Psydir || Psychology & Psychotherapy Resources

Humanistic psychology: Criticism and debate

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:14:25 +0000

Criticism of the field has come from Isaac Prilleltensky (1992) who argues that humanistic psychology - inadvertently - is affirming the social and political status quo, and therefore has remained fairly silent about social change.

Further, in their review of different approaches to positive psychology, Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi (2000) note that the early incarnations of humanistic psychology lacked a cumulative empirical base, and that some directions encouraged self-centeredness. However, according to mainstream humanistic thinkers, humanistic psychology must not be understood to promote such ideas as narcissism, egotism, or selfishness (Bohart & Greening, 2001).

The association of humanistic discourse with narcissistic and overly optimistic worldviews is a misreading of humanistic theory. In their response to Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi (2000), Bohart & Greening (2001) note that along with pieces on self-actualization and individual fulfillment, humanistic psychologists have also published papers on a wide range of social issues and topics, such as the promotion of international peace and understanding, awareness of the holocaust, the reduction of violence, and the promotion of social welfare and justice for all.

Humanistic Psychology has been criticized because its theories are impossible to falsify (Karl Popper, 1969) and lacks predictive power and therefore is not a science. For instance the psychology of Adler could describe almost any action as a sign that an individual has overcome their feelings of inferiority or alternatively that same behaviour could be described as a failure in this respect. These theories are the scientific equivalent of saying ‘either it is raining or it is not’. A good scientific theory should be falsifiable and have predictive power (Chalmers, 1999); therefore humanistic psychology is not a science. Nonetheless, it remains to be determined whether the therapeutic dimension of psychology is exclusively, or even best, served by positivist approaches to psychology. Humanistic Psychology does not reject such methods and research programs as invalid; however, these approaches do not further its own project, which involves cooperatively affirming and balancing the human values whose conflict or imbalance in the identity of a patient can lead to suffering. Humanistic Psychology recognizes that this project puts it outside the realm of falsifiability; it does not aspire to the status of a science in Karl Popper’s sense.

On a further note, humanistic psychology presents a fascinating psychological and philosophical outlook on life. While its proponents have not presented it as a science, they recognize that rather than being objective, science is the least subjective understanding of the world of which the largest number of people are aware. Humanistic psychology addresses the nature of the human experience, calling into question the nature of objectivity and the role of objective knowledge in the personal experience of life.

Tags: ego, feelings, feelings of inferiority, human experience, humanistic discourse, humanistic psychology, humanistic theory, isaac prilleltensky, karl popper, narcissistic, psychologist, psychologists, psychology, rage, self actualization, social welfare

REBT

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:09:21 +0000

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a comprehensive, active-directive, philosophically and empirically based psychotherapy which focuses on resolving emotional and behavioral problems and disturbances and enabling people to lead happier and more fulfilling lives. REBT was created and developed by the american psychotherapist and psychologist Albert Ellis who was inspired by many of the teachings of Asian, Greek, Roman and modern philosophers. REBT is one of the first and foremost forms of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and was first expounded by Ellis in the mid-1950s and developed to this day.

Tags: albert ellis, cbt, cognitive behavior therapy, psychologist, psychotherapist, psychotherapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, rebt

John Grinder: Biography

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:48:51 +0000

John Grinder Ph.D. (pronounced grin-der, IPA: /ˈgrɪndɚ/; born 1940) is an American linguist, management consultant, trainer and speaker. Grinder is credited with the co-creation with Richard Bandler of the field of Neuro-linguistic programming.

