My previous post, "The Changing Face of Psychological Health," provoked a number of comments about serious mental illness. That was understandable, especially in the light of the Tucson shootings. But they also missed the point of my post: That we lack a clear, relevant description of what psychological health is, in today's world; and, how you can build it. So in this post I describe more about what a psychologically healthy life looks like, today -- in your relationships, your work, and in your role as a "future ancestor."
First, keep in mind that psychological health isn't the same as the absence of mental or emotional disorders. For example, you can't say that a happy person is someone who's not depressed. Many people have consulted me who aren't depressed by clinical criteria, but they aren't happy with their work, relationships or their overall lives, either.
Moreover, self-awareness isn't equivalent to health. It's a necessary underpinning, but it's not enough. Therapists often help their patients deepen self-awareness about the roots of their conflicts, only to wonder why they remain the same. Psychiatrist Richard Friedman described that dilemma in a recent New York Times article in which he illustrated the puzzlement practitioners experience when they are confronted with the limitation of awareness, alone.
To the extent there's a conventional view of psychological health at all, it's mostly equated with good life-management and coping skills. That is, managing stress in your work and personal life, and coping with -- if not resolving -- whatever emotional conflicts you brought with you into adulthood.
A less visible view of psychological health also exists: Successful adaptation to and embracing of the dominant values, behavior and attitudes of the society or milieu you're a part of. The problem here is that such socially-conditioned norms have also embodied greed, self-absorption, domination, destructiveness and divisiveness. They've been equated with "success" in adult life.
The upshot is that you can be well-adapted to dominant attitudes and behavior that are, themselves, psychologically unhealthy. So you may be "well-adjusted" to an unhealthy life.
We've been witnessing the fruits of that form of "health" throughout our society in recent years, in the form of dysfunctional lives and failing institutions. Part of the reason is that we now live in a highly interconnected, unpredictable, digitalized world of "non-equilibrium." It presents new challenges for individual lives and society. That's why I believe we need to revamp our thinking about psychological health, to take account of the new realities and challenges of our post-9/11, post-economic meltdown, 21st Century world.
So, I propose that psychological health -- in emotions, attitudes, mental outlook and behavior -- consists of whatever builds, creates, grows and sustains; rather than that which exploits, extracts or destroys.
That definition of psychological health, for individuals, institutions and public policies, is grounded in explicit values: Building and creating for all, rather than consuming and taking for the benefit of the few.
Those values, in turn, steer you towards wanting to develop and engage your human capacities in the service of something larger than just amassing or extracting benefits for yourself. That focus is what's known as the "common good," which, I argued in a previous post, is on the rise in our society.
To clarify, it may sound contradictory that if you "forget yourself," so to speak, you'll grow your own mental, emotional and creative capacities and become psychologically healthier. But the fact is, you stagnate when you overly dwell on yourself -- just your own needs, desires, slights, complaints about others, and so on. In contrast, building psychological health today occurs by putting your energies in the service of something larger than just your narrow self-interest. That is, towards common goals, purposes or missions that require contributing and creating; not just consuming and extracting value for yourself.
The positive emotions and broadened perspectives I wrote about in my last post are important sources of health because they grow your inner life, which is the wellspring of healthy actions in your outer life of relationships, work, and your conduct as a citizen and future ancestor. In the outer world, psychological health is visible, for example, in being highly proactive and innovative; positive connection with diverse people; flexibility in situations of conflict; using the anxiety that's always present in life as a guide to wise judgment and action. And overall, being nimble, flexible, and adaptive to the changes and the unpredictable events that are part of life in our new era.
Here are three realms where you can see how those qualities come alive:
At Work -- Psychologically healthy behavior includes collaboration, non-defensiveness, informality, a creative mindset, and ease of engagement, as a team member and with the overall objectives or mission. It includes tuning in to the whole picture, in which you're one player, while finding ways to make a positive contribution. In short, psychological health at work is visible in being collaborative rather than self-promoting at others' expense.
In Your Relationship -- Building a healthy relationship is thwarted by self-oriented maneuvering, dominating or subtly manipulating your partner to get your own needs and desires met, often at the expense of the relationship itself. Psychological health here includes transparency with your partner, two-way openness, a shared vision of partnership and way of life that both of you are committed to creating. Mutual respect, authenticity and power-sharing promotes the relationship between you, not just the self-focused aim of "getting my needs met."
As A Future Ancestor -- Healthy behavior here reflects the desire to act in ways that help preserve and sustain resources and a healthy planet for yourself and for those who will be here after your time is over. John Friedman, Senior Director for Public Relations at Sodexo, recently described this in Forbes as "the compelling concept of a shared fate." That is, psychological health in this realm is visible through actions in daily life, in business and public policy that promote and sustain the well-being of the human community and the planet.
I encourage discussion and criticism around these ideas, and I'll be writing more about reframing and redefining psychological health in our 21st Century world... so stay tuned!
