Tag: #mentalhealth

Thinking Yourself Happy: Nobody’s Perfect!

••• Harry wanted the perfect wife, the perfect job, and the perfect home.  At age thirty-nine he was still unmarried, unemployed, and living in a tenement. His quest for perfection had made it virtually impossible for Harry to be satisfied with the…

Thinking Yourself Healthy: The Dangers of Faulty Positive Thinking

••• Isaac suffered from what could be called “blinding optimism.”  He focused          exclusively on the bright side of life, on all the good events.  By sweeping harsh realities under the rug, he was often taken by surprise when unmistakably negative circumstances arose.  He was…

Thinking Yourself Healthy: More about Shoulds & Musts

••• Norman, a twice-divorced thirty-six-year-old lawyer, came for therapy.  He often ran into interpersonal problems, but recently he had lost three close friendships, had a serious falling out with his parents, and his fiancée had broken off their engagement.  No wonder! Norman had…