[MacGyverGod]

I've been thinking about posting this ever since we went down, so now finally I can do it.

Considering everything MacGyver has been through in his life: shot up, locked up, blown up, seeing peoples die in front of his eyes, close call escapes, coma, fights, explosions, Murdoc who keeps coming back from the dead, don't you think MacGyver would be in deep therapy and if not is in serious need of therapy? Or is his resilience really that astoundingly high?

Just wondering since there are several shows now that take on the therapy subject: Ally McBeal, Tony Soprano, Two and a Half Men and there sure are others.

So do you think MacGyver would be in (need of) therapy or not? Or maybe a better question, do you think he ever was in therapy?

To answer the question myself. I don't think he was at all as Pete himself said: he has a way of putting everything into perspective. Though Mac seemed to have no problem with others going to therapy as he told Jack it was nothing to be ashamed about in Brainwashed. And I think the first thing that comes up in Mac's mind when someone needs to feel better is... talking. Which in some way is already a form of psychology. I think he would make a great psychologist, though he's not the type to be coped up in an office all day, maybe as practical psychologist and going out in the field with his patients.

I think mentally MacGyver is unbreakable. Yet, I wonder, has there maybe been an occasional chat with a Phoenix psychologist or psychiatrist after an intense event? Though I know the answer, it's interesting to think about. I think he'd rather goes into the mountains as a therapy but what are your thoughts?

[Joe SAKic]

I don't know but I think the way that we approach mental health is much different today than it was back in the mid-80s. If I may use hockey as an analogy, players( a few decades ago) were expected to pick themselves and continue on after one of those massive bone jarring, stitch inducing, teeth rattling hits/blows so commonplace in the sport.

Nowadays, at the first bump & sign of a possible concussion, the player is herded off to a quiet room for an assessment/screening by a medical profession and his return to action that night is dependent on how he responds(or not) to the questions tabled in the meeting.

So, with that in mind I think MacGyver would have been expected to 'suck it up' back in the day and not get softened by psycho pampering of any kind. Today, is much more a proactive mindset with respect to PTSD, concussions, and associated injuries, trauma etc. etc ..

[denizen]

He never seemed to have any regrets, grudges or fears in his line of work. He seemed like a confident individual who knew how to separate work affairs from his personal ones. The relationship he built with Pete made that more casual.

I think further to that, he had a clear conscience. Never exactly killed anyone or intentionally hurt anyone.

The only scars he carried were things he overcame. Death of Mike, Vietnam, Charlie.

[Barry Rowland]

For as much as he was banged around in his adventures, I think Mac fared fantastically well! I'd love to know what supplements he used ! Things really have changed, though, in the years that have passed. In some ways, it's better that they have, but I sure do respect the old school football and hockey players!!

[MacGyverGod]

The supplements he used was mostly laying off unhealthy stuff. This guy lives of Mother Nature's garden.

[MacGyverGod]

As I'm working on the timeline of Obsessed now it turns MacGyver was indeed in therapy one time in the months before Delasora's trial with Dr. Darnell who diagnosed Mac with an upcoming job burnout. So yeah, it did happen that Mac was in therapy at that moment.

[MacGyverOnline]

I think the answer to this question is right in front of us...... The Widowmaker tells us pretty much everything we need to know. Here we see a broken MacGyver hiding away in the woods. Both Pete and Nikki are really concerned about him, yet not a head shrink in sight... and I think the reason is that back in the 80's-90's there was a real stigma around psychology and only "mentally unwell" people went to them - I think this is also is reflected in Jack's comments in 'Brainwashed' when MacGyver wanted him to see a "head shrink".

So the answer really is that back in the 80's psychology was still in the stone ages and consisted of straight jackets, padded cells and electric shock treatment and only used for extreme cases of madness... or political incorrectness (A Prisoner of Conscience).

These days I would think he would be having a weekly meeting with a Psych, but back then he just had to bury his issues as best he could which is why he had commitment and quilt about his mothers death issues. Had he been seeing a psycho on a regular basis those issues would have been dealt with and put to rest.

[MacGyverGod]

I can pretty much agree on that. MacGyver had gone off the deep end there. But even with deep grieve, I think Mac was mostly hiding from himself, just as he did when the driver got killed in that race in Collision Course.

Despite The Widowmaker and Jack's comment, I think MacGyver has a healthy interest in psychology despite that it may had a stigma over it. He told Jack it was no big deal to see a shrink and how else was he able to help all those kids? It's all psychological. And also Abe Sherman's son Philip was seeing a psychologist as mentioned and confirmed in that episode.

But knowing Mac I think he had an interest in psychology because of the scientific based knowledge on the human psyche it brought forth, maybe that's why he eventually saw Dr. Darnell in Obsessed.