Comments on: The dark side of a left-brained culture? http://www.shessuchageek.com/2007/02/06/the-dark-side-of-a-left-brained-culture/ Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:59:08 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Ragnell http://www.shessuchageek.com/2007/02/06/the-dark-side-of-a-left-brained-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-1469 Ragnell Wed, 07 Feb 2007 06:31:00 +0000 http://www.shessuchageek.com/2007/02/06/the-dark-side-of-a-left-brained-culture/#comment-1469 Well, I know in the military technical area there's a push from above to get people who need help to actually SEEK it (to the point of renaming Mental Health to Life Skills so there was less of a stigma), but the problem isn't a matter of "I don't need help" so much as "If I see a psychologist, it'll hurt my career." People thought they would lose their security clearances. (its unfounded, but it used to happen and people do not like to jeopardize their jobs). Since this lady wanted to go back to space, maybe she feared seeing a therapist because any mental health problems could prevent a second trip. Not because of a cultural pressure, so much as a legitimate concern as astronauts have to be cleared with psychological tests. Well, I know in the military technical area there’s a push from above to get people who need help to actually SEEK it (to the point of renaming Mental Health to Life Skills so there was less of a stigma), but the problem isn’t a matter of “I don’t need help” so much as “If I see a psychologist, it’ll hurt my career.” People thought they would lose their security clearances. (its unfounded, but it used to happen and people do not like to jeopardize their jobs).

Since this lady wanted to go back to space, maybe she feared seeing a therapist because any mental health problems could prevent a second trip. Not because of a cultural pressure, so much as a legitimate concern as astronauts have to be cleared with psychological tests.

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