John Thomas Grinder, Jr. graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in psychology in the early 1960s. Grinder then entered the United States Army where he served as a Captain in the US Special Forces in Europe during the Cold War; following this he apparently went on to work for a US Intelligence Agency. In the late 1960s, Grinder went back to college to study Linguistics and received his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego. His disertation was titled On Deletion Phenomena in English and was later published by Mouton. Grinder dedicated his dissertation to the Vice Squad of the San Diego Police Department, The FBI for “continual harassment (that) energized me sufficiently to complete the task”, and to the Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann of the Sandoz Chemical Works, Basel. The late Dr. Hofmann was the discoverer of LSD

In the early 1970s Grinder worked in George A. Miller’s lab at Rockefeller University and was then selected as an assistant professor of linguistics at the newly founded University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) campus. During his academic career, Grinder focused on Noam Chomsky’s theories of transformational grammar specializing in syntax. He also worked with Paul Postal on the syntactical structures relating to “missing antecedents” or missing parasitic gaps for the pronoun. They argued that the syntactic structure of a deleted verb phrase (VP) is complete.. Postal and Grinder’s doctoral adviser at UCSC, Edward Klima were involved in the early development of generative semantics.
Other academic works by Grinder include, A Guide to Transformational Grammar (co-authored with Suzette Elgin, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1973). In 2005 Grinder published Steps to an Ecology of Emergence with Tom Malloy and Carmen Bostic St Clair in the journal Cybernetics and Human Knowing.

Tags: albert hofmann, american linguist, generative semantics, john grinder, management consultant, neuro-linguistic programming, NLP, noam chomsky, richard bandler, suzette elgin, syntactical structures

Cognitive Therapy In Greater Demand

tdomf_18fa0 — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:31:11 +0000

Harley Therapy’s latest referral figures show that year-on-year, demand for short-term and structured therapies, such as a cognitive behavioural therapy, is rising at a faster rate than demand for other types of therapies.
Harley Therapy operates two London Counselling Clinics and has a database of therapists practicing in a range of theoretical approaches. The counsellor’s therapeutic styles include psychodynamic therapy, person-centered (humanistic) counselling, existential psychotherapy, transactional analysis, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, gestalt, systemic and interpersonal therapy.
Last month’s statistics show that 38% of Harley Therapy’s clients were working in a CBT or brief-therapy format, whereas the remainder were in mid to long-term therapy (chiefly psychodynamic or existential). This is substantially up from last year’s figure of 27% of clients having CBT or brief-therapy.
Dr Sheri Jacobson, clinical director at Harley Therapy in central London says, “>
She adds, “one explanation for the boost in enquiries for CBT is that the government investment in a therapy campaign – Improved Access to Psychological Therapies (http://www.iapt.nhs.uk) – has catapulted CBT to centre stage. Another reason is that many people are put off by an open-ended counselling relationship and by the length of time and financial cost of such an arrangement. On the other hand, some clients do much better in traditional therapy, so it is a question of finding out what best suits the individual. It can be helpful for clients to read up on different counselling methods before choosing a therapist”.
stress and anxiety, sleep problems, sexual issues and substance misuse. The typical format is 6-20 sessions held weekly.
In spite of the surge in interest in CBT, Dr Jacobson warns “it’s important we don’t herald CBT as a magical cure. Clients need to be realistic in setting their goals; CBT will usually help the client to improve substantially and manage their condition rather than eliminate the symptoms completely. Homework is an integral part of cognitive therapy and some people are not keen on this type of structure. CBT does not fit everyone, and for this reason I expect that traditional therapies will continue to be in demand.”
In the context of overall growth in demand for therapy at the centre, requests for CBT are growing faster than those of other therapeutic approaches. Further statistics will be welcome to see if this trend continues.

Harley Therapy is a Psychotherapy and Counselling Agency established in Central London, connecting highly qualified therapists with private clients. Therapists are registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the British Psychological Society, the British Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapies or the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy. Harley Therapy Counselling London, offers initial consultations to help clients decide what therapeutic approach may be most helpful to them. See http://www.harleytherapy.co.uk for more details.

