No-Where-Man
Summary:
An exploration article about the modern dilemma of economic misery and how psychotherapy and counselling often fail to grasp the essentials of reality. Although this is a fictional character he is based on the multitude of people who woke up one day without a job, without money, without a family and utterly alone. The depression and stress of unemployment whether you are in Greece, Spain, England or the US of A. Our no-where-man seeks out therapy to help understand his dilemma and reflects on how modern therapists can leave you feeling let down all over again.
Introduction:
At this very time of writing (2013) the world economy is on its knees. The bankers of the world in collusion with politicians who support a free market and capitalist system have left the people with 28% unemployment in the EU, with some countries now suffering from 60% unemployment for the under 25’s. (1. Press TV June 2013) In addition we have record prices for basic commodities and the highest housing repossessions for all time that records have been kept. The richest country in the world, the USA, now have the most people living below the poverty line, while at the same time the richest 1% have more wealth than ever, thanks mainly to political decisions to cut their taxes and bailout their mistakes. (2. Capitalism a Love Story 2011). Countries now in the EU are considering bankruptcy but as this would destabilise the economic union the more wealthy countries such as the UK, France and Germany are forced to put a strain in their own economies to support and underwrite their debts. Now those very countries are in economic ruin that is about to turn into social unrest never seen before in the western world.
In this background are ordinary people, those who through working jobs and paying taxes on income, purchases and housing have supported and made the 1% richer than ever. Now because of economic mismanagement and greed, he has woken one morning to redundancy, repossession and family discord. He has become the no-where-man.
No-Where-Man
So what happens to our “no where man” when the months go by and there is no new job, no financial support from government (despite bailing out the rich constantly), relationships under strain fall apart. Our no-where-man is now depressed with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. He is advised to go and see the local medical doctor who prescribes some anti-depressants, but soon the no-where-man discovers the pills cannot create a job, do not add to his depleted bank account and cannot bring his wife and family back. A friend suggests he see a counsellor or therapist. With no money this is quite a task, but our no-where-man finds some charity and sees a succession of therapists to deal with his depression.
The first is a positivist psychologist who talks about how taking the negative in life and turning them into a positive experience of learning and creativity can help lift his emotions out of the doldrums. No-where-man stares at him and his only smile is at the downright stupidity of this approach to someone in dire circumstances. He only attends once and goes to the humanistic counsellor next. This counsellor is full of respect for him, gives him positive regard, and allows him to direct the flow of the therapy. However while he ends up liking the therapist very much he is no further forward from his depression. After three sessions he gives up but misses the counsellor. He wonders if psychoanalysis can hold the key. The therapist is very thorough in dissecting his past, the trauma of early relationships and gives him an insight into how his own behaviour contributed to the break-up of his marriage and family. At first this all made perfect sense, except how did his former employer fire him with this entire unknown trauma? How was he taxed into bankruptcy and then lost his house to the bank? This just did not make any sense at all and so a few sessions later – he moved on again. Our no-where-man confused by therapists and losing hope finds a cognitive emotive behaviourist. The therapist challenges all his faulty statements about his way of viewing his plight into poverty, she gives him homework to record his emotions (although his depression in his mind is one emotion only), he dutifully fills in all the forms, however in the end while clearer about his way of viewing the world cognitively, he is still unemployed and not feeling any better. By now the charity has run dry and he can no longer afford the high fees demanded for psychological support. A behaviourist psychologist takes pity on no-where-man and offers a few free sessions. Here no-where-man discovers his past habits where being reinforced by seeking pleasure over pain and avoiding reality of life therefore not taking action early enough to change his approach to circumstances as they arose. Annoyed at the therapists idea that he had precognition and could foresee what the worlds leading economists could not – he thanked him for the support but would seek answers else where.
No-where-man saw clearly that therapy cannot give you a job, give you back the money you once had saved for a rainy day, the pension stolen by the company when they closed down, the breakup of the family due to poverty and blame. The false mood created initially by the anti-depressant medication has now worn off and he is taking more and more just to stay stable. He has been thinking about suicide, common side-effect of psychotropic medications. He decides to go back the hospital and ask to see the clinical psychologist.
No-where-man is surprised that at first the man just allows him to vent and tell his story. More surprised to be told to stop medicating, the psychologist told him you cannot face life while under the chemical idea that you are actually OK. What the psychologist told him next surprised him even more; he said you need a – job. The psychologist talked to no-where-man about expectations, our belief we have a right to fairness, that this is a fantasy that the world is in fact unfair and always will be. That his depression was perfectly normal reaction to his circumstances and what else would you expect if you have no job, no money and no family left? No-where-man asked the psychologist the simple question that no other therapist could answer, what the hell do I do to put my life right again? He said be prepared to do what you would never have considered when you had a job, money, home and family. There are jobs out there but no-one wants them. Pride stops many of the unemployed from taking work that they feel is beneath their dignity. That activity no matter how it comes about his better than inactivity through frustration of not getting expectations met. He told no-where-man a story. Once upon a time the psychologist worked for a bank as a salesman; in an immature argument with his manager he was dismissed. He sat at home for several weeks, applying to banks and similar companies for a new position but to no avail – his non-reference sealed his fate. Finally a friend told him the local dairy needed people to deliver milk to houses. It was hard physical work, early mornings from 4am and no real people contact during the day’s work. He laughed at the idea of being a delivery man and what would his friends think of him who went from an executive to labourer? However his wife told him that the bills where mounting and that at least for now it was some income. He swallowed his pride, made his resume less impressive and applied. He was actually rejected as not being physically fit enough at first but his natural salesmanship overcame the interviewer to give him a trial. For the next six months he delivered milk, became physically fit than ever in his life, began night classes to increase his skills and education. During this time he reevaluated his expectations of life and made a new plan. Today he is the psychologist talking to no-where-man.
For the first time in therapy, no-where-man felt that someone had given him direction, without judgement and openly allowing him to fulfil his own sense of purpose. After more sessions where the psychologist helped to give him coaching in planning and self motivation our no-where-man felt he was getting back in control of his life.
No-where-man took a job delivering newspapers; it paid less than what he used to give to his children in pocket-money each week. However he felt wanted again, felt he was doing a public service, read the wanted adverts in the papers and began to have hope of improving his situation over time. The daily walking and fresh air allowed him to relieve his depressive state, feel more confident in planning and taking control of his own life.
No-where-man never needed medication, while the differing therapists all offered some insight and support in the end he just needed someone to believe in him again – to show him by example that you can only control your life yourself and that unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment and defeat.
Conclusion:
He has no control, no-where-man, over the world economy, the greed of corrupt businessmen, bankers and politicians, that over the last forty years have took our welfare states and social care into a capitalistic nightmare of ruin. Around the world the other no-where-masses are protesting, they want their lives back to where they expect them to be, they want fairness and justice from the people who robbed them of their jobs, homes and futures. A few have realised that the fantasy of capitalism is never going to give them a rich life and that is only for the 1% who control the means of production and money who will see that as real. What do ordinary people want, the right to work with dignity, to have a standard of living that creates comfort, the right to education, health and social support when they need it? All the therapists in the world cannot put right the social ills of society, but we can give a good example of self-control, hope and by example realistic expectations of life.
References:
1. Press TV News June 2013 – Iranian TV Broadcasting
2. Moore M (2012) Capitalism a Love Story, Overture Films Inc.