welcome to my world

spiral down (verb) : to pursue a winding, downward course or a course that displays a twisting form or shape*
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Ah, the spiral down into depression. Not a lot of information on this as a technical term, but all the chirpy folks at Psychology Today indicate that the spiral could go up OR down. This is based on the theory of "social contagion", where one can change his or her mood by smiling or thinking happy thoughts and hanging out with those "turn that frown upside down" folks. (If you can find them.)

I'm not sure I buy the social contagion theory, since we're all responsible for our own feelings in the end: anything less and you're giving up power over your emotions, anything more and you're an Empath.**

But I guess it's better than the trip down the spiral.



*For the super observant, the 'my world' photo is looking up the staircase, isn't it?
** http://www.tv.com/star-trek/the-empath/episode/24950/summary.html

More on New Year's Resolutions

New Year's resolution (noun) : 2. the subsistence of a pathological state (as inflammation)
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So how many have failed at their resolutions after a week? Uh huh. A writer at Psychology Today tells us that the reason people are unsuccessful at keeping resolutions is because we have an unconscious desire to keep things exactly as they are (and have the exact feelings that we do).

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-is-he-thinking/201101/why-new-years-resolutions-dont-work

Big pitch for psychoanalysis here, since the only solution presented is to examine the emotions we are avoiding by not changing.

But another solution is just to pick easier resolutions (ones that you already achieve or ones with words like, 'perhaps' and 'maybe'). This is the difference between a winner and a loser in this whole resolution thing-

Winner: I resolve to breathe regularly in the new year. Loser: I resolve to exercise regularly in the new year.
Winner: I resolve to perhaps help more people in the new year, maybe. Loser: I resolve to volunteer regularly in the new year.

Your choice.

Resolution Phobia

New Year's resolution (noun) : a commitment to a project or lifestyle change that one makes that generally is interpreted as advantageous; it is effective on New Year's Day and is forgotten by Valentine's Day
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Happy new year and good luck to all who are determined to make and adhere to those resolutions!

I know, I know. We all will be drinking less alcohol and more water, eating better, exercising more, organizing our photos, keeping in touch with friends, etc., etc. Amazing how similar everyone's resolutions are (and how they really don't change much each year). But even more amazing is how much advice writers at Psychology Today and other psychology related blogs and zines give out on resolutions. Some of my favourites:
-Get angry and get those resolutions accomplished!
-Love yourself and accept what you can get done!
-Make positive not negative resolutions!

All that and they still agree that many resolutions are forgotten in a few weeks.

What’s an analysand to do?

Why, examine why one makes a resolution one can’t keep, of course! Keep your therapist employed this new year and give him/her a shot at this.

Another Holiday Phobia

angoraphobia (noun) : the chronic fear that cousin Harriet from Omaha sent you another homemade gift for christmas
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I know we all dread that gift.




Today's definition comes with thanks to Bruce Kluger in a 2003 holiday article in Psychology Today.

Disordered Holiday Spirits

North-Polar Disorder (noun) : the chronic fear that someone is on the roof
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(And doing who-knows-what up there)!




Today's definition comes with thanks to Bruce Kluger in a 2003 holiday article in Psychology Today.

Ho Ho Phobia

Ho-Ho-Phobia (noun) : a profound fear of rotund, bearded men in red suits and black boots that surfaces earlier and earlier each year as sufferers begin to report frequent sightings of their most feared apparition on street corners, in shop windows and especially on the second Saturday of December when "Santacon" occurs and thousands are found running from bar to bar drinking in cities across the globe
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Today's definition comes with thanks to Bruce Kluger in a 2003 holiday article in Psychology Today(!).

I guess even therapists have a sense of humour at times.