Zur's Theoretical Analysis

Ofer Zur, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist, writer, forensic consultant, and lecturer asserts that in today’s culture majority of the American population considers themselves a victim and psychotherapists are financially profiting off the oppressed. Therefore, Zur claims, the industry’s “focus on victimhood” (par.1) is falsely creating new disorders and fueling the fire of America’s sudden sense of vulnerability. Zur explains “Victim means good business for attorneys and psychotherapists. The search for the cause and the person or circumstances to blame helps support hundreds of thousands of therapists” (par. 5) The stakeholders over this psychiatric debate are the psychotherapists and the American people. Ofer believes people capable of helping

One of the first considerations states, a 19-year-old from Los won $74,000 and paid medical costs when his neighbor drove over his hand. “Mr. Truman apparently didn 't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor 's hubcaps” (Zur 2). He then proceeds on a more serious note with works from Manufacturing Victims, a book by Tana Dineen saying, “therapists need patients, so they create disorders with which to label prospective customers” (Zur 2) The science behind the finger pointing is that the official presentation of a problem could potentially create a solution. So, without the psychotherapists for example, twisting life happenings into traumatic events and diagnosing the patient with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) the person might not get over their “haunting” experience. Zur also analyzes occurrences surrounding the September 11th attack in NYC. Firstly, he explains that the “United States was viewed by many therapists as a country of victims where nightmares, fears and PTSD diagnoses were as common as the water we drink” (par. 4) and contrary to terrorist attacks, many places all over the world experience worse traumas than what Americans faced, such as famine and natural disasters. Secondly, he states that so called U.S. victims merely