The absurd logic of Camus

I have been with a client many times when they arrive at these conclusions: what's the poin? and: either I'm crazy or the world is crazy.

Enter Camus. Not that he was the first not the least to write about in an absurd world where the idea of merit based outcomes and existential meaning are met with the harsh reality of unfairness with the common response from those we turn to being: live for your eternal afterlife, not this life.

To Camus, that was not a good enough response.

The philosophical deobfuscationist Ralph Ammer tackles Camus' response is this recent post about the book The Myth of Sisyphus.

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Myth of Sisyphus

Sense of control

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-case-for-the-ldquo-self-driven-child-rdquo/ 

This this is a new micro post highlighting research from Scientific American on how important it is for people to feel in control. One of the biggest things under threat when a person experiences violence or emotional abuse is there sense of being the one in control of their life. That is why many people end up believing that it is their fault for why things happen, especially children. For children there are so many things they can't control when they are affected by overwhelming violence or emotional abuse they regain control by believing that it is all their fault, something that is often accepted or supported by the abusers. This article highlights just how destructive and damaging it is to not feel that you are the author of your life. 

One one thing that I strive to do in therapy is help people feel that they are again in control of where their life is going and what is going to happen in their future. Without a sense that you are the one directing your life story it won't matter what is happening to you or what direction you were heading because of the discomfort and destructiveness from not feeling like you are the one making the choices

Couples Counseling: The Gottman method

This blog post is the email response some have received from me after inquiring about couples counseling.

“My friend, Tina-Fontina Bonita-Conchita saw me with Anita, having a Margarita and mentioned you might be a good person to talk to about couples counseling. Do you do that and do you take insurance? ”

— Bob Loblaw

Yes, I do couples counseling and I do take insurance. I use a modified version of the methods developed by the Gottman Institute.  This method focuses on appreciation, friendship and acts of connection instead of the traditional "Communication" method still used by most counselors.  Gottman's method was developed after 30+ years of studying couples as they interacted.  

Here is Gottman talking about what the Love Lab is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E94xTxEydN4

And Here is a short video about how he sees work happening: 

This is a really great overview of his process. It's a Prezi (like powerpoint) so maybe go over it with your significant other. Prezi: 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work

I don't follow it exactly (we stop at whatever stage is the most troubling and spend time focusing on cognitive changes we can do to create a new relationship with that issue) but it lays out what the process is and why it's so important to avoid the old "communication" style of counseling.  

So, here's a thought game:  I arrive home after a long day at work, park the car in the driveway and walk to the front of the house.  There in the front yard is my wife, with a shovel standing over a hole in the ground with a jet of water streaming up 15 ft into the air. 

Do I need to use proper language with her?  ("When you sever our water line, it makes me feel like you are impetuous.") 

Or do I need to love and appreciate her enough that I automatically believe she is a good person, worthy of my kindness in spite of the water line rupture?  

For those geeks out there, let's put a chart in to give the perception of scientific validity: 

Love and Connection

Our Feelings About Our Partner Predict How We React And How Much Damage or Healing We Do To Our Relationship. The numbers represent how much damage (negative numbers) or growth (positive numbers) happens to our relationship when we respond from the listed emotional states (Angry... Fond...). As our Appreciation for our Partner grows, our response becomes more positive.

This is why the Gottman method just works better.  If I have focused on how much I care about and appreciate my wife, I will automatically join with her in the problem and not blame or criticize her for the "accident" no matter how much at fault she was or how frustrated I am.  Even if she says she wanted to see what happened when she busted the water line, I will be able to still value her and be there as her partner instead of judging her, having contempt for her (lack of) intelligence, or, more commonly, use this as a validation of all the other ways I feel upset at her.  We do damage by working to push how important we are and we repair relationships by working to remind ourselves how important our partner is.  As you can see, this means we need to work together or else one partner will end up being marginalized.  This is why we need to first establish that both people are invested in strengthening the relationship instead of just getting a therapist to prove they were right all along.  

Anyway, maybe this is more a blog post than an email (and actually it will be in 5 minutes) but I think it's a fair overview of what my perspective is and what would be expected from you if you want to come in.  

Ps. This method also has been found to be more gender neutral. The "communication" method tends to favor the style of couples work that women are already socialized to be more proficient at, meaning therapy sometimes comes off as an attack on the male partner.  The Gottman method works equally well if you can figure out a way to care about your partner as they can receive it.  

Thanks for reaching out. 

Anger: An Attempt to Regain Control

Anger is a powerful emotion, full of action, importance and validation. This power and control and gives you righteous might when you were so recently lost, trapped or otherwise in a position of impotence. 

In this context, it is not surprising that so many people develop problems with anger. It, much like its cousin Blame, serve a purpose that is hard to replicate using emotion-invalidating tactics like Understanding, Compromise, and Avoidance (cooling off).  But, and yes there is always a big but, what if Anger has played you a fool and given you false promises of validation to keep you bound to it while it takes away your higher values: Connection, Trust, Safety and even Family. 

So many of us have been lured into the anger trap that it is seen as normal by many.  Mess up my order at Taco Bell and Angry Righteousness spews forward about the importance of your Pico De Gallo instead of cheese; you get your food replaced and all is right again. You may leave feeling validated, heard, and maybe a bit more important. But did you fairly evaluate the cost of your accusations of border malfeasance? Were your children watching or your spouse next to you in the car? Did it increase your chances of using Anger in more costly situations? 

Common sense tells us that our anger needs to be released, acted upon or validated. It is an emotion and emotions are valid right? 