Tags: anxiety, brief therapy, cbt, cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive therapy, counselling methods, existential psychotherapy, interpersonal therapy, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, psychodynamic, psychological therapies, Psychotherapies, psychotherapy, relationship, sleep, sleep problems, stress, stress and anxiety, theoretical approaches, typical format

REBT: Scientific foundation and development

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:22:21 +0000

REBT and CBT in general have a substantial and strong research base to verify and support both its psychotherapeutic efficiency, effectiveness and its theoretical underpinnings. A great quantity of scientific empirical studies have found it to be an effective treatment for different kinds of psychopathology, conditions and problems. A vast amount of outcome studies and an estimation of hundreds of experimental studies has shown to supports the effectiveness of REBT. Recently, REBT randomized clinical trials have offered a positive view on the efficacy of REBT.
In general REBT is arguably one of the most investigated theories in the field of psychotherapy and a large among clinical experience and a substantial body of modern psychological research has validated and substantiated many of REBTs theoretical assumptions on personality and psychotherapy. Some critiques have been given on some of the clinical research that has been done on REBT both from within and by others. Originator Ellis has on occasions empathized the difficulty and complexity of measuring psychotherapeutic effectiveness, since many studies only tend to measure whether clients mere feel better after therapy instead of them getting better and staying better. Ellis has also criticized studies and commentators for having limited focus primarily to cognitive restructuring aspects, as opposed to the combination of cognitive, emotive and behavioral aspects of REBT. It has also been argued by clinitions that REBT theory has been misunderstood both in research and in general. Prominent REBTers have promoted the importance of high quality and programmatic research, including originator Ellis, a self-proclaimed “scientist by nature” who has a many occasions incorporated new research findings and legitimate critiques into REBT and concurrently revised his theories and practises. In general with regard to cognitive-behavoral psychotherapies interventions, others have pointed out that as about 30-40% of people are still nonresponsive to interventions, and that REBT could be a platform of reinvigorating empirical studies on the effectiveness of the cognitive-behavioral models of psychopathology and human functioning.
Ellis and many of his colleagues has on many occasions warned against dogmatizing and sacredizing REBT as a supposed perfect psychological cure-all and a panacea. Instead the focus by these have been on endorsing science as a means to validate, revise and expand REBT models and practises as scientific research has progressed. As a sometimes seen as a quite controversial personal figure, Ellis has also received criticism that has arguably been more directed at him than his psychotherapy. These include his use of four-letter words and no-nonsense and direct attitude. REBT has generally in quite many ways been developed, refined and augmented through the years as understanding, knowledge and science about psychology and psychotherapy has progressed. This includes both its theoretical concepts but also its practices and methodology. Inherent in REBT as an approach is the teaching of scientific thinking, reasonableness and un-dogmatism and these ways of thinking is generable inherent in REBTs empiricism and scepticism.

Tags: behavioral aspects, cbt, clinical experience, clinical research, cognitive restructuring, emotive, empirical studies, experimental studies, outcome studies, programmatic research, psychological research, psychotherapy, randomized clinical trials, rebt, research findings, theoretical assumptions

Dan Gilbert: Why are we happy? Why aren’t we happy?

admin — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:11:31 +0000

Tags: dan gilbert

Using Hypnosis for Weight Loss

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:59:10 +0000

The escalation of obesity rates in this country has sparked a flurry of activity among both serious researchers and charlatans to discover the perfect weight loss method. A recent study of four diets revealed that the key to weight loss success isn’t the diet, but how closely you follow it. Investigators from Tufts-New England Medical Center (Journal of the American Medical Association, January 2005) have determined in a study of four popular diets that the key to successful weight loss
is not the diet itself, but actually following the diet. In this one-year study of 160 overweight adults, the researchers split people into four diet groups:

· Weight Watchers (low calorie)

· The Zone Diet (low glycemic index)

· The Ornish Diet (low fat)

· The Atkins Diet (low carb)

The conclusion of the investigation was that all of these diets worked when the participants in the study followed them. The problem is that less than one in four were able to stay on their given diet for just this one year.

It should be noted that the hardest diet to follow was Atkins, followed by the Ornish Diet, but according to the authors of the study, “no single diet produced satisfactory adherence rates.” Hypnosis has been recognized as a both a method for helping people to adhere to their diets, and for re-training the mind to “think” like a lean person, in order to be able to give up dieting completely and to develop healthy eating habits that parallel the eating habits of lean people.

