THE CITY’S SHADOW
The foregoing process studies of schizophrenia, mania, depression, heroin and alcohol addictions, mental retardation and sociopathy are only part of the immense topic of extreme states. Missing from the present study are investigations of senile psychoses, extreme states in children and comatose phenomena near death.The client of the city often appears to be the identiried patient of the community; he channels its repressed and unrealized psychology. This shadow is like the city’s dream portraying its neglected gods, the hopelessness it will not admit, its withdrawal from superficial communication, its suicidal tendencies, mania, addictions, murderous rage and hypersensitivity. The shadow reminds us of the smoldering revolution we normally perceive only in the dark of night or in the impinging quality of physical symptoms.None of the above ‘diseases’ appears to be purely random or meaningless pathological behavior; each shows, in all situations, a highly ordered, almost mathematical predictability. One goal of this work has been to demonstrate that the cause-and-effect, illness-and-cure philosophy governing much of psychiatric research and treatment is not the only useful way of either observing or treating the effects of the above syndromes. A process oriented paradigm which studies the various channels of human expression and which deals concretely with both individual and collective issues, normal and extreme states, is sorely needed. The The ClientClient’s Family The NeighborsAnalyst Psychologist Social Worker Psychiatrist Psychological Researcher Psychiatric Researcher Psychiatric Nurse Medical Doctor City Authorities Courts Insurance Agencies Police
The City
Figure : The mental health teamnew paradigm blends psychiatry with social work, psychology and politics.The mental health professions of the future will, I imagine, see our present psychiatry, psychology, social work, medicine and politics as specialized and divided approaches to extreme states and social and physical problems. One way of bringing these specialized professionals together today is to see them as one team. This team looks approximately as shown in Figure.*139\227\8*
