Posted by JenStar on August 13, 2004, at 11:11:22
In reply to Re: Re: First let me... » ((((((((Dinah)))))))), posted by 64bowtie on August 11, 2004, at 3:38:31
hi Rod,
I don't think your ideas are confined to 'life coaching' -- a book on therapy I was reading lately seemed to echo this philosphy, albeit in gentler words:You wrote:
"Like I've said many times in many posts, I hear cogniphobia! Many Babblers have a phobia against thinking; seeing themselves as they are in their mind's eye, and accepting what they see. I can't see any reference equating phobias to pathology. Cancer is pathological. Phobias are faulty beliefs based on flawed information, being enacted out physically, much to the clients discomfort and despair. When confronted about their fear of thinking is done successfully, phobics overturn years and decades of conflictedness and confusion within minutes. I have witnessed hundreds of successful encounters and done a few myself, where the conditions were right. Pathologies like those of a Charles Manson or a Jeffry Daumer, don't get fixed by coaching"
A book I read recently reminds me of your ideas. It's called Reality Therapy in Action by William Glasser, M.D. Glasser believes that many serious psych issues can be 'cured' by helping the client see that they have choices and that they are not trapped into a cycle of chronic behavior. He cites examples of how he helps correct people with OCD, who hear voices, suffer from alcoholism without drugs.
He does also posit that relationships are the basis for many issues, but what interested me most was his emphasis on personal choice and how you can overcome many 'pathologies' with different actions, mindset and choices. He DOES say "in fine print" (so to speak!) that there are some things that cannot be fixed through choice & talk alone, but he chooses to focus on the things that CAN.
Have you read this author? What do you think about him? Am I right in finding similarities between your ideas and his?
ON the one hand I found the book sort of inspirational and "bootstrappy" -- reminds me that I have choices and I am actually choosing some of my more destructive and depressing behaviors, even if it's easier to believe that I'm "locked in" and can't change them. On the other hand, I felt he kind of took it too far and didn't give enough credit to 'broken brains' and their difficulty in getting fixed.
I have to say, though, that I did initially feel a bit offended when I read your line about "cogniphobia" here in babble-land. I don't believe it's a phobia, exactly -- more of a basic human nature trait to stick to the comfortable and the known. A lot of people here are genuinely trying to work on issues, and struggling to make progress, and I think it feels a bit demoralizing to have the struggle trivialized or marginalized, categorized as a blindness.
I think some of the deeper psych issues -- whether they are actual pathology or just a lifetime of choices that have solidified into a way of life -- make it very hard to 'choose' mental health and sunshine, even if we logically want to and know we should.
Do you REALLY think it's congiphobia? Really? Or were you just using that word b/c it comes close to describing us, and because kind of sounds cool... (it IS a cool word!)
Anyway, I believe you got blocked for using "cogniphobia" but when you return I would really be interested in hearing your thoughts.
Yours in thought...
JenStar
poster:JenStar
thread:375512
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040812/msgs/377172.html