Depressions and Their Precipitating Events

About three weeks ago, I was going along pretty well emotionally and then kaboom!

Something happened in my life because I started freaking out just going out in the car to do non-routine jobs. I was highly anxious, tense, felt uncomfortable, with unpleasant, internal sensations, and impatient. Later started to have heartburn on and off. Felt decidedly unsure of myself where formerly I had been confident and outgoing.

Logotherapy and Existentialism

Recently, on the blog From My Bookshelf  I discussed¹ Viktor Frankl's Man's Search For Meaning. In this post, I want to examine the philosophy that under-girded the psychotherapeutic approach that he inaugurated.

General Comments

Frankl describes his therapy approach as 'less retrospective' and 'less introspective' (p. 152, 'Pocket Book' edition) than Sigmund Freud; which is to say, Frankl was not so interested in the past life of the patient nor in the patient's inner dynamics as Freud certainly was.

In Freud's world, man is determined by his past and it is now played out in his inner conflicts. For Frankl, man is not determined at all unless he chooses to relinquish his ability to choose.

Hence, Frankl and Freud come from two diametrically opposed philosophical traditions. Freud from a physical science orientation where things can be reduced to physics and hydraulics. Frankl however, resisted this orientation believing it to be profoundly 'reductionistic' of the being of humanity.

However, it would be unwise of us to assume that Frankl, therefore, has the correct orientation. Although he has accurately seen the reductionism found in Freud's thinking we will find that he has not escaped the same problem within his own opposing worldview.

Code To Joy

The post title above comes from a book title that is sub-titled, 'The Four-Step Solution to Unlocking Your Natural State of Happiness'.

What's your first reactions when you read this sort of stuff? Probably it's the same as mine I'm guessing. A little on the wary and cautious side?

Yes I know I can be sceptical about books promising all sorts of wonderful results and I think scepticism is warranted in cases when promises of 'unlocking your natural state of happiness' are given.

Values and Actions

Acceptance Commitment Therapy begins with the fact that all of us will experience suffering of some sort.  

Suffering of all types is aggravated by human language ability, particularly its inclination to ruminate negatively. 'This is too hard.' 'Why isn't this working?' 'I am so dumb.' ACT speculates that human language is at the root of much if not all psychological distress.

Marital Counselling (3): An Alternative Basis

At the outset I should say that my aim in this post is to provide a different foundation from the one given in the entertaining and moving* ABC, TV series, Making Couples Happy. 

As indicated in previous posts, reservations should be held by Christians and others about believing that individual happiness is an appropriate, primary goal for marriage. Happiness should be rather understood as a desirable by-product of a good marriage.