunate knack of differentiating work/labor and our politics. Or, more specifically, of treating our work practice as if it were essentially not related to politics. This is, of course, an illusion. All work/labor is political. All mental health assessments and interventions are political.

In life after capitalism, mental health institutions will no longer be organized according to the models promoted by slave labor, sociological abuse, poverty. This is promoted and dictated by social control imperatives and corporate profit motives. Instead, the institutional goal Socialism will be to facilitate the fullest development of the potentials of each and every individual, consistent with his or her physical and mental capabilities. Rather than viewing people as objects to be manipulated and controlled for the benefit of capital. The resistance toward empowerment, National Health Care, Universal Income, environment . Workers rights, human rights and dignities, stress and abuse, has engulfed the world in flames of agony.

With developing the Social notions of democratic Socialism as in the Scandinavian Countries, , a post-capitalist social system will inaugurate other transformations in the way that people are treated as human beings.
Post-capitalist

We must engage in empowerment practice. Empowerment practice involves ways of thinking and acting that acknowledge, support and amplify people’s own participation and influence in the decisions that affect their lives.

Abuse, exploitation, stress, fatigue, overwork, slums life, rural poverty life, workplace abuse all cause depression, stress, anxiety, and violence. Also, broken homes,

An average 23 percent of Americans, Britons, Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians suffered in the last 12 months, but only 11.5 percent of Germans, Italians, French, Belgians, Spaniards and Dutch.
The message could not be clearer. Capitalism is extremely bad for for our mental health.
Capitalism stokes up relative materialism: unrealistic aspirations and the expectation that they can be fulfilled.
It does so to stimulate consumerism in order to increase profits.

individuals or groups to use persistent aggressive or unreasonable behavior against a co-worker or subordinate. Workplace exploitation can include such tactics as verbal, nonverbal, psychological , physical abuse and humiliation. This type of aggression is particularly difficult because unlike the typical forms of exploitation workplace abusers often operate within the protection of the government and policies of their entreprises and their society. Exploitation in the workplace is in the majority of cases reported as having been perpetrated by management and takes a many of forms .
Unfairly treated
Public humiliation(s)
Regularly threatened with dismissal
Any form of undermining behavior
Taking credit for work that another has done
Unfairly passed over for promotion or denied training opportunities
Being quick to criticize and slow to praise
Character assassination
Spreading malicious rumors
Smear campaigns
Social ostracism
Physical assault

The conflicts that arise in workplaces may be shaped by the unique aspects of this environment, including the long hours many people spend at their workplace, the hierarchical structure of the Corporations, and the difficulties’
It’s a primary contributor to many risk factors that can affect brain development. While all children are vulnerable to things like inadequate nutrition, substance abuse, maternal depression, exposure to environmental toxins, trauma, abuse and poor quality daily care, a disproportionate number of people in low-income families face multiple risk factors, often several of them simultaneously

Our brains learn very early how to cope with the environment to which we are exposed, sometimes with harmful results. (e.g Going Postal, robberies, muggings, gang warfare, etc)

This change must take place at an individual level, in families, in child care facilities and schools, through socialized communities in local and state government.
If we want our children to be successful, the adults in their lives, to identify where change is needed, and to work together to bring about improvements. For this vision to become reality for all people, we must develop strategies to eliminate poverty for young all such as the Universal Income, sustainable livable communities, and community work. We must create programs and services that can improve the life chances for all already in poverty.

Everyone must have empowerment, equal opportunity, and and a life worth living. With the current system this is impossible.

For Buyanzaya Koubry