Posted by JahL on July 11, 2001, at 9:40:02
In reply to Re: Has anybody heard of demoralization syndrome? » HenryO, posted by Elizabeth on July 11, 2001, at 2:04:51
> > Has anybody heard of the term demoralization syndrome?
>
> "Demoralization" is a word often used to describe what one might call "depression secondary to depression." (It can also be secondary to another illness.) It means that a person has lost motivation and interest due to long-term stress, frequent failures, etc.Sounds kinda like the 'learned helplessness' (from the dog/elec. shock experiment) that a psychiatrist-cum-psychologist spent 3 months trying to convince me was at the root of my problems (have since been diagnosed Bipolar by his colleague!)
Or the time a treatment-resistant-specialist (in her case a misnomer if ever there was one) booked me into a 'Depersonalisation Disorder Clinic' (I suffer chronic depersonalisation). I asked her what special medications they might offer. She declined to say but it was obvious that treatment wld amount to well-meaning individuals trying to 'coax' me out of my 'self-created world of unreality', which *of course* is a 'defence mechanism'. Right.
What these (in the main) psychologists fail to realise is that the spurious conditions they concoct are really no more than elaborate descriptions of symptoms of depression itself (or, as e. points out, of another underlying illness). I have my doubts over 'Demoralisation Syndrome' being a primary condition. I wld imagine that if one is chronically 'demoralised', they would also be depressed.
Anyway, that's my mini-rant for the fortnight. Thanx 4 giving me the opportunity Henry :-)
Hi e.J
poster:JahL
thread:69640
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010708/msgs/69713.html