Hypothetically speaking, if I had anger problems such as Cole in the book Touching Spirit Bear, and was subjected to a circle of justice after nearly killing a fellow classmate, the best course of action would be to place me into a mental institution until I was deemed fit to return to society by a psychologist/psychiatrist. Cole only had to deal with anger problems, which stemmed from his abusive father and absent mother. I, on the other hand, suffer from depression and anxiety – if in this strange scenario, I was struggling with anger management issues too, the only place that could possibly heal me would be a psychiatric facility.
If I was sent to prison, like so many mentally ill and troubled youth, I would only learn how to conform to my environment to keep myself safe and then reenter society with not only the same problems I had before, but new ones due to whatever hell I just experienced within those concrete walls. Even if the facility I was placed in had some rehabilitation programs, the whole prison atmosphere would only aggravate my preexisting conditions. It is possible that I would take multiple attempts on my life until I succeeded.
If I was sent to an island for a year, I would have no access to my medications (which not only includes treatment for my mental illnesses but my allergies to plants and animals, as well as my asthma.) Let us say that I was given my medications – I am an introvert, and the idea of being alone with only the plants and animals sounds quite enjoyable, extreme periods of being alone aggravates my depression, triggering my anxiety, and who knows what would happen if one integrates in this hypothetical anger problem. Whatever rituals that I would be encouraged to perform every day would fade away, I would stop taking care of myself, stop taking my medications, and potential end my life by jumping off a cliff.
If I was placed in a mental institution, the threat of suicide would be prevented, and I wouldn’t have the chance to miss a dose of any medication. Add on the therapy sessions, which would allow me to get to the root of my problems and be subjected to a cognitive-behavioral treatment that would teach me how to work with others without blowing my top. If they felt that alone time was required, they could separate me from the others until I had cooled down; if they felt that nature could do me some good, an on-the-go therapy session could be performed while on a nature hike. In a psychiatric hospital, I could receive the therapy that Cole experienced while alone on the island, as well as the separation from society and removal of my independence that can be found in a prison. Any negatives either scenario presents would be removed or decreased dramatically.
Hypothetically speaking, if I was angry to the extent of Cole, but still retained everything else about myself, I would require a very different treatment plan. While many people experience similar events in their lives, their reactions to them can be drastically different. It is also true that many people have the same conditions, but developed them under different circumstances. Either way, the treatments will still change, even if it is by a small amount. Cole and I will always be different, even if in this weird scenario, we’re both juvenile delinquents and beat up a classmate for ratting us out.
Little Pwagmattasequarmsettport 