We all agree about the need to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. Perhaps we also need to look at some psychological issues influencing staunch defenders of gun rights. Many of these individuals are not paragons of mental health because two of their unrecognized … [Read more...] about The Double Barrels of Gun Mania
Psyche
Exterminate Infestations of Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts are like termites that chew up and spit out our happiness. Many of us are frequently overwhelmed by such worrisome, anxious, fearful, and hateful thoughts. These thoughts gnaw at the fabric of our life, yet we’re often oblivious to basic knowledge that can … [Read more...] about Exterminate Infestations of Negative Thoughts
The Psychology Behind Mass Shootings
While some mass shooters are psychotic or schizophrenic, only about five percent of violence in the United States can be attributed to people with mental illness. The rate of mental illness is higher---an estimated 20 percent---among rampage or serial killers. Most of the mass … [Read more...] about The Psychology Behind Mass Shootings
Why Our Emotional Suffering Persists
Were we born to suffer? William Wordsworth seemed to think so when he wrote: “Suffering is permanent, obscure and dark. And shares the nature of infinity.” Indeed, ignorance in centuries past doomed many people to perpetual suffering. Much physical suffering has been … [Read more...] about Why Our Emotional Suffering Persists
Easing Tension and Stress at Family Gatherings
Lingering emotional wounds from our family of origin are like riptides in our psyche. At times, most of us in childhood experienced betrayal, rejection, and other painful hurts. As adults, many of us, swept along by emotional undercurrents, are unable to enjoy our time together … [Read more...] about Easing Tension and Stress at Family Gatherings