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Q: What's the Chinese notion of 'therapy'?
Coming from England i'm used to the idea that most any psychological ailment, be it of a serious nature like violent or sexual abuse or that a person simply has a fear of spiders, a need for attention, or an aversion to pineapples, has some group or personal counseling service available at the touch of a telephone. To some extent it seems western society has developed into a molly-coddling celebration of the self-indulgent and the genuinely disfunctional. China in comparison exists at the far end of that spectrum, and even those who've experienced genuine psychological trauma are lost it seems for somewhere to turn. What is China's answer to this? Are they not aware that there is a market to cater to here? Where are all the shrinks and group therapy classes? How do most Chinese view the business of therapy and mental health?
Look at how quickly some people in China start flinging beer-cans after each other. Aggressive behavior is a symptom of stress. Stress that can come from any number places, could be other untreated mental issues, society etc.
I do think The West over-diagnose people when it comes to mental health. And choking numbers for people on happy pills, and the sad fact is that "happy pill" is a mislabeling, those people are always in a "medium" mood.
mArtiAn:
I've never had anyone chuck a beer-can at me. If they did i'd make them eat it.
Scandinavian:
maybe not beer cans, but a lot of people are really one edge.
this morning in the lift, an elderly couple enters with a pram, the dude is carrying a box, as they enter he does as all Chinese do, presses the close door button, nothing happens, second press is a very firm poke with his index finger, nothing happens, third press is two punches with his fist at the panel, the kid is looking up at him with a very uncomfortable face expression, probably not first time he sees grandaddy loose it.
after the fourth round of abuse to the button panel in the lift, I gently grab his box, pulls it 10cm into the lift so it no longer triggers the door sensor, then I smile to his wife as the door closes. She said something, not sure what though as I don't understand the language and also I was listening to Nirvana - Rape Me at a decent volume.
Even my dog knows not to put the tail in the door.
Consider the preponderance of child neglect and child abuse (especially in rural areas), and the acceptance of misogyny and domestic violence, and couple this with culturally ingrained sexual repression, intense academic and economic pressure, stunted emotional development, and the total lack of a sense of humour when it comes to their own culture. It's not a healthy psychological environment.
Chinese men would never admit they have mental problems. And when Chinese girls suffer from anxiety or depression (I have some experience with this), their parents will be like "Don't tell anyone! No one will marry you." Mental illness is clandestine and deeply shameful.
I daresay a lot of Chinese people have psychological problems that should be addressed (pathological dishonesty to begin with), but like all things Chinese, "What would a foreigner know?" Being the most knowledgeable and important country in the world ever means they don't need advice or therapy from anyone.
mArtiAn:
I get what you mean about not sharing serious problems for fear of future marriage propositions becoming null and void, it's something I have first-hand knowledge of, but I don't really see the average Joe here as being any more messed up than anyone back home. They seem pretty ordinary to me.
I have a friend in Shanghai who, after a traumatic incident, said she would visit a psychologist. I was dumbfounded. I didn't think they existed here either. She said the counseling session was great.
But admission of mental problems would be construed as a weakness here....as it was in western countries for decades. Will the Chinese culture embrace change in mental health like we did? Well who knows. There would be a new growth in the profession of counselor or psychologist probably surpassing that of English Teacher. I would have trouble figuring out how they would teach it in a university here considering some of the behavior I've seen.
There's none so blind as those that will not see...