That being said, wild and exaggerated claims abound regarding hypnosis as it one of the more appealing methods dangled before the eyes of those who are hungry for a seemingly easy solution to a complex problem.

A careful review of the scientific literatures exposes many of the claims about weight loss through hypnosis on the internet as overly optimistic at best and openly fraudulent at worst.

Considerable controversy swirls around the mechanisms by which hypnosis actually contributes to weight loss. Leon (1976) suggested that hypnosis can help obese people team new healthier eating patterns and retain them. One author remarked that the hypnotic state is characterized by heightened concentration, suggestibility, and relaxation (Mott, 1982). Certain individuals are thought to be capable of achieving this state more readily than others. A so-called hypnotic “induction” whereby a hypnotist using certain procedures to bring an individual into the hypnotic state is not a prerequisite for achieving the state (Mott, 1982). Hypnosis, contrary to the claims of some intemet advertisers cannot magically reprogram people’s minds. In short, methods of hypnosis run the gamut from simple relaxation techniques to formal inductions administered by hypnotists, but should not be considered supernatural in its effects.

Studies showing weight loss as a result of hypnosis alone are few in number and suffer from methodological problems. Andersen (1985) reported that following 8 weekly treatment sessions and 12 weeks of practicing self-hypnosis subjects lost an average of 20.2 pounds. Cochrane and Friesen (1986) concluded that moderate weight loss was obtained by subjects using hypnosis. The experimental group, lost more weight than the controls and maintained the weight loss at a six month follow-up.

Mott (1982) stated that “although hypnosis is sometimes referred to as a method of treatment, it is more accurate to regard hypnosis as a facilitator of a number of different treatment methods.” The study concludes that the use of hypnosis for a moderate weight loss is effective using hypnotherapy. Hypnosis Plus Behavioral Weight Management A number of studies indicate that hypnosis combined with a behavioral weight management program contributes significantly to weight loss. Bolocofsky, Spinler, and Coulthard-Morris (1985) revealed that the addition of hypnosis to a behavioral program designed to alter eating patterns increased the amount of weight loss at 8-month and 2year follow-ups. Both the behavioral and hypnosis programs were tailored to each subject individually in the study. Bolocofsky et al. (1984) acknowledged that “the less a person weighed at the start of the program the more likely he was to lose weight and maintain the reduction”. Hypnosis combined with behavioral weight management seems to be more effective for small amounts of weight loss. Another study of 45 females found that supplementing a basic self-management program with hypnosis resulted in a slightly greater amount of weight loss at a 3-month follow-up (Barabasz and Spiegel, 1989). The group for which individualized hypnotic suggestions were developed lost more weight than those exposed only to a group procedure. Kirsch (1996) noted a weight loss of 6.00 pounds without hypnosis and 11.83 pounds with hypnosis based on a meta-analysis of six studies. Allison and Faith (1996), however, disagreed and maintained that hypnosis only enhances cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy slightly if at all. Long-term individualized hypnosis combined with a behavioral weight management program appears to contribute to modest weight loss and helps maintain it.

Hypnosis operates mainly as a way to increase participants’ attention to suggestions of behavioral programs as well as to reinforce their weight loss. Studies using behavioral treatments successfully “typically have developed incentive systems to bridge the gap between the short-term -reinforcers provided during treatment and long-term goal of weight reduction” (Bolocofsky et al., 1985). Hypnosis can fulfill this role by stepping in as a psychological reinforcer. Hypnosis may assist subjects in learning positive eating behaviors and creating healthy long-term patterns of food intake. Subjects are then more likely to incorporate the rules of a particular program into their behavioral regimes (Bolocofsky, 1985). Kroger (1970) points out the similarities between hypnosis and behavioral treatments which share an emphasis on visualization and imagination. The literature suggests that hypnosis is an ideal addition to behavioral weight management programs which tend to need supplementation to achieve long-term results.

