Laing And Psychiatric Schizophrenic Healing Autobiography Wisdom And Theories

By Donald Lewis


When it comes to writers familiar with psychiatry and theory, the late Ronald David Laing was one of the best. For, Laing had a lot of experience in the area even after having to repeat a series of college exams. In a partial psychiatric schizophrenic healing autobiography wisdom, madness and folly, Laing suggests that the failure was due to remarks made at a university function rather than actual test scores on a number of tests.

Laing, a Scottish psychiatrist and author whom wrote extensively on the topic of mental illness, especially psychosis has numerous book and film credits. Most of Laing's views can be attributed to treatments related to psychopathological phenomena. In most cases, due to the unorthodox treatments the psychiatrist prescribed for clients which were influenced through the study of existential philosophy.

With views which often ran clockwise to orthodoxy in treatment such as medications and electroshock therapy, there was often a great deal of controversy with regards to Laing's work. Regardless, as the psychiatrist saw the feelings of clients as reality rather than symptoms, Laing often saw positive results. Whereas, when it came to schizophrenia and psychosis, Laing saw both as theories rather than mental illnesses.

While labeled as anti-psychiatry, Laing rejected such labeling. At the same time, most had already labeled the psychiatrist a conservative free thinker. In large part, this label was due more to political affiliations rather than the unorthodox practice provided numerous clients as a psychiatrist.

Mad to Be Normal, a film released in 2017 focuses on the life of Laing and the field of psychiatry in the 1960s. One of the main aspects being to shine a light on the unorthodox methods of treatment being provided at the time, many which were more successful than others. While this is the case, this is just one film in a library of a number of books and films in which Laing has received such credit.

Even as a child in grammar school, Laing was being labeled as competitive, clever and precocious. For, unlike other children of the same age, Laing loved reading books, participating in track and field and later, becoming a musician and associate at the Royal College of Music. After which, Laing attended medical school and eventually graduated as a mental health care provider from the University of Glasgow.

During the course of studies towards a medical degree, Laing set up a Socratic Club with Bertand Russell as president. After which, Laing failed the first set of final exams. Then, after working in a psychiatric unit for six months, the psychiatrist retook the exams and passed, thus qualifying as a medical health care provider. After which, the psychiatrist became more involved in different areas of the field of psychiatry always pushing for more non-conventional methods of treatment.

Ultimately, Laing's colleagues throughout a long career characterized the psychiatrist as being conservative. For, most disagreed with the psychiatrist with regards to the overwhelming opposition to orthodox treatments. Whether electroshock therapy or new medications being released at the time, Laing remained strongly opposed compared to others in the mental and medical health care fields throughout life until passing away in 1989.




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