Compulsive and Obsessive Disorder
What is the common denominator of people suffering of a compulsive-obsessive disorder? The psychiatrist and neurologist's answer to the question is: “all of them have a concentration of abnormal neurotransmitters”; in their brain which makes them uncomfortable with their life.
In order to better understand the situation one must agree that, to some extent, we are all compulsive and obsessive people. The quality is in the nature of man. Each of us is passionate and compulsive in one field or another. Some of these traits are not disturbing while others are so excessive as to constitute a serious disorder.
Here is an opinion that does not contradict the medical science but offers quite a different view: Members of the group that are considered victim of the disorder have been invaded by an immaterial entity that suppresses immediate reality and intoxicates the victim with irresistible obsessions and compulsions. Let us imagine these living things of another world in the form of spiritual viruses.
Knowing that all these people suffer from a form of mental/physical and/or psychological and/or spiritual disorder, let’s ask ourselves the following questions:
Should we judge and treat them using our regular strict standards? Should we place them behind metal bars or in a hospital?
Should we seek penalties or offer forgiveness?
Should we “deresponsibilize” them or make them accountable for their actions?
The previous questions converging towards the same reasoning, with the intention of adding to the confusion before bringing more light, let’s add one more question:
Q: What do we do with a mad dog that cannot be trained or treated?
A: Even animal lovers concede that the animal must be restrained or terminated. I know of parents willing to risk that children come within the reach of vicious animals.
Alcoholics, drug addicts and compulsive players can also be very dangerous people. An alcoholic behind the wheel of a car is a killer out in the street. Most drug addicts will do anything to obtain the drug that will appease their addiction. It is our duty to take reasonable and appropriate measure to help these people while protecting potential victims.
As a philosopher I can argue that these unfortunate persons act the way nature intends them to act. These people respond to stimuli beyond their control instilled in their organisms. They are victims of a faulty construction or a malfunction of their brain and therefore should not be held morally responsible for their behavior.
Neurologists and psychiatrists could argue the same and hold them exempt from being answerable. Rapists and serial killers will fall into the same medical category: they suffer from a disorder that affects behavior.
Lawyers defending such people will argue that their clients are totally innocent of the consequences of a disease that have affected their brain. Some will even claim that the society must be held fully accountable for not having fulfilled its obligation towards the accused, and will hold it financially and socially liable for all actions committed by their client.
The man in the street will have various opinions; excusing one man and condemning the other. Some will understand; others will be confused.
Does restraining these people or sitting them on the electric chair solve the problem? More importantly, should we look for penalties and revenge? Should we be understanding and tolerant? Should we be tough and make them pay for their crimes? Should we, as advocated by some, make them all, financially responsible to the last dollar, while limiting their freedom of work? In many cases, such would translate into a form of life sentence without hope of a normal life. What we usually call ‘a second chance’ being totally eliminated.
Times change and so do perceptions of sins and offences. Some fifty years ago, in my country, male homosexuals were prosecuted, and after having been declared guilty of crime, were fined and sentenced to jail. Many careers and lives were destroyed this way. Oddly though, during the same period, I never heard of women and priests being prosecuted for the same offense. Things have really changed since. Priests are now being severely judged and sentenced for those very crimes they could not have been touched for, a few decades ago. The situation has evolved but in many countries, homosexuality is still a crime. Many religions and religious people still condemn, punish and ostracize homosexuals.
Here is my view about this situation:
1) These people are being given a very tough lesson and there is no way for them to avoid it.
2) You are being exposed to this situation because you also have a lesson to learn.
3) Whoever you are, don’t make the mistake of assuming you are chosen to solve these peoples’ problems.
4) If these people do not present a danger to you or themselves or anybody else. Don’t get involved unless they really offend public morality or intentionally adopt a provocative behavior or you could commit a serious prejudice.
5) Most interveners fighting homosexuality are acting out of religious beliefs or just because they cannot understand and accept that people can be so different from them. This unnecessary infringement on personal freedom is the expression of a narrow mind and a lack of tolerance. If they are themselves judged with the same severity they use against their fellow men, they will pay a high price for their harshness.
I wish you realize that obsessive compulsive people active in what we rightfully consider reprehensive or even criminal activities have not chosen to be what they are. Nature is the power and intelligence that have created them what they are and most of them, if they were ever offered a choice, would be more than happy to become ‘normal’ people, acting within the range of socially acceptable standards. This obsessive-compulsive disorder they suffer from is so overwhelming that it becomes impossible for them not to do what it requires them to do to satisfy the horrible virus that is poisoning their mind, and their whole life.
Victim or bystander, life is offering you an opportunity to learn a new lesson. Mull it over until you reach a state of perfect harmony with the School Master. The moment you will understand that the Creator has made all this on purpose and with your long term best interests in mind, you will come to peace with similar situations and go for a new task to fulfill.
The best advice to those in search of an attitude to adopt is hereby summarized: Be tough on bad people and be nice to good ones. Life is no Garden of Eden and Nature is very demanding. Being tough on bad people will force them to refrain from acting that way while niceness will encourage people to behave themselves.
Avoid, whenever possible, being the moral judge of a fellow man because this man could very well be you in other circumstances. What seems to be another person may actually be you, caught on a film replayed by your master.
Be strong while being good and nice. Be supportive while developing independence. Be socially responsible but always remember that you are not responsible for society but for yourself alone. You are your brother’s keeper but living your own life is your priority. Take example on the safety rules in an air plane: put the oxygen mask on your face first. You will then be in a much better situation to help any other person that could require your help.
These are the intricate intrinsic laws of Nature. Like them or not, you don’t write the rules and you don’t need to understand and be pleased with them. Your opinion is not even solicited, though that could come later. In other words, do your best and place your confidence in Nature. She knows best.
Let’s see it again from a human perspective. Being tolerant and forgiving is a splendid quality, but playing shy and non-interventionist about abusive people is being extremely coward and selfish. It allows bad people to repeat their mistakes. It is your moral duty to take action and prevent the repeat of the abuse you were victim of.
The ethical questions treated here may be thought to be inappropriate but I beg to differ. Reshuffling the mind and searching for our ultimate goal requires that we develop our abilities to see the world upside down and from an angle different from the one we are used to.