The Hodgepodge Problem in Weight Loss Studies The use of subjects of varying ages and backgrounds represents one challenge that plagues studies of hypnosis as a useful treatment for weight loss. Andersen (1985) utilized subjects ranging in age from 21-56 years, a considerable spread. Subjects in another study ranged in age from 17 to 67 resulting in considerable potential differences between the control group and the hypnosis group (Bolocofsky et al., 1985). The fact that subjects were not matched with regard to age could exaggerate results of weight loss as a result of hypnosis that may more accurately be attributed to age differences. McCabe, Jupp, and Collins (I985) suggested a tendency for younger women to drop out of weight loss programs relative to older women leading to a possible masking of potential effects of age. Bolocofsky et al. (1984) indicated that successful hypnotic weight loss participants were higher in self-control, weighed less at the start of the study, married, and more expressive. A wide variety of factors influence whether a given subject will lose weight through a hypnotic weight loss program. Anderson (1985) cites the absence of matched subjects as a weakness in her experiment. More studies with subjects closely matched on various characteristics should be conducted to substantiate claims about the effectiveness of hypnosis for weight loss when combined with a behavioral program.

Most studies require weekly consultation with a hypnotist for 8 weeks or more in addition to self-hypnosis (Bolocofsky et al., 1984; Bolocofsky et al., 1985, Andersen, 1985; Cochrane & Friesen, 1986; McCabe et al., 1985). Internet advertisers who claim weight loss will occur following a single hypnotic session, especially a group hypnotic session, are frauds selling dreams to desperate customers. Allison and Faith (1996) underscore that “there is currently no panacea for the treatment of obesity and hypnosis is no exception”. Treatment using hypnosis then is not a quick and easy way out of weight troubles. In order to achieve any benefits from its use, hypnosis must be practiced on a regular basis for a significant period of time.

Conclusions and Limitations

Hypnosis has been shown to be an effective treatment for low to moderate amounts of weight loss. One qualification of this statement is that the hypnotic program should be tailored to each individual. Hypnosis is a process by which an individual enters a state of relaxation and heightened suggestibility, Transformation of the brain through some mysterious process defines only the hypnosis of pseudoscientists. Quick-fix hypnosis is probably much less effective than an 8 week program using both in-session hypnosis, at-home self-hypnosis, and behavioral weight management. The only people who claim hypnosis is easy, simple, and quick are those trying to sell people on their program. The largest obstacle in weight loss is its long-term retention, but follow-ups of hypnosis as a weight loss treatment have been conducted at the longest after two years. Weight loss tapes lack scientific evidence to support their success and should be purchased with this knowledge in mind. Weight loss through hypnosis has been largely ignored by scientists and more studies with control groups and large subject pools are required to understand its action and import.

Tags: atkins diet, brain, diet groups, healthy eating habits, hypnotic state, hypnotist, ornish diet, psychotherapy, suggestibility

Is it Possible to Make a Million Using Self Hypnosis?

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:42:31 +0000

Self hypnosis is a powerful tool but can it really help you manifest your dreams. There are many thousands of people who claim that they have used self hypnosis to create a million dollars or more. Others have claimed they used self hypnosis to reach their goals and create the life of their dreams. But is it really possible to use self hypnosis to get any of these things?

We will examine a case of a person who listened to self hypnosis and became a millionaire. Let’s assume they are honest and trustworthy and that they indeed become wealthy after listening to their self hypnosis session. So what did they do to manifest this money?

First of all they carefully selected a self hypnosis product that addressed their needs - to make more money and achieve financial independence. They then listened to their self hypnosis session everyday and followed the advice given on it. But how did the self hypnosis work? Did the subconscious mind produce money from the ether just from receiving some carefully worded post hypnotic instructions?

I doubt it! So what did the self hypnosis session really accomplish?

Before we go into what self hypnosis can and can’t do and whether it really did make the listener a millionaire we must examine the difference between a millionaire and a normal hard working person.

There are numerous resources that tell us the difference bewteen how the wealthy view money compared to the rest of us. They look at money as a reflection of what they feel they are worth and they view money as being part of their core work-force. They make money work for them whereas the majority of ‘ordinary’ people work for their money!

