R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post Reply
User avatar
Rum
Absent Minded Processor
Posts: 37285
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:25 pm
Location: South of the border..though not down Mexico way..
Contact:

R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by Rum » Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:14 pm

Last night flicking around the TV menu I saw a new film on offer - Mad to Be Normal, starring David Tennant as R.D. Laing, the ‘rebel’ psychiatrist, beloved of all hippies and pseudo hippies in the late 60s and early 70s. Most of my friends had copies of the Divided Self, Self and Others and The Politics of Experience on their book shelves, as did I.

The film was basically about the psychiatric community he set up in Scotland where patients and psychiatrists lived together communally but focused on Laing’s personal life too, which was pretty chaotic. I thought the film was great, if a little sensationalised.

If you don’t know anything about him here’s a link: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._D._Laing

He was basically an adversary of those who treated madness as a disease - in a tiny nutshell. I am not the only one who took his writing on board when training as a social worker and briefly working as a psychiatric one of ‘em.

What struck me though was the man’s sheer recklessness (he gave LSD to psychotic people for example), combined with bravery and the utter balls it must have taken to fight the established psychiatric profession at the time.

I think in retrospect he was misguided and probably wrong about some of the causes of madness as he described them but I think he also opened up the profession, which was much needed. Psychiatrists, having worked with them, perhaps because they aren’t entirely sure of their ground, can be uniquely arrogant.

If you have a passing interest in Laing look out for the film. It’s on Sky if you get films from there, for free.

User avatar
JimC
The sentimental bloke
Posts: 73014
Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 7:58 am
About me: To be serious about gin requires years of dedicated research.
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by JimC » Tue Feb 05, 2019 8:59 pm

From what I remember, a major criticism was that he ascribed all the causes of many forms of madness to the upbringing of a child, and none to biochemistry, thus putting a shit load of guilt onto many parents.
Nurse, where the fuck's my cardigan?
And my gin!

User avatar
Rum
Absent Minded Processor
Posts: 37285
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:25 pm
Location: South of the border..though not down Mexico way..
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by Rum » Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:26 pm

JimC wrote:
Tue Feb 05, 2019 8:59 pm
From what I remember, a major criticism was that he ascribed all the causes of many forms of madness to the upbringing of a child, and none to biochemistry, thus putting a shit load of guilt onto many parents.
The general public perception was that this was the case. In actual fact he never said that specifically. He certainly cited examples of parents sending their kids crazy but he was always careful not to reduce all psychiatric disorders to the one cause.

He’s a bit vague on the brain chemistry approach but he didn’t like it and in that respect he was clearly, from today’s perspective, off the mark.

I think, again from today’s perspective, his major influence has been to increase the say and rights of the patient in the whole psychiatric industry, however indirectly.

User avatar
Brian Peacock
Tipping cows since 1946
Posts: 37953
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:44 am
About me: Ablate me:
Location: Location: Location:
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by Brian Peacock » Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:32 pm

If I'm not mistaken, he did claim to have had some success in treating some forms of depression and mild bi-polar though a combination of intense programmed psychedelic experiences and the forerunner of CBT.

I assume he was also working in the long shadow of Freud at the time.
Rationalia relies on voluntary donations. There is no obligation of course, but if you value this place and want to see it continue please consider making a small donation towards the forum's running costs.
Details on how to do that can be found here.

.

"It isn't necessary to imagine the world ending in fire or ice.
There are two other possibilities: one is paperwork, and the other is nostalgia."

Frank Zappa

"This is how humanity ends; bickering over the irrelevant."
Clinton Huxley » 21 Jun 2012 » 14:10:36 GMT
.

User avatar
Rum
Absent Minded Processor
Posts: 37285
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:25 pm
Location: South of the border..though not down Mexico way..
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by Rum » Wed Feb 06, 2019 12:05 pm

He did. But then traditional psychiatric treatment back then was not very effective at all. It isn’t much better these days for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and the most disruptive states. All one can say is that the sedating drugs aren’t quite the sledge hammer they once were.

User avatar
Svartalf
Offensive Grail Keeper
Posts: 40340
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:42 pm
Location: Paris France
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by Svartalf » Wed Feb 06, 2019 7:04 pm

Brian Peacock wrote:
Tue Feb 05, 2019 9:32 pm
If I'm not mistaken, he did claim to have had some success in treating some forms of depression and mild bi-polar though a combination of intense programmed psychedelic experiences and the forerunner of CBT.

I assume he was also working in the long shadow of Freud at the time.
what's CBT?
Embrace the Darkness, it needs a hug

PC stands for "Patronizing Cocksucker" Randy Ping

User avatar
Rum
Absent Minded Processor
Posts: 37285
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:25 pm
Location: South of the border..though not down Mexico way..
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by Rum » Wed Feb 06, 2019 7:08 pm

Cognitive behaviour therapy. A much over praised and mildly effective treatment for minor psychological problems.

User avatar
Svartalf
Offensive Grail Keeper
Posts: 40340
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:42 pm
Location: Paris France
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by Svartalf » Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:07 pm

never got it, I guess my ^perpetual depression is too deep to be treated with that
Embrace the Darkness, it needs a hug

PC stands for "Patronizing Cocksucker" Randy Ping

User avatar
Rum
Absent Minded Processor
Posts: 37285
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:25 pm
Location: South of the border..though not down Mexico way..
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by Rum » Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:32 pm

Svartalf wrote:
Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:07 pm
never got it, I guess my ^perpetual depression is too deep to be treated with that
It is very popular in the UK and I think the US too.

Although I’ve been a bit dismissive it is worth considering. Maybe mention it to your doc after a bit of googling?

User avatar
rainbow
Posts: 13528
Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2012 8:10 am
About me: Egal wie dicht du bist, Goethe war Dichter
Location: Africa
Contact:

Re: R.D. Laing - Mad to be Normal

Post by rainbow » Thu Feb 07, 2019 11:51 am

I call bullshit - Alfred E Einstein
BArF−4

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests