I'm not really sure where a thread about therapy would go in this forum, so I guess I'll just try Head Shop.
I am just wondering, has anyone here ever tried Reichian therapy (or orgone therapy, or bioelectric psycotherapy, whatever you want to call it?) If so, what were the results? Would you call it a positive or negative experience?
I first heard of Reich some years back, I think I first came upon his name in one of William S. Burroughs' cut-up books, which got me interested in the man. Later on I read "The Invisibles" and his name came up again, so I did some research on him on-line. Recently, I got around to reading two of his books, "The Function of the Orgasm" and "Character Analysis". "The Function of the Orgasm" in particular made an impression on me.
The concept of armoring seems to make sense to me. Yesterday I was reading one of the later chapters of "Function of the Orgasm" and was struck by some of the symptoms that Reich's patients showed: Symptoms that seemed to mirror the ones I currently endure on a daily basis. For instance, Reich writes that abdominal tension is one of the most common complaints from neurotic/anxious people, and he mentions that many of his patients complained of a girdle-like constriction around the abdomen, or of a feeling of constant tension in the stomach, a heaviness, like there is a foreign object inside it. This describes exactly how my stomach has been feeling these last few months, but whenever I try to tell other people about it they think I'm crazy. I really do think that I have a lot of rigid muscles, as my body constantly feels tense all the time, to the point of worrying I'm on the verge of a breakdown.
Actually, Reich's book was full of examples I could relate to: Like, whenever I'm at work these days, my head gets affected. By this I mean my eyebrows start to twitch constantly, and it takes all my willpower to keep them from doing so. When I work my neck gets stiff, my head starts to ache, my eyes water up, and my eyelids get very heavy, so I have to strain to keep them open. Needless to say by the end of even a part-time workshift I feel mentally exhausted trying to keep my facial muscles under control. Reich writes that a man who fashions himself a writer must use every inch of control he has to quash the rebellious instincts that arise from working at a mechanical, unsatisfying job. And, well, I want to be a writer one day and I've been working at the same shitty part-time supermarket job for nearly seven years now (and this is a job anyone can do, it's such a no-brainer). For years I've had to smile politely to customers I hate or laugh at bad jokes and I just can't deal with this job anymore. What I really want to do is cry or scream when I'm at work but I can't so I have to repress all these emotions constantly, and I think it's affecting my body. Fortunetly, I'll be getting a new job at a bookstore soon, so hopefully that will help my mental outlook, with a change of scenery, or something like that.
Obviously repressed sexuality figures into this equation to, as I"m still a virgin, which may also account for some of my problems. I find it difficult to open myself emotionally to people for some reason. This is why I think Reichian therapy would be good for me, as everyday I'm in constant pain and I'm starting to feel very dejected and hopeless.
However, it seems that there are no practioniers of such therapy in my area. And whenever I tell my parents about stuff like this they usually tell me I just read too much and that I should just go on anti-depressents. I don't know. Funnily enough, while I was reading all this Reichian stuff it was a really gray, shitty day outside but as I read about Reich's patients and their matching symptoms to mine the sun came out and the whole room became flooded with golden light, and I suddenly felt very illuminated, literally. I don't believe in coincidence so I see it as a sign that Reichian therapy may be the key to solving my problems (or at least some of them). |
