Sunday Musings – September 23, 2018
Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch a screening of the new documentary by Elaine McMilliion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon, “Recovery Boys”. There was an opportunity to ask questions of Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Dr. Blankenship who developed and heads up the treatment center Jacob’s Ladder and one of the young men and his mother featured in the film.
Once again, I was reminded that as a society, despite what we now know about the functioning of the brain of the mentally ill person, we often expect the mentally ill person to use their unhealthy brain to make a healthy decision based on an awareness of how their illness is affecting themselves, their children, and others. Yet, even if or when there is a part of their brain which is able to consider the needs of their children or others, the ill part of their brain cannot refrain from feeding the addiction or other illness. This expectation leads us to criminalize the action of the addict. In our society in the United States one can only commit someone against their ill to a hospital for treatment if they can be proved to be an immediate threat to their life or the life of another person. Yet, if we misdiagnose the primary issue as criminal activity our legal system allows for locking up the person and treating them as if they willfully shopped for their sick brain. Then, once out of jail where they frequently do not receive any significant treatment and are expected to function in a dangerous, unhealthy environment, we withhold many jobs and other essentials from them because they are a convicted felon.
The active addict is unable to consistently make decisions based on the needs of other - children or adults. When I asked a young man if he relapsed because he did not have any hope of ever getting well or because he did not care about how his behavior affected himself and others he said, “I did not care.” I heard this as his brain was unable to override the desire to feel good by getting high. Just as surely as the brain of an autistic child may be lacking the mirror image part of the brain which allow for empathy, the brain of the person with addiction and/or other mental illness in unable to either feel empathy or use that part of the brain to override the compulsive desire to consider the needs of others.
For many, Sunday is the Sabbath. Most religions have a Sabbath day. Some religions have many times a day when they must put all other issues or concerns aside to pray. A central concept of many religions is an acceptance of the fact that all humans “sin” meaning we are all imperfect and are hurtful, at times, to ourselves, others and mother earth. Most religions require us to confess our sins and ask for the forgiveness of the God of our understanding. The 12-step program and the Buddhist religion (as I understand its teachings) merely requires that one show up. In the 12 steps program, one does not even begin to address the ways in which one’s active addiction has affected others until the 4th step. The Buddhist teachings merely suggest that one notice one’s hurtful behavior and not practice labeling it as good, bad, right or wrong.
In other words, the addict or other mentally ill person must first have some time for the brain to heal before they can begin to consider the needs of themselves or others.
No one heals when we treat them badly. This morning I was reading some “news” stories and again reminded of the hurtful labels politicians and others apply to each other. It is as if we believe that:
The prodigal son returns to a father who orders the fatted calf killed and a feast prepared because his son has been lost and now is found.
On this Sabbath day in my Christian tradition I will first notice my hurtful ways, welcome myself home and celebrate that I am a member of the community of humans who are no better and no worse than I am. I will, as did Mr. Rogers, welcome myself and other to the neighborhood where together we can help each other heal and explore healthy and loving ways to live with each other.
Written September 23, 2018
Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch a screening of the new documentary by Elaine McMilliion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon, “Recovery Boys”. There was an opportunity to ask questions of Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Dr. Blankenship who developed and heads up the treatment center Jacob’s Ladder and one of the young men and his mother featured in the film.
Once again, I was reminded that as a society, despite what we now know about the functioning of the brain of the mentally ill person, we often expect the mentally ill person to use their unhealthy brain to make a healthy decision based on an awareness of how their illness is affecting themselves, their children, and others. Yet, even if or when there is a part of their brain which is able to consider the needs of their children or others, the ill part of their brain cannot refrain from feeding the addiction or other illness. This expectation leads us to criminalize the action of the addict. In our society in the United States one can only commit someone against their ill to a hospital for treatment if they can be proved to be an immediate threat to their life or the life of another person. Yet, if we misdiagnose the primary issue as criminal activity our legal system allows for locking up the person and treating them as if they willfully shopped for their sick brain. Then, once out of jail where they frequently do not receive any significant treatment and are expected to function in a dangerous, unhealthy environment, we withhold many jobs and other essentials from them because they are a convicted felon.
The active addict is unable to consistently make decisions based on the needs of other - children or adults. When I asked a young man if he relapsed because he did not have any hope of ever getting well or because he did not care about how his behavior affected himself and others he said, “I did not care.” I heard this as his brain was unable to override the desire to feel good by getting high. Just as surely as the brain of an autistic child may be lacking the mirror image part of the brain which allow for empathy, the brain of the person with addiction and/or other mental illness in unable to either feel empathy or use that part of the brain to override the compulsive desire to consider the needs of others.
For many, Sunday is the Sabbath. Most religions have a Sabbath day. Some religions have many times a day when they must put all other issues or concerns aside to pray. A central concept of many religions is an acceptance of the fact that all humans “sin” meaning we are all imperfect and are hurtful, at times, to ourselves, others and mother earth. Most religions require us to confess our sins and ask for the forgiveness of the God of our understanding. The 12-step program and the Buddhist religion (as I understand its teachings) merely requires that one show up. In the 12 steps program, one does not even begin to address the ways in which one’s active addiction has affected others until the 4th step. The Buddhist teachings merely suggest that one notice one’s hurtful behavior and not practice labeling it as good, bad, right or wrong.
In other words, the addict or other mentally ill person must first have some time for the brain to heal before they can begin to consider the needs of themselves or others.
No one heals when we treat them badly. This morning I was reading some “news” stories and again reminded of the hurtful labels politicians and others apply to each other. It is as if we believe that:
- We or our side has the right answers.
- The other side will come around to our way of thinking – the right way – if we beat them with words, take away basic needs such as food, housing or loving support, or otherwise mistreat them.
The prodigal son returns to a father who orders the fatted calf killed and a feast prepared because his son has been lost and now is found.
On this Sabbath day in my Christian tradition I will first notice my hurtful ways, welcome myself home and celebrate that I am a member of the community of humans who are no better and no worse than I am. I will, as did Mr. Rogers, welcome myself and other to the neighborhood where together we can help each other heal and explore healthy and loving ways to live with each other.
Written September 23, 2018
RSS Feed