Why psychiatrists say we have to rebuild society | The Chris Hedges Report

Psychiatrists could start by admitting they have made serious mistakes, causing many people serious suffering and harm.

This is a big advancement in Psychiatry. Psychiatry used to be dedicated to making people who are traumatized by ambient injustice feel that they have some personal problem that makes them a misfit.

I started addressing a lifetime of abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, betrayal, failure of police, medical and court systems at 31... I gave up on justice when I was in my teens. I'm 38 and now completely disabled due to CRPS, Crohns, Hashimotos, and Chronic PTSD. It's been described to be a "nervous system on fire" I did everything I could. I read Herman's book. I read all of them. Did group therapy, individual, and yoga. But I couldn't get my health on track and my immune system attacked me. A college graduate with my own consultancy but I ended up homeless. I had to move back in with an abusive parent and I just wish we had humane end of life options for those of us who will not be able to overcome it all...

As a child i was sexually abused. As a adult was almost killed in Vietnam. Now isolated. Political opinions seem the decider. But as Glen Greenwald , "friendships that depend on political agreement have no value". So even my vet friends have ignored and resented me.

we have a long way to go but we need to get there. i got thrown out a mental health counseling program because i kept bringing up the political sphere in regards to trauma and healing. i went to a private religious university. they played a lot of lip-service to such ideas as justice, but when it came to real action and the deeper conversations, they did not appreciate me speaking up. Neither did they students. what initiaited me being pushed out was a student or perhaps students complaining to the head of the program. i was almost done with the program as well. they messed with me so bad that i had a mental breakdown and then when i spoke to them about, ironically, the injustice of what i was being put through, they told me i wasn't fit to be a therapist because i was having a mental breakdown lol. i don't when I'll get over that experience. Dr. Herman is one of the good ones

Many years ago I was working in a little book shop one evening when some police officers came in asking for potential witnesses to a rape which had just occurred. In a tiny parking area next to the shop a woman was apparently walking to her car when an assailant forced her at gun point to perform oral sex on him. One of the cops was overheard saying, "It was just oral copulation." JUST. The level of insensitivity to victims of this horrible, life-altering crime is incomprehensible to me. There is an undeniable element of misogyny in our culture that is on full display in the criminal justice system whenever rape is reported. Whether shame prevents reporting of the crime or shaming results from an ugly cultural attitude, a wound is kept open. For male rape victims the shame, of course, has a different stigma attached to it - and the justice system, a different kind of shaming.

I would just like to say what a great service Chris Hedges does by bringing forward points of view that are not popular, disturbing, speak truth against power, and most of all, reflect a broad humanity.

This was an emotional but enlivening set of interviews by two of the most important people in my life, literally. Thank you. I would love to have her back for part 3… looking more closely at the mind of the perpetrator and the commonality of abusive techniques across differing settings. Also the physical systems, or the necessary infrastructure that an abuser sets up to operate in, whereby that particular mind that is so twisted can then go on to apply their contorted views. And- the long term psychological effects on those exposed to Cluster B personalities, who, I believe are mostly responsible for much interpersonal violence and control.

I was on anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, and attention meds. I had constant side effects, was always switching meds, and also struggled to take them consistently which worsened all the above. They maybe helped a bit... i think the anti-depressants numbed me out and i guess it was an improvement, but i was still depressed and numb. I stopped taking all my meds and i had months of depression and withdrawal and feeling worse (their response: take ur meds!) After withdrawal ended I feel so much better. (Not good, but better. Idk who can feel good these days).

It is so amazing to see two of my favorite advocates together in an interview ❤ Chris, you have been getting through my daily struggles as I see around me others trying to bury their heads in the sand and you have validated for years now that it's not only in my head as so many like to pretend. Judith, I was going through a horrific custody battle where I was forced to give custody of my children to a father and uncle who were creating immense trauma to them (I cannot say what on this public forum). My hands were tied in helping them due to the court system who turned around my being a protective parent into blaming me as harming them through claiming I was alienating them from him and for a time lost custody of them. During that time I felt horrific knowing I could not protect them as a result. Prior to losing custody and during a time I had a temporary restraining order on the father for his abuse to them my childrens doctor had recommended your book "Trauma and Recovery". He told me his parents were survivors of the concentration camps in Germany which due to his need to try and understand their trauma he discovered your book. There are very few books or movies that impacted my life in the way yours did. You helped me through many rough years of custody battles and the suffering and pain I endured not only through what he was doing to them but what he had done to me before they were born. I can in no way say I am fully recovered as trauma survivors always have the scars, but your wise words helped me to learn how to live with these wounds and gave me strength during the hardest time of my life. Once I read a saying "Occasionally you come across angels cleverly disguised as human beings" (unsure the source) and the both of you in very similar but different ways have been such a thing for me. Thank you for all the good you do ❤

and what about when the Culture is toxic - the person who is traumatized gets blamed, and has to clean up the impossible mess.

Thank you for this discussion. I work primairily with older folks and all of them look like they are still dealing with some level of trauma, i.e. familiy, the town or city in which they grew up and of course the different workplace enviornments. You can see it. What you stated in the begining about how recovery takes place with relationships is SO true. But, as you noted we need to learn how to reconstruct this. AWESOME video.

With how much destruction has been unleashed on the world and society, it really feels like we're rebuilding from the ground up already. I'm just so glad our generation are some of the kindest and accepting people I've met. To quote a great man: Never give up, never give in. Hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Run fast, laugh hard, be kind.

😕 sigh ... this is extremely heavy. It takes a lot of conscious, patient and empathetic individuals to help rebuild this society on that type of level. Too many people with trauma (which is, like, just about EVERYONE globally) have regressed into some sort of substance abuse and/or hiding behind social media. The unpacking is large, but can be done.

They're just seeking validation but that's too costly to society.

Being abused as a child only leads to a fucking awful adult life if you have to deal with shit like this. I'm a survivor and I'm just thankful I'm alive. Every day is a new day so be grateful for it. Our days on this planet are numbered

Thank you thank you. You’re a real hero Chris Hedges.

This presentation is a blessing because I/we do relate to our history of wartime trauma which reminds me of just how horrific war was & has been when it comes to & did traumatize our men & women & families in the military. Then and now it remains true: all wars are banker wars ...almost 250 years of trauma of wars especially NOW!!!!

Justice doesn't exist. It is only a thought. Something to strive for.

As a child sexual abuse victim who dissociated and relapsed massively with my CPTSD during the court case this is the first time I've ever heard anyone acknowledge the trauma of court and how none of it was about punishment or money for me. I just wanted acknowledgement and the truth. He got not guilty and I'm still trying to rebuild myself. I wasn't strong enough to cope with the court case and I'll never forgive myself for that. There is no justice which means no matter how much I try I'll never regain myself. The moral injury it caused and the beliefs I held about truth and justice all my life were ripped from my being. We need women like this woman to teach barristers, judges and criminal systems all over the world 😢😭