In order to empathize with another person, you have to recognize that he or she actually exists apart from and without specific reference to you. Our ability to tolerate separateness largely determines how well we are able to empathize with others.
Category: Unbearable Emotion
Defense Mechanisms IV: “Thinking”
The precocious development of verbal thought can function as a defense against unbearable emotional chaos; in later life, this kind of “thinking” often takes on a life of its own, can feel persecutory and underlies problems with insomnia.
Defense Mechanisms II: Denial
Like all defense mechanisms, denial has its normal and constructive uses: by denying the awareness of unavoidable death, for instance, we’re able to continue with our daily lives.
Pride and the Healing of Shame
The healing of shame does not mean “triumphing” over it, but rather learning to bear that shame and not respond defensively to it, thereby earning feelings of pride and self-respect.
The Role of Helplessness in PTSD Symptoms and Other Disorders
The experience of helplessness in the face of trauma plays a central role in post traumatic stress disorder and the development of ptsd symptoms, but also has an impact on the genesis of other psychological disorders and maladaptive character traits.