We all like to think we’re motivated by self-interest, self-protection, and self-love. Consciously, we are. Unconsciously, though, we operate a misery-machine inside us that churns up self-defeat, self-damage, and self-rejection. A reference to a misery-machine is made by … [Read more...] about Mark Twain’s Mysterious Misery-Machine
inner conflict
Panic Attacks Arise from Within Our Psyche
The public is not getting the best insight into a wide range of psychological ailments, including panic or anxiety attacks. Books on the subject downplay the role of the psyche or unconscious mind, and ascribe the problem, as one author wrote, to the intrusions of the conscious … [Read more...] about Panic Attacks Arise from Within Our Psyche
The Hidden Cause of Clinical Depression
Crippling confusion governs our treatment approach to the mental-health epidemic of clinical depression. Typically, sufferers who ask what causes their depression are told it’s a mysterious and complex brain disorder. This answer does a grave disservice to millions of … [Read more...] about The Hidden Cause of Clinical Depression
Prose to Shatter Writer’s Block
There’s nothing more painful than having writing talent—yet being blocked from expressing it. A lifeless imagination withers the spirit of the aspiring scribe. The problem is called writer’s block. Writer’s block and other creativity blocks are symptoms or consequences of … [Read more...] about Prose to Shatter Writer’s Block
The Negative Emotions Behind Addictions
I read this definition of an addiction on the internet: "An addiction is an unconscious way of coping with emotions." Yes, that's true, but a more precise definition is called for: An addiction is a self-defeating reaction to, or consequence of, unresolved negative … [Read more...] about The Negative Emotions Behind Addictions