[MUD-Dev] Virtual World Theory

[Nathan Yospe]

On Mon, 1 Sep 1997, Caliban Tiresias Darklock wrote:

:There are a lot of remarkable results, and a lot of spectacular
:failures. A glance through the PDR will reveal that we know shockingly
:little about how ANY of these drugs actually work. This disturbs me, and
:draws a much closer parallel to witchcraft than I am comfortable with. 

Which might lead to some interesting mud concepts... mental illness and
mystical treatment (driving out the demons)

:I do have some very close friends who have been helped drastically by
:antipsychotics, antidepressants, et cetera. I'm not saying the field
:doesn't work; far from it. I'm saying that the field is not a panacea,
:and that in fact there can be no such panacea. Sometimes it just isn't
:effective. Sometimes it's effective by turning the patient into a
:drooling idiot who is little more than a vegetable. And sometimes it's
:effective enough to relieve major symptoms, but not quite effective
:enough to allow the patient to lead a normal life. 

A friend's dad recently commited suicide under the influence of a 
(backfired) anti-depresent treatment.

:I went to high school in Leesburg, at a boarding school for 'problem'
:students. My major problem was that I was just plain uncontrollable and
:socially inept (no doubt the result of my overly computerised life).
:Some of my classmates and roommates had more serious problems, ranging
:from simple animosity to alcoholism and drug addiction, with a
:reasonably large complement of just plain nuts. I've stayed in touch
:with several of them. Some are now full-blown schizophrenics. And
:believe me, having four schizophrenics at the same dinner table is a
:memorable experience... especially if you're at a restaurant.

Speaking as a legal schizophrenic... well, I suppose I'm not typical.

:I think a writer is in many ways both psychologist and psychiatrist, and
:at the very least must have a strong foundation in human social
:interaction if he intends to have any success. While science fiction
:allows you to escape some degree of that, you never wholly get away from
:it. From the psychiatry angle, a writer could be seen as 'prescribing'
:his books for various ailments such as boredom and itellectual ennui. ;)

Science fiction, relative to most popular fiction, amplifies the required
psychological and sociological knowledge - you are writing as much about the
society and people as the technology.

:Yes, and if I remember properly I was a proponent of bullets to the head
:rather than wasting obscene amounts of time, effort, and money on trying
:to change them. Some of them can be changed. Most of them, I believe,
:cannot. I think there's a culture these days that builds up a belief
:that therapy is good for *everyone*. Well, yes, everyone can benefit
:from therapy when they are READY for it. But it's that readiness which
:is elusive, and difficult to quantify. The therapist-patient
:relationship is founded on trust. Any professional can tell you that.

I don't believe in the victim-offender. There is a choice, no matter what has
happened to you. And if you disagree, I've got myself as proof.

--

"You? We can't take you," said the Dean, glaring at the Librarian.
"You don't know a thing about guerilla warfare." - Reaper Man,
Nathan F. Yospe  Registered Looney                   by Terry Pratchett
yospe at hawaii.edu   http://www2.hawaii.edu/~yospe           Meow