A fascinating read as we head into what promises for many to be an isolated holiday season. Feels like a good time to evaluate "fulfillment’s desolate attic” or "the hedonic treadmill" and the importance of looking inward for fulfillment.
I think what fascinates me the post is the constant pain people struggling with depression grapple with. And humans complex relationship with pain, we are all just trying to take away as much pain from our lives as possible, dare I say everything we do is to achieve some form of ease.
Everytime I think I can’t find a more heartbreaking article or story on Readup, another comes along! I’m still recovering from The Promise!! Have to admit this is incredibly fascinating however ironic. Surprisingly, as a therapist, I haven’t had to deal with many suicidal clients. The ones who have been have taught me a lot about crushing mental and emotional pain till I begin to get it. Some have been combat vets others have had unremitting depression which is unbearable. Guilt can be unbearable too. I no longer judge.
Lit Incense In Honor of Phil Brickman this morning on Our Home Altar. May his Spirit Rise In Peace.
There Is Medicine Here:
“When depression is actually functional,” he explained, “that pain helps, because it lowers your baseline, so that you’re willing to accept alternatives you wouldn’t have accepted before. And then you can start to build new relationships and new purposes and new meanings.” To remarry, for instance. Or find a new job.“
May We Each Find Our Freedom from the dis-ease that temporarily ails Us and Work With it In Ways That Imagine Better & Best Lives Possible; one & All.
So True, Karenz 💓 We Learn So Much from Stories Like these; How to Elevate the Narrative of Trauma We All Share and hopefully Stand In the Gap for Future Genius Generations.
🙏🏼
Powerful and well written. An expose on the man, Philip Brickman, a brilliant psychology academic, who became famous for the study “Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative?” Very important reflection on depression, suicide and the pain it inflicts on the victim, their family and friends. Tragic.
“Happiness,” he wrote, “involves the enthusiastic and unambivalent acceptance of activities or relationships that are not the best that might possibly be obtained.”
Really interesting theory about the "what" but unfortunately missing the "how."
Loved reading this piece, it's so insightful. I will most likely read it again. It talks about constant pain, how to navigate it. What I find most intriguing is how everyone has a baseline (Let's say your happiness points). You want something, you think it will make you happier and increase your points, you get it, it does for a bit and then you return to the baseline. I wonder how this baseline is created in the first place, and if it increases over the course of our lives.
A fascinating read as we head into what promises for many to be an isolated holiday season. Feels like a good time to evaluate "fulfillment’s desolate attic” or "the hedonic treadmill" and the importance of looking inward for fulfillment.
I think what fascinates me the post is the constant pain people struggling with depression grapple with. And humans complex relationship with pain, we are all just trying to take away as much pain from our lives as possible, dare I say everything we do is to achieve some form of ease.
Everytime I think I can’t find a more heartbreaking article or story on Readup, another comes along! I’m still recovering from The Promise!! Have to admit this is incredibly fascinating however ironic. Surprisingly, as a therapist, I haven’t had to deal with many suicidal clients. The ones who have been have taught me a lot about crushing mental and emotional pain till I begin to get it. Some have been combat vets others have had unremitting depression which is unbearable. Guilt can be unbearable too. I no longer judge.
I found this article outside of Readup, and was motivated to read the entire article to post it, as I was eager for your thoughts. Very powerful read
Powerful Read!
Lit Incense In Honor of Phil Brickman this morning on Our Home Altar. May his Spirit Rise In Peace.
There Is Medicine Here:
“When depression is actually functional,” he explained, “that pain helps, because it lowers your baseline, so that you’re willing to accept alternatives you wouldn’t have accepted before. And then you can start to build new relationships and new purposes and new meanings.” To remarry, for instance. Or find a new job.“
May We Each Find Our Freedom from the dis-ease that temporarily ails Us and Work With it In Ways That Imagine Better & Best Lives Possible; one & All.
Love the gesture of lighting incense in Brickman’s honor. He paid a high price for his genius.
So True, Karenz 💓 We Learn So Much from Stories Like these; How to Elevate the Narrative of Trauma We All Share and hopefully Stand In the Gap for Future Genius Generations. 🙏🏼
That’s lovely.
Powerful and well written. An expose on the man, Philip Brickman, a brilliant psychology academic, who became famous for the study “Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative?” Very important reflection on depression, suicide and the pain it inflicts on the victim, their family and friends. Tragic.
Damn, what a tragic story!
Really interesting theory about the "what" but unfortunately missing the "how."
Loved reading this piece, it's so insightful. I will most likely read it again. It talks about constant pain, how to navigate it. What I find most intriguing is how everyone has a baseline (Let's say your happiness points). You want something, you think it will make you happier and increase your points, you get it, it does for a bit and then you return to the baseline. I wonder how this baseline is created in the first place, and if it increases over the course of our lives.