Learning to Dance

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.

–Vivian Greene

People of Difference

It is totally understandable that parents, teachers, and therapists who are daily confronted with serious behavior problems and limited resources have responded with enthusiasm to the idea that the person has a biological disorder requiring medical treatment.  The sales of antipsychotics, stimulants, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants has skyrocketed since the 1960’s, when I was completing my advanced graduate training and Psychology internships.  These medicines stifle and leave little room for spiritedness, creativity, imagination, chutzpah, courage, heroism, and rebelliousness, all human qualities I admire.  I would rue the day when I see people only through the lenses of compliance, obedience, and “nicey-nicey-ness.”  In short, we will all be better off if we stop pathologizing odd or queer* people, whom I respectfully call, “people of difference.”  They are not sick or damaged or broken.  They are different.  As my grampa used to say, Das ist gut.

Some of the ideas in this material are used with permission, and were first written by David Nylund, Ph.D. in his book, ‘Treating Huckleberry Finn.’

*Queer theory explains queer people as those who resist following rules, not just gender or sexual minorities.