Walter Benjamin's Vision of Hope and Despair

the line from the article by Raymond Barglow, which struck me the most - “the heightened receptivity to experience that enabled him to write with such originality and brilliance about the world also made it difficult for him to live in it.”

sensitivity is something that varies from person to person. while most people would fall within some control limits, there are some who have very thin skins - who detect and absorb the tiniest disturbance around them. asking them to grow thicker skins is like expecting a grape to become a watermelon.
depression is that anger/frustration of a sensitive soul that turns inward - be it rage against society / family / fate. the unexpressed anger festers within and turns into melancholia.

2 weeks ago  View comments

Being an Island can be so lonely. That’s probably the reason why we keep building bridges to other islands and occasionally burning a few of those.

5 months ago  View comments

Childhood trauma

Childhood trauma can sometimes manifest itself in the long term as a tendency to get into situations (irrespective of whether they are thrust upon us or not) where one’s strength is tested and to overcome it no matter what. there is an unconscious desire to test one’s mettle - leading to the risk of overstepping one’s limit of endurance.

5 months ago  View comments

Note to a therapist

Prompted by this article - http://www.crisiscounseling.com/articles/transference.htm

As a therapist if you think you are going to help someone - that’s it - you are sunk, done for. You will be caught up in your ego - putting yourself a notch above the patient and get into the Parent-Child transaction.

If you think your role is to let someone help himself/herself - that’s when the chances for success go up. Even though the patient behaves like a Child (cos that does happen during Depression) - you can choose not to take up the Parent role and continue to keep yourself on an equal platform like an Adult.

There is a risk of playing roles depending upon the patient’s condition. If he/she is behaving like a Child, your natural tendency will be to say to him/her the words he/she wants to hear from a Parental figure. Maybe in your heart, you will also be telling yourself once that phase is over you will behave like an Adult to trigger his/her Adult. But that’s the risk of manipulation - you think you can control your and his/her behaviour - but who knows you might get caught in the game yourself.

I’ve used the YOU to address any person playing the therapist role in an interaction - including myself. I’ve been a listener to quite a few folks in my life and I know I’ve often said things I thought the other person wanted to hear.

5 months ago  5 notes View comments

Self-esteem

Self-esteem is elusive. Something within us drives us to gain it through achievements and accomplishments. And if our skills do not fetch us the moolah, it raises questions on the worth of it all.

But I have a sneaky feeling, it comes when one is secure in the love of God…in the comforting feeling that we ARE worth something without needing to DO something.

5 months ago  View comments

Why do we shirk from letting the anguish and pain show on our face? Why is there a need to always keep smiling, keep shining? Why can’t we occasionally strip ourselves from the layers of make-up we put on to adhere to the so-called conventions of society. Isn’t that need as natural as nature’s need to exfoliate itself of its beauty in winter.

Why do we shirk from letting the anguish and pain show on our face? Why is there a need to always keep smiling, keep shining? Why can’t we occasionally strip ourselves from the layers of make-up we put on to adhere to the so-called conventions of society. Isn’t that need as natural as nature’s need to exfoliate itself of its beauty in winter.

5 months ago  View high resolution View comments

Brooding

The only way I can stop myself from brooding during deep dark depressive phases - is to simply pray to God and fold origami paper cranes.

5 months ago  View comments

Being kinder to oneself

Being kinder to oneself is the key to recovery from depression

5 months ago  View comments

A doc describes depression

5 months ago  View comments

Walter Benjamin's Vision of Hope and Despair

the line from the article by Raymond Barglow, which struck me the most - “the heightened receptivity to experience that enabled him to write with such originality and brilliance about the world also made it difficult for him to live in it.”

sensitivity is something that varies from person to person. while most people would fall within some control limits, there are some who have very thin skins - who detect and absorb the tiniest disturbance around them. asking them to grow thicker skins is like expecting a grape to become a watermelon.
depression is that anger/frustration of a sensitive soul that turns inward - be it rage against society / family / fate. the unexpressed anger festers within and turns into melancholia.

Being an Island can be so lonely. That’s probably the reason why we keep building bridges to other islands and occasionally burning a few of those.

Childhood trauma

Childhood trauma can sometimes manifest itself in the long term as a tendency to get into situations (irrespective of whether they are thrust upon us or not) where one’s strength is tested and to overcome it no matter what. there is an unconscious desire to test one’s mettle - leading to the risk of overstepping one’s limit of endurance.

Note to a therapist

Prompted by this article - http://www.crisiscounseling.com/articles/transference.htm

As a therapist if you think you are going to help someone - that’s it - you are sunk, done for. You will be caught up in your ego - putting yourself a notch above the patient and get into the Parent-Child transaction.

If you think your role is to let someone help himself/herself - that’s when the chances for success go up. Even though the patient behaves like a Child (cos that does happen during Depression) - you can choose not to take up the Parent role and continue to keep yourself on an equal platform like an Adult.

There is a risk of playing roles depending upon the patient’s condition. If he/she is behaving like a Child, your natural tendency will be to say to him/her the words he/she wants to hear from a Parental figure. Maybe in your heart, you will also be telling yourself once that phase is over you will behave like an Adult to trigger his/her Adult. But that’s the risk of manipulation - you think you can control your and his/her behaviour - but who knows you might get caught in the game yourself.

I’ve used the YOU to address any person playing the therapist role in an interaction - including myself. I’ve been a listener to quite a few folks in my life and I know I’ve often said things I thought the other person wanted to hear.

Self-esteem

Self-esteem is elusive. Something within us drives us to gain it through achievements and accomplishments. And if our skills do not fetch us the moolah, it raises questions on the worth of it all.

But I have a sneaky feeling, it comes when one is secure in the love of God…in the comforting feeling that we ARE worth something without needing to DO something.

Why do we shirk from letting the anguish and pain show on our face? Why is there a need to always keep smiling, keep shining? Why can’t we occasionally strip ourselves from the layers of make-up we put on to adhere to the so-called conventions of society. Isn’t that need as natural as nature’s need to exfoliate itself of its beauty in winter.

Why do we shirk from letting the anguish and pain show on our face? Why is there a need to always keep smiling, keep shining? Why can’t we occasionally strip ourselves from the layers of make-up we put on to adhere to the so-called conventions of society. Isn’t that need as natural as nature’s need to exfoliate itself of its beauty in winter.

Brooding

The only way I can stop myself from brooding during deep dark depressive phases - is to simply pray to God and fold origami paper cranes.

Being kinder to oneself

Being kinder to oneself is the key to recovery from depression

A doc describes depression

Walter Benjamin's Vision of Hope and Despair
Childhood trauma
Note to a therapist
Self-esteem
Brooding
Being kinder to oneself

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