CBT has turned me into a monster

Neither do I. It's too fluffy, pat, and all-purpose. A McPrayer.

I think the media coverage of the migrants at Calais has effected a lot of people. The ugliness in the coverage has had an hypnotic effect on many. Many loseing their humanity for a while.
I think we all need to step back from the media and begin to think. Think and think.
We all have negative feelings stirred up at times. It's for us to take responsibility for that. Not to act on them. Just witness them.

What is the difference? Curious...

As for the whole caring thing... There is a lot of evidence that people only watch the news to feel superior. Very few of them actually make valuable changes based on it...

There is also a theory that depressed people see the world more accurately. Which, of course, goes against a lot of the supposedly rationally based therapies out there... whether or not it is actually true, it is still an interesting idea.

Maybe you were angry at the world events and then when you let that go, suddenly you found yourself in a state of apathy because it was like losing a friend?

They say that anger is like an addiction... similar to cocaine...

Or maybe it is easier to focus that feeling into world events instead of onto our own lives.

Or maybe you just arent the type of person who benefits from CBT...

What evidence is there that people watch the news to feel superior?
I'd say traumatized people are drawn to the news.

Freakonomics » Why Do We Really Follow the News? A New Freakonomics Radio Episode

Anyway, it isnt a matter of one or the other... it is possible that traumatized people are drawn to the news, and people pay attention to the news to feel superior, and people do so to be informed... But out motives are not always what we think they are.

Why are you in CBT? If it is not working?

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It has worked and I have finished. Instead of anxiety I have a more fruitful way of thinking, but one that seems to reduce the element of free will.

Fruitful? You seem upset with the whole thing? I am glad you are less anxious of course

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Not upset, but perplexed, it is worryingly easy to become unconcerned.

I am not crazy concerned as much either . I used to. Nothing to do with therapy . I am too busy. I think it might be normal. It's time and energy consuming and often takes away from taking care of your dear ones. Easier to worry about war conflict on the other side if the world than taking daily care if sick relative. It is worrying rather than actually doing good things

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It is OK, I don't take myself that seriously.

Actually an opportunity has come up to see if I can be monstrous about myself. My job is being restructured out of existence (again) - will I take it in my stride as I would other's problems, or be anxious, angry and depressed?

Well I did have the anxious, angry and depressed episode, but I think I might be able to cope on a more monster-like way.

If this goes on I might become a God. That last line was a joke by the way.

Ooh, sorry to hear about your job. I hate those times in life where we come up against forces that don't care about our feelings.

My absolute favorite last words belong to the Roman emperor Vespasian. Upon his deathbed, knowing that emperors were usually deified after death (unless they were really, really bad), he dryly observed, "I feel myself becoming a god."

[QUOTE=somat;4614736]What is the difference? Curious...

There is also a theory that depressed people see the world more accurately. Which, of course, goes against a lot of the supposedly rationally based therapies out there... whether or not it is actually true, it is still an interesting idea.
/QUOTE]

I believe there is some truth to this, but no one is trying to deny this. I think it's the case that people who are not depressed are able to block out some of the the negativity as a measure of self preservation. Kind of like the old saying "ignorance is bliss". This is not to say it's better to be ignorant, because of course it's not. I think it's really about finding balance and knowing how to accept certain things that are out of your control and really working to change the things within your control. It's normal to feel angry about injustice, but when it lessens ones ability to function then what is the anger really accomplishing? It's also possible some people don't like us, but if we walked around replaying conversations in our heads to decipher what happened is that always helpful? Sometimes it is but often it's not. To many fulfilled people it's all about balance and understanding what you can control and actively work on and what you have no control over and have to accept - regardless of how it makes you feel. This is what defines living a life you feel good about versus not being able to get out of bed everyday to face the world. The goal is to help people use a different perspective so they can be more engaged in what actively affects them. And really, when you're stuck in your own thoughts, you're really just being self absorbed. Managing that all or nothing thinking and thinking the worst about so many things can be freeing and help a lot of people escape chronic unhappiness.

[quote=Lauliza;4621757]Why, then, is it so obvious that we shouldnt be ignorant? Not necessarily that I dont agree its just the argument skipped a step. If ignorance has benefits, then to say that ignorance isnt best, we need to first acknowledge the benefits to not being ignorant... so far we havent done that. Instead its just taken as a given...

[QUOTE=somat;4621784]I'm not sure. Maybe it's because total ignorance keeps people from seeing the negative things we can really do something about. Whether it's just protecting yourself from harm or really helping others? Too much knowledge is overwhelming and can be paralyzing, we just can't handle that much constant anxiety. But then complete ignorance is paralyzing too - keeping you self absorbed as well and disconnected from the world around you.

[quote=Lauliza;4621796]I know of many ignorant people who help others. Many non ignorant people who do not help others. And I know self absorbed people who arent ignorant and ignorant people who are not self absorbed...

I had this argument with a prof once. He gave a lecture on how critical thinking made us better people, even though it was associated with depression and suicide.

I asked him what, then, the point was and he didnt have an answer...

My guess is just that it helps people feel superior. And there is an evolutionary reason for critical thinking that is no longer necessary.

disgusted by Boris,

NO, surely not, you don't like Boris?

[QUOTE=somat;4621802]I think you're right about it giving a sense of superiority - as in "I'm more in touch with the world And therefore more evolved and depressed". This is something I've heard from people who will spend so much time thinking about these things that they neglect the people closest to them (like their own kids) and end up causing unhappiness.

'Fraid so, met his father once too, equally odious, but even more pompous.

I am afraid that I subscribe to the realism/depression theory: ‘the healthy suspicion that modern life has no meaning and that modern society is absurd and alienating’. [Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...essive-realism ]

However when you become a monster and quite possibly a god (joke, for focks sake), you have to question whether you are really in touch with reality.

I really like that link, thanks.