Therapy center for suicide-endangered and alhoholabhänige Indians
I am Evelin Cervenkova and Begründerin of the Freundschaftskrieses Lakota.
A project is to be developed and supported to a therapy center for suicide-endangered and alcohol-dependent Indians.
For 8 years I exert myself for North American Indians, particularly for Lakota. With the fact I could state that there is not one group of supporters, which is concerned with such a topic in the German-speaking countries.
Up to now I am the only one in German-language countries, which in the fact it is interested that it suicide-endangered and alhoholabhängige Indians are treated by indianischen therapists in consideration of their culture.
The suicide rate of the Indians in the USA is higher around a multiple than those the remaining population of USA. There is thus acute action need!
The following notes originate from the thesis “psychiatric morbidity with the Indians of North America”.
From the psychiatric hospital with health center of the University of attaining Nuremberg Director: Professor Dr. E. Lungerhausen
Psychiatric morbidity with the Indians of North America
A contribution to the cultural psychiatry INAUGUTAL THESIS
To the acquisition the medical faculty of the Friedrich Alexander university Erlangen-N6uuml; rnberg submitted of Maria Stöckl from Tirschenreuth
Day of the m6uuml; ndlichen examination: 12.05.1987 Dekan: Professor Dr. M. Hofmann Adviser: Professor Dr. E. Lungerhausen
P. 2)
It is simple despite good intentions not always to leave the brought in courses of culture-specific prejudices.
Reciprocal effect: social relations field, Akkulturation and psychiatric illness
P. 4)
“What is considered normally into one culture May considered quite pathological in OTHER” (Torey 1972) (which applies in a culture as normal, can in another than ill being judged.)
Indians were mentally more deeply standing regarded as cultural and.
Content indianischer philosophy was not examined.
P. 6)
In a certain culture developed theory are not transferable always to other cultures.
P. 7)
Hallucinations are regarded with indianischen trunks as normal events and in the “western” culture as diseased!
P. 8)
Objective orientation without prejudices
requires mental agility and openness.
requires attention and became each humans independent of race, religion and civilization degree.
P. 10)
Physician
try observable modes of expression and behavior of a strange culture into a pattern to obligations, which they know from the “western” training.
Test methods developed, which are based on completely different basis, application at other cultures leads therefore to doubtful and wrong results!
P. 16)
Indian and Schamanen
Therapists of the indianischen population, which must acquire a mindest just as large knowledge for the practice of their activity, like the “western” medical profession.
Schamanen are called ill from scientists of the “western” culture schizophren or psychologically.
P. 17)
The indianische culture regards so a condition as extension of consciousness.
P. 18)
Maturing to the Schamanen
Appointment
Theory of the master traditions, numerous songs, magic singing, physical examinations and hardness tests
P. 19)
Function of the Schamanen
Navajo: “hand more trembler” = function of the Diagnostikers
Which taboo was hurt?<7li>
Passes on the patient to the appropriate Schamanen.
Welfare ceremony takes few hours until many days
Sand designs (welfare ceremony) and Peyote ceremony
Coast Salish Indian:
Spirit Dance ceremony; the patient is shifted into a condition of changed consciousness, by finding its aid spirit and its song.
Families and other master members are involved.
P. 20)
Robert Lake, an Seneca Cherokee Indian, professor to the Humboldt State University and at the same time traditional Schamane
Indians do not know the sharp separation between physical and mental diseases of the “western” world!
P. 21)
Position of the Schamanen
As welfare-well-informed it enjoys a certain privileged position.
Humans in emergency situations come closer to him.
have connection to “6uuml; berirdischen” forces<7li>
Mediator function between humans and Gods
Tempted to abuse their power to bad purposes.<7li>
Schamane and psychiatrist
P. 22)
Indians should not be forced to decide between “modern western” therapeutic possibilities and the traditional healing rites.
Both directions are compatible and should be combined.
Psychological problems are inseparable by the special soziokulturellen situation of the Indians.
Födert the understanding for each other.
