Psychological evasions that lead us away from the truth
Many people — clients and therapists alike — idealize psychotherapists, expecting them to transcend normal human needs and limitations; they’re supposed to achieve some level of bounty, emotional and financial, where they can sacrifice their income to the financial needs of their clients.
The Mythical Therapist Read More »
Many people take antidepressants, not because they’re depressed, but because doing so helps them to avoid confronting important feelings or problem areas in their lives.
Good and Bad Reasons to Take an Antidepressant Read More »
Thoughts about preserving the “good” bits of the mostly-bad mother.
The Mostly-Bad Mother Read More »
Idealization reflects a drive to escape from an internal experience felt to be unbearable and to connect with something perfect. This defense mechanism may take aim at another person, an actual experience or one’s own self.
Defense Mechanisms V: Idealization Read More »
The precocious development of verbal thought can function as a defense against unbearable emotional chaos; in later life, this kind of “thinking” often takes on a life of its own, can feel persecutory and underlies problems with insomnia.
Defense Mechanisms IV: “Thinking” Read More »
A sense of entitlement, along with the expectation that life should be much easier and less frustrating than it actually is, often lies behind the expression of narcissistic rage, a feature of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and other superficially discrete categories of diagnosis.
Narcissistic Rage and the Sense of Entitlement Read More »
The experience of helplessness in the face of trauma plays a central role in post traumatic stress disorder and the development of ptsd symptoms, but also has an impact on the genesis of other psychological disorders and maladaptive character traits.
The Role of Helplessness in PTSD Symptoms and Other Disorders Read More »
Contrary to what we have been led to believe, psychiatric medications do not rectify a chemical imbalance in your brain but instead create one; the body then adapts to this imbalance, and when drug use is discontinued, the physical response is akin to withdrawal symptoms.
“Psychiatric Meds Are Like Insulin for Diabetes” (Big Lie #3) Read More »
Sexual excitement, while crucial for the early stages of a romance, can be abused as a way to avoid true intimacy.
The Misuses of Sexual Excitement Read More »
A discussion of the psychological cycle of crime and punishment in people who never seem to learn from their experience or grow in psychotherapy.
The Cycle of Crime and Punishment in Psychotherapy Read More »