Recent Thoughts & Occurances
- Anne Rice, the queen writer of dark novels such as the vampire-lover's “Interview with the Vampire,” and certainly one of the most incandescent, popular authors of our time, appears to have found God. According to the October 31st issue of Newsweek, Rice, 64, will be dedicating the rest of her life’s novels to Christ. In fact, her upcoming novel is entitled “Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt,” where a 7 year old Jesus is the narrator of his own story. Some say such a transition in focal point may hurt Rice’s ever-loyal fan base. I suppose only time will tell. I, for one, wouldn’t mind reading this newest book. To read the Newsweek article on Rice’s transition, click here.
- Taking a course in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy this semester has been an extremely rewarding experience. My professor seems to be a brilliant man and has opened my mind up to an understanding of human thought and behavior that I had yet to fully encounter.
- For instance, there is often a view in my field that depression is maladaptive and exists as a barrier to human functioning that must, therefore, be eliminated. Taking depression and examining it at face value, I would have to agree with this idea. However, from what is deemed a “Constructivist” standpoint, I would have to question otherwise. From a constructivist view, depression is not a maladaptive barrier to human functioning. Instead, it is a central and meaningful aspect in human development. Depression can actually serve a useful purpose in the pursuit of what is called human “self-actualization,” wherein a person reaches their full potential as a human being. Thus, instead of attempting to be “corrective” and eliminate the depression, the therapist and client are “creative” and build upon it. The client can still hold onto the depression yet form new meanings through it. Very intriguing to think of depression as being “adaptive”!
- In other news, I never thought I’d be a cat lover. Sue me.
- Thinking back to what I learned in my undergraduate Teams & Team Leadership class, it can definitely be a good idea to involve a third party to mediate a dispute between two people or two groups. However, I have often questioned the value of involving a third party that is a mutual friend. If not effective, such an approach can create more barriers to the problem solving process. Thus, and I am not perfect, I do strive to take problems to a non-mutual friend/relative if the problem cannot be solved between the two people/groups.
- Stepping in cat barf can be quite the pleasant experience. In deed, the best part of waking up is getting cat barf between ones toes.
- I hope my blog is still here when I go to the site to copy and paste this into a template. I, as you probably know, haven’t blogged in so long that it’s just plain scary.
- I can’t wait for the next presidential elections.
- How did your parents teach you about sex, puberty, the birds and the bees, and all that jazz? If you’re a girl, did your mom happen to buy you a book entitled, “The What’s Happening to My Body Book for Girls”? My mom did. Never a talk. Just a book. And, I suppose, it worked! It is odd to think that not too far from now, many people my age will either be having to give “the talk” or a nice little book that says it all (and shows it all, as did the book my mom gave me).
- I highly recommend the show "Grey's Anatomy". Excellent show! It airs Sunday nights on ABC at 9 pm cdt.
- Well, it is time I wrap this thing up. Meanwhile, I recommend you check out http://www.ebaumsworld.com/ . ‘Tis one of my FAVE sites!
posted by Holly at 4:28 PM
3 Comments:
I'd be curious to understand more of how "depression can actually serve [as] a useful purpose in the pursuit of...self-actualization."
I might disagree...but that's just my opinion.
Do you feel as if true self-actualization can be met when depression is still present? Just curious.
Kim,
I can give you some articles to read if you'd like to learn a little more about constructivist philosophy.
As for your question, that is really hard to say. I mean, I think truly self-actualized people are susceptible to depression and can become so (though, to note, few people ever actually reach self-actualization -- if Maslow is correct. And not that I agree with his heirarchy of needs though -- people "need" the basics but they don't "need" self-actualization even though they may strive for it). However, as for whether they can reach it (self-actualization) while being depressed is tough. The constructivists feel that depression is a way of adapting to change and that it can be made useful (though all humans do not necessarily have to experience depression to successfully adapt). To simply "take away" someone's depression can create a roadblock (in forming new knowledge and meaning based upon core-beliefs/schemas tacitly held in life, for example). Thus, that is where depression can be "adaptive".
From the constructivist standpoint, for instance, depression is actually a common occurance in human growth -- apparently part of working through certain inevitable changes in life. One is allowed to hang onto those beliefs that are part of the etiology of depression, for instance, yet constructively build upon them rather than discount or eradicate the depressive beliefs. Our "core-beliefs" can be modified but rarely, if ever, changed (which many people do, they try to change them -- which creates more barriers).
An example might be where a man has been suffering depression after the death of his son in a car accident. The son had been drinking and driving; the dad didn't do anything to stop him. The root of the father's depression is the guilt that he could have done something to prevent his son's death...
Rather than discounting his depression and guilt and saying "it wasn't your fault" the constructivist allows him to keep the root of his depression and says "yes, you could have done something and maybe it was partly your fault but... who's to say that your son wouldn't have died in a future car wreck. After all, he was always drinking. You couldn't have stopped him." Then the question could be raised, "Do you think you can still live knowing that yes you could have done something but didn't and yet, at the same time, live with the knowledge that you couldn't always have been your son's protector?"
From here, new meaning is adapted from the depression and, hopefully, helps the client to "move on" in the pursuit of finding meaning as well as self-actualization.
I hope this makes sense. It's kind of hard to explain, plus I'm sleepy. However, there are some articles I can give you if you'd like the link that really explain it quite better and easier than I can. I think you would find them interesting, whether or not you agreed of course.
Thanks for your comment! Makes one think.
Sorry, I think I kind of rambled a bit in my last comment but, to put it simply --
I really don't know then answer to that. It is difficult to tell and I'd have to do more research.
I am all about the adaptiveness of it, however.
But as for if they can co-occur, again, I am not certain.
And, if a self-actualized person suddenly experiences a bout of depression, does that make them less self-actualized?
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