Millionaires have many different views about how life works, what problems are and how money is viewed. This is what makes them millionaires. How many times has Donald Trump been bankrupt? Yet he always bounces back! He expects to make money again and does what it takes to bring that expectation into reality!

The difference between someone who makes a million and someone who doesn’t is their actions!

Now action alone is not enough. For if action and work were enough to make you rich a road sweeper or garbage collector would be worth millions! To make a million you must perform the actions that lead to a million! The actions that you take are highly influenced by how you feel and think. The good news is, your thoughts and emotions can be changed!

Self hypnosis is not a magic bullet that creates the life of your dreams just by listening to a hypnotic session. Self hypnosis does not force your subconscious mind to materialize your dreams from thin air! Self hypnosis merely allows you to replace negative habits, thought patterns, beliefs and emotions with positive ones. Self hypnosis can also create new habits, new ways of thinking and instil new beliefs into your mind that make you act in different ways! This is the key to self hypnosis and its ability to help you manifest your dreams!

Self hypnosis only changes you in ways that you decide!

By altering your core characteristics to mirror those of a millionaire, through a carefully chosen self hypnosis product, you start to think like a millionaire - and here is the money-shot - you start to act like a millionaire! When you start to act like a millionaire you will start to get the same results as a millionaire.

This use of self hypnosis applies to anything in life whether it be getting a better job, creating greater communication and family harmony or even attracting your perfect partner. By using self hypnosis you can create new habits and beliefs. You can literally change your thoughts so they are similar to a person who has already attained the very things you now want. If you use self hypnosis to mirror a person who has already achieved the success you wish for then you too will receive the same level of success. What you use self hypnosis to accomplish is unlimited. How much success you achieve is a matter I leave to you!

Tags: conscious mind, dreams, emotion, expectation, habit, hypnosis session, hypnosis work, hypnotic session, listener, post hypnotic instructions, reflection, self hypnosis, subconscious, subconscious mind

Alfred Adler: Early life

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:36:49 +0000

Born in the suburbs of Vienna on February 7, 1870, Alfred Adler was the third child and second son of a Jewish grain merchant and his wife. Early on, he developed rickets, which kept him from walking until he was four years old. He almost died of pneumonia when he was five and it was at this age that he decided to be a physician.
Alfred was an active, popular child and an average student who was also known for his competitive attitude toward his older brother, Sigmund.
In 1895 he received a medical degree from the University of Vienna. During his college years, he became attached to a group of socialist students, among which he found his wife-to-be, Raissa Timofeyewna Epstein, an intellectual and social activist from Russia studying in Vienna. They married in 1897 and had four children, two of whom became psychiatrists.
He began his medical career as an ophthalmologist, but he soon switched to general practice, and established his office in a lower-class part of Vienna, across from the Prater, a combination amusement park and circus. His clients included circus people, and it has been suggested that the unusual strengths and weaknesses of the performers led to his insights into “organ inferiorities” and “compensation”.

Tags: alfred adler, psychiatrist

What’s Your Addiction?

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:26:24 +0000

We usually think of drug or alcohol addicts when we think of addictions but you may be surprised on how much broader addictions are.

Firstly the definition of an addiction is “anything that compels you, in actions or thoughts, and you don’t feel you have control over it.” With this definition, it means that thoughts and feelings can be addiction as well!

If you can go with this for a moment, you see that all addictions are a reflection of a mental state, they’re either visible or non-visible. The visible addictions cover things like food, sex, work, exercise, money and drugs. Non-visible addictions cover things like drama, worry, grief, attention and approval

The key behind these addictions, is that there’s always a perceived survival element that the mind creates. For example if you grew up in family where you derived love through eating, you may now find yourself overweight because it became an addiction to feel love in this way and therefore to survive (the mind is formed from childhood and so these perceptions of survival are instilled at that point).

We can usually tell when someone has a visible addiction (although not necessarily within ourselves), although the non-visible ones that are a bit tricky (and even more so for ourselves).

