The Myth of Psychotherapy: Mental Healing as Religion, Rhetoric, and Repression

Synopsis

Until recent years, bad and immoral were the terms used to describe people who are now referred to as sick and in need of treatment. Moral and religious perspective has been replaced by medical and therapeutic rhetoric. It is little wonder why the world is plagued by legions of rapists, drug users, murderers, thieves, and child abusers, all of whom are now referred to as having one form or another of addiction and are thus either sick or suffering from mental illness. Accordingly, modern psychotherapists claim that these are in need of specialized therapy or treatment to help them cope with their disease. Moral relativism, bolstered by psychotherapy, has prevailed over the traditional ideas of selfcontrol, individual responsibility, and moral culpability. Thomas Szasz moves to demythologize psychotherapy itself in a most provocative manner.