Years ago those who suffered from schizophrenia or another so-called disease of the mind, went to an alienist for help. An alienist was a medical doctor like what we would now call a psychistirist. The idea was that people who behaved strangely did so because they were some how disconnected betweeen themselves and society. Radical behaviorialists are more proned to still describe mental illness in that term.

Today, when we talk about alientation, we typically don't talk about a condition that we need to see a medical doctor for. Maybe some alienation is caused by a ways of thinking in our brains, much of it is caused by the way we think about our world, and how ioworld is truly organized. Alienation in many ways is a disease that creates a split between the self and society, or at least a part of society.

While few think of alienation as a serious medical condition like we see schizophrenia today, it is something of potentially greater concern. More people are alientated and turned off from government and society today then ever before. A person who is alienated under today's terminology might not suffer from bizarre dillusions, but they do suffer from an apathy that will ultimately undermine not only society but the individual.

If you don't believe in your work, your society, or the world around you, then you won't do your best to make it better. This is a serious problem. Somebody who is alienated might regularly attend work and be a relatively productive member of society, but he will constantly be suffering from a brake dragging behind him or her.

Just like how we treat the ailements that we used to send people to the alienist to years ago, we must now treat the problems of alienation today. We must encourage citizen action and community involvement. We must work towards creating healthy communities, where people grow up in supportive environments that allow a large degree of autonomy of choice.