Douglas LaBier, Ph.D., a business psychologist and psychotherapist, is Director of the Center for Progressive Development in Washington, D.C. You may contact him at dlabier@CenterProgressive.org
Follow Douglas LaBier on Twitter: www.twitter.com/douglaslabier
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Re: "using the anxiety that's always present in life as a guide to wise judgment and action." is indeed a challenge :)
I tried polling my friends as to whether they even consider anxiety to be ever present- and not everyone was aware of it. Perhaps they perceive anxiety as a severe symptom, so they wouldn't identify it with a general unease that (I presume?) most of us face on a daily basis.
I think the following blogger brings up a great point how our common unease and realization that it is indeed universal can help us feel connected, rather then disconnected during bouts of depression: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/new-harbinger-publications-inc/depression-lessons_b_796247.html
annmarie chereso
perfectly imperfect life coach
I've never been interested in being that and I can't name any creative game-changing dynamo who has.
Sure, most people aren't geniuses and attempting to fit into a good goal larger than themselves will make them feel better for a while. But one of the great nagging feelings in life is that each of us wants to be unique. Artists, explorers and inventors don't give a damn about fitting in. They might have a thought about benefiting others, but their primary motivation is fulfilling their unique vision.
Most real "Heroes" do what they're subsequently praised for without thinking. It's second nature to help someone else when they can. And just like that, those who do actually contribute to the whole don't think consciously about it either.
http://psikoloji.fisek.com.tr/maslow/self.htm
Oftentimes I've wondered myself why I don't feel better about a particular psychological conflict even though I'd be quite insightful about it.
Otherwise, didn't Freud say something about analysis helping people achieve merely normal unhappiness?
Is it possible that focusing on fearful or selfish thoughts has the same effect as "cutting a groove", so to speak, in our brains? Serious introspection, through the practice of (non-dogmatic) meditation, has been shown to cultivate feelings of inner peace, trust, confidence and good will. Studies are now showing that meditation is as effective, in some cases, as anti-depressiondrugs that are designed to change the brain's chemistry. Neurologists are finding that meditation can also effectively change the brain's chemistry. Hmmm . . .
Perhaps the future of humanity depends on nothing less than feeding the loving, kind, compassionate part of ourselves. Will the liberals among us be able to take that lead, opening our hearts and finding the goodness in the conservative heart, (if not the "conservative" brain), no matter how difficult this may sometimes seem? In other words, can we really practice what we preach?
Everyone gives lip service to the better angels of our nature until a 9/11 happens. And they happen with predictable frequency to every nation in every age.
There is no possible way on our presently constituted Earth to insure every single nation will progress toward mild civility at an equal pace. To the extent it is not equal, we will chastise the transgressors--shock and awe--back into line.
Touchy-feely sweetness and light is never going to trump human nature. Those nations which succumb to this philosophy will be called "satellites," "colonies," or "former super-powers."
"Scientists have found that people with conservative views have brains with larger amygdalas, almond shaped areas in the centre of the brain often associated with anxiety and emotions.
On the otherhand, they have a smaller anterior cingulate, an area at the front of the brain associated with courage and looking on the bright side of life.
"The 'exciting' correlation was found by scientists at University College London who scanned the brains of two members of parliament and a number of students. They found that the size of the two areas of the brain directly related to the political views of the volunteers. However as they were all adults it was hard to say whether their brains had been born that way or had developed through experience."
The full article can be read here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/8228192/Political-views-hard-wired-into-your-brain.html
My only suggestion is to look at the field of energy healing for the parallel philosophy. Selfishness is the root of so much negative energy. It is no wonder that people cannot find happiness when the negative energies of selfishness, anger and agression represent a significant part of their lives.
I appreciate the combination psychology practice with different forms of energy healing (TM, etc.), and would like to see more of it. I think there is real potential for helping people to overcome past emotional trauma using self-administered energy healing practices, thus enabling more efficient and effective psychological counseling.
Now, if only we had a treatment for the disease of conservatism.
Sorry, but a little competitiveness, selfishness and ego are what motivates most people from the minute they take their first breath. We used to call this "human nature." Managing it rationally and channelling it into positive results for the person without major negative results for the rest of humanity is the function of parents.
What Americans lack, especially the kids, is any motivation other than money. We've been taught that if we didn't crave money and material wealth, we'd all sit on our butts all day. But all you have to do is look at less competitive, less materialistic economies - Canada, Australia, Germany, etc. - to see that kids can be inspired to MUCH greater heights than ours without that 'big money" carrot.
I think the desire for harmony and the general welfare of our fellow citizens is by far a more common aspect of human nature than competitiveness is. We've chosen to base our social systems on the worst in human nature rather than the best, and we're getting exactly the results you'd expect from that.
Sports are not the only venue for children's competition. There are also good grades, creative ability and popularity. I encouraged my kids to best their own records which is also competition.
Without someone earning the big bucks art, music and literature would simply not exist--at least on the scale we find culturally acceptable. Artists also have to eat. Nor would churches or charities--hospitals, cancer research etc--which rely on donations.
Americans are most assuredly NOT like Canadians, Austrailians or Germans. Our entire political and social heritage is completely different. In general we do not like intellectual confinement, stupid rules, or any limits on our legal ambitions.
Frankly, I would noteven want to visit Canada, much less live there, but the Australian outback might be fun.