*This list is far from being exhaustive. Here, I only included those publications that have played an important role in my development of existential positive psychology and my own publications on this subject matter. I welcome suggestions of additional publications important for this emerging field. Antonovsky, A. (1987). Unraveling the mystery of health: How people […]
In the last INPM newsletter, I introduced Kazimierz Dąbrowski and briefly reviewed the positive psychology approach he used in defining mental health. The healthy personality is traditionally defined by adjustment to one’s social and cultural norms (how well one fits in) and, in today’s world, being happy by being able to satisfy one’s basic needs […]
After months of the tedium, irritations, and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, the media and healthcare organizations are talking more about the pandemic’s mental health toll on healthcare workers. Burnout In addition to various stressor-related injuries, such as symptoms of acute stress, “burnout” is one of the most common complaints of healthcare workers. Freudenberger (1974) […]
“But what does it mean, the plague? It’s not above life, that’s all!” Albert Camus, The Plague, 1947, p. 102 The world has witnessed several ‘plagues’ throughout history, and each time the effects have been global and devastating. From the infamous Bubonic Plague to the Spanish Flu, Asiatic Cholera to the more recent Severe Acute […]
When I studied psychology in university, one of my favorite courses explored theories of personality. At the end of the course, the professor said he was going to introduce one last theory that was unknown and quite complicated. It was important, he said, because it was a forerunner to the approach of positive psychology. He […]
The study of boredom is becoming quite fascinating. The American Psychological Association’s Dictionary of Psychology defines boredom as ‘‘a state of weariness or ennui resulting from a lack of engagement with stimuli in the environment” (VandenBos, 2007). Sufficient research has been published to indicate that boredom is a specific state of mind and not merely […]
In the early 1950s, Bill Wilson, creator of Alcoholics Anonymous, discovered that under the influence of LSD he had a spiritual experience. What attracted him to continue using the drug was that it catalyzed the same experience he had had detoxifying at Towns Hospital in December 1934—his famous “white light” spiritual experience. Although drinking two […]
In the previous newsletter, fellow INPM board member and friend Mega Leung wrote an article about tragic optimism from the context of trauma. Viktor Frankl not only defined the term but exemplified it as a Nazi concentration camp survivor. As Paul Wong (2001) stated, “tragic optimism is predicated on the defiant human spirit, the belief […]
At the facility where I work, we define addiction as a result of living a life that lacks personal meaning. The solution is, thus, obvious: Help clients begin the process of pursuing a meaningful life. But how to accomplish this? We’ve been working for more than a decade answering that question. One conclusion we’ve come […]
Addiction psychologists generally believe that shame is a bad thing for someone suffering from addiction. Philosophers disagree.