Kos: Psychology Today Takes On Tea Party Paranoia

[Emit]

Psychology Today has published one mental health professional's diagnosis of the pathology of the Tea Bagger. Dr. Michael Bader provides an astute examination of a serious emotional malformation, complete with clinical examples and prognosis. Bader's conclusion is that the victims of this brewing epidemic of acute paranoia warrant our sympathy and understanding.

~snip~

Bader begins by describing some of the causes of paranoia as the mind's attempt to "make sense of and mitigate feelings of helplessness and worthlessness." The goal is to manufacture redemption and absolution. In some cases that goal takes precedence over objective reality, which is frequently more frightening and less forgiving than the paranoid inventions.

"...the tea party folks find in their paranoid views about politics a narrative that 'explains it all,' that reduces their sense of helpless confusion, and that channels their feelings of victimization into ones of self-righteous militancy. They go from passive victim to active agent, from guilty to innocent, but all at the price of distorting reality into one full of malevolent conspiracies."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/3/7/843793/-Psychology-Today-Takes-On-Tea-Party-Paranoia


More excerpts from Bader's piece:

And while these forces include the banks and large corporations, the main culprit is, of course, the government. People don't have a direct and immediate experience of Goldman Sachs. The do, however, experience government every day, not only on television news shows, but via laws, taxes, public services (or the lack thereof), law enforcement, etc.

~snip~

It is also obvious that left wing conspiracy theorists share much of the same pathology as those on the right wing of the spectrum.

For new tea-party members, however, the drift toward paranoia is facilitated by the right-wing media machine that offers several ready-made narratives perfectly designed to help its consumers clear up their confusion, understand their helplessness, absolve them of any blame, and offer a way out. The conspiratorial alliance of business and government, a growing tyranny intended to disenfranchise, disarm, and exploit ordinary citizens, secret pacts to overthrow the constitution, etc. all currently led by an un-American, godless, colored, elitist, contemptuous, foreigner--Barack Hussein Obama. A grim and frightening picture of the world to be sure.

~snip~

Perhaps the progressive movement shouldn't waste its time dealing with the tea-party movement except as a spur to get our own house-and movement-in order. A legitimate argument can be made that these people are, simply, the enemy and that our challenge is to build progressive majorities immune to their sabotage and interference. But I would argue that to the extent we want to reach people who are drawn to tea-party, patriot, libertarian, and other right wing movements but are not yet hard-line ideologues, or prevent others from becoming so, we have to begin with empathy. We have to get inside their heads, figure out how their choices are reasonable from their point of view.

It would help if we found ways to get into relationship with them, to demonstrate a genuine curiosity not about their paranoid theories but about the underlying pain and fear that is the source of them. In this way, perhaps we can figure out how to speak to that pain and fear in ways that are both authentic and comforting. Perhaps we can figure out what experiences they might need to have in order to feel safe enough to at least listen to another narrative-ours.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/print/39146

[MisterP]

1. "left wing conspiracy theorists share much of the same pathology as those on the right wing"

and AGAIN with the damn "evenhandedness" that got us a party that's 40% liberal and 60% conservative

knr though

[Emit]

2. As a person with an undergrad degree in Psychology

and a few years of counseling experience, I can understand the author's premise of this piece ~ the need for empathy.

I, too, in following this tea 'bagger 'movement,' have found a bit of empathy for some of these folks. I recall, for example, the ire I felt in 2000 and 2004, the tears I shed after reading Losing America and hoards of other books on similar topics, the fearful feelings I had that something sinister was afoot.

However, what the author fails to address, imho, is the scapegoating that is occurring with these tea 'bagger groups, and with the GOP in general.

What is happening with these groups ~ with their scapegoating, their militias and dog whistles, their hate talk, etc. ~ is very dangerous, and potentially may lead to some very noxious outcomes.

He also fails to address the fact that this tea party thing has been seeded heavily, nudged and nursished routinely, and watered frequently by really bad actors on the right.

I posted a previous article that covered the dangers of Scapegoating and Populist Conspiracism a while back that addresses some of what I feel is occuring.