Re: Help me to help 4's

Posted by John DiFool on February 13, 1998 at 20:17:50:

In Reply to: Help me to help 4's posted by Dave on February 13, 1998 at 19:54:54:

When I was a young chap, I had problems with psychosomatic illnesses as
well as outright hypochondria. Like your patients much of it stemmed
for my inability to let go of obsessive preoccupations with pain, mainly
mental, in a never-ending circle of self-pity. I, like many Fours, was
caught up in a crisis of existential despair, which is almost as hard to
escape from as is a black hole. OK, so, how do you break the chain and
escape this vicious cycle?

While I wouldn't recommend my exact path (too many twists and turns),
there are alternatives, the most obvious being referring them to a good
psychotherapist. Ecopsychology (tho admittedly not everyone's bag, even
if it's mine ;-) is another alternative. I should emphasize that Band-
Aid treatments will only work for awhile-to transcend the "Dark Side of
Four" requires a significant desire on the person to say "I'm mad as
h*ll and I'm not going to take it anymore!" I.e. nobody else is going
to "save" him, he has to save himself, whic requires discipline, self-
honesty, and insightfulness, plus, maybe, just maybe, a small vote of
confidence from the Great Beyond. ;-) Hope this helps!

---John DiFool

"Red on pink, the sun will sink, have you even heard?"

---The Church, "There's No Reason"

Follow Ups:

• Re: Help me to help 4's Dave 20:33:19 2/15/98 (1)
  • Re: Help me to help 4's John DiFool 00:55:55 2/16/98 (0)

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