“Good! Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you”

— Emperor Palpatine

The problem comes when people develop a relationship with anger that causes them to use it to get validation and feelings of control. Once this connection has been established, we will continue using it for validation and control, even when that means we hurt people, damage our own self-image and possibly have massive impacts to our personal and professional life.  

Once we have developed this addictive relationship with anger, it will be hard to break the habit. We will resort to anger when faced with frustration, incompetence, disappointments and sadness. 

This is why angry people are often frustrated people.  We don't get what we want directly, instead having to use anger to fulfill our emotional needs. I want my kids to listen to me and clean up their room. The emotion isn't Anger that I want, it's probably not even compliance. It's probably comfort or calmness from seeing the room cleaner and the kids responding to me.  If I get control and validation through anger, I'm now trying to get to calmness by asking anger to help me get there.  Welcome to Frustrationville. 

If we don't recognize the emotion we're going after and find a better way, we will continue to think that Anger is the only way.  Pretty soon we'll have friends suggesting I punch pillows and go skeet shooting to "get out" my anger. 

The problem with this pattern is that I'm not getting anything out, I'm only strengthening my belief that Anger is the way to validate my feelings. 

So, Anger isn't a primary feeling, it's a secondary feeling or response when our primary feelings aren't validated.  I feel hurt that my friends went to a show last night without texting me. Anger says that it's easier to say, "You are a bunch of ignorant asshats," than, "That really hurts my feelings to be left out because I really like you guys and don't have a lot of other friends."  Which response do you think is going to increase the chances of you getting the text next Friday? 

Disentangling Anger from validation and control is a tough job.  The people that interact with an Angry person often have developed a belief that the person is mean, "bitchy," an "asshole," nasty, or just plain ol' no fun. Others expect the "angry person" to respond with anger and may wait or ignite it so they can prove themselves right or get the upper hand.  We have to work at addressing the primary emotion quickly and actively, before Anger tries to convince us that it will do a better job of soothing us. 

But don't expect your first or fifth try to be the one that lets you feel heard, accepted and okay with the world. There will be many false starts and many roadblocks along the way. Your anger may hide many layers of un-discovered primary emotions underneath it.  Some people fear rejection and protect themselves against being rejected by acting with anger first. Others find that people only stop what they are doing and listen when they get Angry.  There are many dynamics that go into arresting this addictive tactic. But it's a tactic that, much like cotton candy, hits sweet and strong but goes away quickly, often leaving sticky fingers and upset stomachs. 

If you're interested in finding out more about your relationship with Anger, give me a call, stop by and yell at me or fill out this form to give me an idea about what your personal relationship with anger looks like. 

One of Two

What freedom do we have to harm ourselves? Do we have the right to prioritize others over ourselves or put our lives in danger? Are we even good judges of what danger we face? 

And what right do we have to hurt those around us? Should we sequester ourselves or medicate our emotions or actions away to protect those who may not be able to protect themselves?

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"Bathroom" by Hermetic Hermit via Flickr

Questions without answers. Except the constant answer that we have the right to make mistakes and the right to feel our way forward using our deepest desires as much as our highest thoughts. 

You have the right but also the responsibility to not waste that right by becoming confused by the lies we tell ourselves; the lies that our darknesses tell us.  

So what do we owe ourselves and those we care for? Nothing less than honesty and nothing more than what is safe. We can give of ourselves only that which we have to give and it is dishonest to give more than is safe. If we give to an extent that makes us vulnerable, that is righteous, but to give to a level that makes us less likely to give tomorrow is unfair to ourselves and unfair to those we care for and care about. 

Support. Having it and giving it is the way away from being exploited by those we care about and by ourselves. 

Control, fear, anger, hurt, loss, importance. Betrayal only happens if you have extended your vulnerability and been hurt. 

One is fighting herself for control of her emotions of her future and of her willingness to try. The other is fighting herself to stay vulnerable after being so thoroughly hurt and marginalized. Brought to fight wolves and abandoned to fight on her own. But this isn't a single action, this is an emotion and emotions change with new experience. And these new experiences are not pre-destined, they are potentials, some easy and harsh some rare but beautiful. The potentials exist to be actuated through fear, worry, bravery and courage. There is nothing definite except that the current beliefs will be validated or challenged based on new experiences and we control those new realities. 

“No!!! Yo nunca me rendí, sólo entendí que... Ya fue suficiente.”

The common is to wait, to react, to accept, and to alter our expectations.  To act with purpose and to fight for a preferred future is not modeled and is not common. It is a brave existence without a set of models.  We aren't shown the way and aren't guaranteed success. But what we are guaranteed is a position in the process and a right to own the outcome. Future does not happen to us, it is made by us. 

Relationship Help: Fondness and Admiration Survey

For couples, people in relationship with a romantic partner, even people recently out of relationship. This survey form may be difficult to take, but just by taking it you may feel yourself understanding what is right and what is not. The survey is directly from the John Gottman book Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work and is part of what the Gottman Institute has developed as a way to rebuild or create stable foundations for long-term relationship success. I have only slightly changed the survey so that we can get more detailed numbers instead of a simple True / False. Questions are in a random order which includes the name field, which you can fill out with your name or with a random set of numbers and letters: just something to identify them as unique.

Emotional intelligence

The feelings we get are possibly more rational than the thoughts. For one, emotions exist as experience and do not need to be thought into existence, unlike many other concepts. This makes them somewhat outside the realm of rationalization. 

We may rationalize why we have a feeling but the feeling itself, once known and named accurately, does not need further validation. The same cannot be said of theory or intellectual positions, which may change depending on our beliefs or experience.