Thank you for this thought-provoking video, Dr. Paterson! You have a vivid and expressive storytelling style and I enjoy listening to you. The idea that our mental health is affected because we try to fit into a mould we don't belong in sounds plausible to me. And yet, I'm quick to overlook this because I am so busy feeling inadequate for not functioning as well as I wish or think I should (which in turn leads to feelings of guilt, paralysis of action and subsequently to further feelings of inadequacy - a vicious circle). In this regard, your video was not only informative but also quite comforting. I'm going to sit down today and think about some small changes I can make to make my life more in line with my being. Thank you for your inspiration and your efforts, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Our tendency to attribute life dissatisfaction, anxiety, stress, and depressive blah-ness to psychopathology seems to lead many people toward self-criticism and a sense of inadequacy/faultiness. Rather than "This isn't working for me" it becomes "I'm a defective part of the world." This can contribute to a downward spiralling effect. Rather than rushing to find the source of unease within ourselves - especially in our own disorder/faultiness - we can often benefit from looking at our context. Maybe those feeling are sometimes, as James Hollis suggests, our life calling out to us. "Hey, I'm over here."