Employment of Indians as medical therapists.
P. 23)
Indian and psychiatrist
The beginnings
P. 25)
Psychiatric supply in the reservations
P. 26)
On many reservations there is no or only a insufficient psychiatric supply.
Emerging ones psychological illnesses are not often at all considered, or that patient brought into a distant psychiatric hospital and only with medicines treats.
The Indian is not surrounded in the psychiatric hospital by humans of its daily life, so that the therapeutic effect is quite doubtful.
Is it desirably and ethicalally justifiablely a people with other traditions and another conception world, the own, only in the own culture area tested “and even there disputed” medical and psychiatric model to force upon?
Is the “western” L6ouml; sungsvorschläge at all transferably to Indians and promisingly?
P. 27)
Psychiatric supply in the cities
40% all Indian live in cities and constitute less than 1% of the urban population.
Indians have not the choice between psychiatrists and Schamanen, but can only with “western” psychiatrists assistance search, that orients itself after “western” needs.
Indians have therefore difficulties to actually find there assistance.
Indians should be able to determine therefore even the organization of the programs.
The knowledge is confirmed over background to indianischer psychological illness.
Problems of a minority and difficulties of a social lower layer, are to be particularly considered the cultural differences.
Problems of the integration are:
Attitude at present
Property and expressions of annoyance
P. 28)
The time is subordinated to human purposes.
That leads to problems with the punctual beginning on the job and psychotherapeutischen hours
The psychiatrist must be firm time pattern to change.
Property term:
obligated to dividing
It is not permitted to express openly annoyance.
P. 29)
The psychiatrist from the view of the Indian
The relationship is ambivalent.
On reservations the psychiatrist with reservation is regarded.
“The white one has two ways OF getting rid OF Indians who larva trouble for him: He PUT them in prison or in mentally hospital. Stay away from the mentally hospital! If you go tons prison you always know-how much time you have tons of DO; but you more never know when they wants let you out OF the mentally hospital! “
Confidence depends on the open-mindedness, the projecting ability in the indianische way of life and knowledge of the indianischen customs.
P. 30)
To new goals
To recognize readiness of the psychiatrist the Indian.
Traditional healing methods must be considered.
Psychiatric services must be transferred to Indians themselves.
P. 31)
Psychiatric morbidity and Akkulturation
Definition and description of the term Akkulturation
Means adjustment of American and indianischer way of life, whereby the direction of motion might be clear.
Indians are forced to give their traditional way up of the life safety device.
A Nebeneinanderleben of the settlers in the east and the Indian in the west not possibly became.
Indians are to be found forced new existence forms.
P. 32)
Forms of the Akkulturation
Schools
Indian children into boardings school - conflict
Religion
P. 33)
Health
Indian in the Akkulturationsprozess
Dynamic nativism
Nativisti protest (Ghost Dances)
Passive nativism
Passive habituation, indifferent adjustment to the dominating culture.
Reformativer nativism
Conscious attempt of a synthesis of traditional and “western” culture elements.
P. 34)
General consequences of the Akkulturation
Low self value feeling
Identity problems
P. 35)
Psychological consequences of the Akkulturation
P. 36)
Alcoholism
Alcohol intoxication reduces aggressions (?)
Loss of male prestige possibilities
Suizid
Increase
And Hergerissenwerden between two cultures lead split-splitting its to frustration and internal.
Living conditions by Akkulturation
P. 37)
Personality disturbances
P. 38)
The future of the Akkulturation
“Incoming goods Indians have A more human philosophy OF life.”
Emergence of new indianischer identity
Many Indians oscillate still between two company forms.
Indians land in the prison or psychiatric hospitals.
Indians commit Suizid.
Don Rodgers, psychiatrist in Winnipeg
Group, which falls back to indianische values and traditions, has smaller psychological difficulties.
P. 46)
Systematic representation of the psychiatric morbidity
come of the “western” pattern DSM III and the “western” point of view.
Indians have other theories about etiology, organization and therapy of üer illnesses!