So lets look at some examples of the non-visible ones:
1. Drama: lets say that as a child you found yourself in situations where you felt discounted and became a victim of situations and now as an adult, you still carry the victim feelings. These feelings give rise to situations in daily life that are seemingly beyond your control like getting delayed on your way to work because of a car accident that held up the traffic and as a result you miss your morning meeting with the boss. This has you feel angry, frustrated or helpless and you vent with a colleague through “complaining”. The drama that seemed to have nothing to do with you, now gives you the opportunity to be justified in complaining and this makes you right and the situation wrong and this actually feels good. It feels good because we feel power in being right and therein lies the addiction, to the power that’s underneath the situation (and of course the ego gets to survive in this also).
2. Grief: lets say that as a child, you felt that nothing you did was ever good enough for your parents and now as an adult, you still carry the feelings of worthlessness in not being good enough. These feelings may lead to a situation with your partner, where they come along and see you working on something and say, “Oh, why don’t you do it this way…” This triggers the old feelings of not being good enough and boom, you react by snapping back, saying something like “leave me alone, keep your comments to yourself, get lost, haven’t you got anything better to do, etc”. The reaction is usually out of proportion to the comment and there’s generally no conscious thought, simply an explosive reaction based on a need to protect yourself. The reaction arises from a place of power within you and this deep power is what feels good at a deeper level, it doesn’t matter what’s happening on the surface, the addiction again is to the power (and again your ego gets to survive).
3. Worry: lets say that as a child you were constantly told to be careful that this or that might happen and out of that you created a belief system that the world was unsafe and now as an adult, you still carry feelings of fear or concern for how things will turn out if you take or don’t take a certain action. These feelings may lead to a situation where you meet a friend that is excited about a new business proposition and offers you an opportunity to enter it. You then do one of two things, either you agree out of fear of missing out (without doing your due diligence) and then spend a heap of time worrying about whether it was the right thing to do or, you are paralysed through analysis paralysis and don’t make a decision out of fear as you worry about all the possible bad outcomes that may eventuate. Either way the worrying puts you in touch with feelings from childhood and this has you feel a level of comfort and control because the worry pretends to be important and this again has you feel a power within you and thus the addiction is again to power so that the ego survives.
4. Attention and Approval: lets say that as a child you felt that you were not given the love you needed and now as an adult, you still carry the feelings of being unlovable. This may lead to taking actions out of a hope that somehow others give you the love you need to fill the void and take care of the pain you experienced as a child. An example would be, you buy a gift for a friend and when you give it to them they don’t express their appreciation the way you’d hoped and this leaves you feeling resentful, hurt or angry, your action of giving was done with an expectation of a certain response or reaction so that you could get the attention or approval and thereby feel the love. When this doesn’t happen, it puts you in touch with the pain from childhood and the resentfulness, hurt or anger again puts you in touch with your power and so again the addiction is to this sense of power that is derived in such a way that looks like anything but power.

Essentially, each one of us is born into this world as light within the form of a baby, with limitless potential at our disposal. As we grow layers of limitations are placed over that light until the light is almost completely obscured as we identify with an ego. The effect is that we lose sight of the light (the Truth of who we are) and accept that this body and these circumstances are who we are. It’s not and it takes great power to create the illusion that shows us as anything other than the light.

And so, what I’m saying here is that whether we’re aware of it or not, we already have a knowing that we are extremely powerful underneath it all. We simply haven’t become masters of that power yet, so we unconsciously use what we’ve learned from a very young age to access it and we did that through what we consider to be negative or unpleasant circumstances that take on addictive qualities on the surface, i.e. things we don’t have control over and are compelled to do. The irony or paradox is that it’s these very situations that help us peel away the layers of limitation until we do allow the light to shine through.

Tags: addict, addiction, addictions, alcohol, anger, belief system, drugs, ego, expectation, fear, grief, love, perception, perceptions, reflection, survival, thoughts and feelings, truth, worry, worthlessness

Psydir || Psychology & Psychotherapy Resources

Humanistic psychology: Criticism and debate

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