Character Disturbance: Too Much Anxiety, or Too Little?
Anxiety plays a central role in what we have commonly called neurosis. Anxiety plays a minimal role, however, in the problems of the disordered character.
The following articles are related to ‘Therapy’ at Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life.
Anxiety plays a central role in what we have commonly called neurosis. Anxiety plays a minimal role, however, in the problems of the disordered character.
One of the ways that folks become embroiled in abusive or exploitive relationships is by falling prey to concerns about the way their character-disordered partner is feeling. They almost never consider that the brandishing of anger might be a tactic that character-disturbed individuals use to manipulate and control others, as opposed to a genuine feeling.
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Neurotics want things to be good and wonderful, take it hard when things go wrong, and blame themselves for failures. Disordered characters take adversity in stride and blame everyone and everything else when their actions invite disastrous consequences.
How good are you at being unhappy? Need a little help? In his book “The Situation Is Hopeless but Not Serious: The Pursuit of Unhappiness”, psychologist Paul Watzlawick gives you all the advice you need. You can even use it to become happier, if only by smiling at all the crazy little ways humans have to keep misery alive.
Neurotics are generally uncomfortable with the “symptoms” of their illness and seek help on their own. While others may be upset with signs and symptoms of their disturbance, disordered characters like who they are and how they operate and rarely get into therapy unless pressured to do so.
Several intriguing comments and questions have been posted in reply to my earlier articles on character disturbance. In this post, I’d like to address some of these and the issues which readers have raised.
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