Posts Tagged ‘fear’
Surviving the Trumpocalypse: Thoughts from an Immigrant Therapist
I watched the inauguration of Barak Obama in 2009 from my living room in Cape Town, South Africa. In my memory it is daytime, and the late afternoon sunshine is coming in through the glass sliding doors. There is a seven-hour time difference between Cape Town and Washington – Cape Town is ahead. My ex-patriot…
Growing Stones: The Process of Becoming Brave
We’ve all heard these misogynistic phrases to describe bravery and inner strength: “Man up,” “Grow some balls,” or “He’s got giant cohones.” According to these phrases, you’ve got to leave your fear out of the picture in order to be a strong man, which not only doesn’t add up– it’s also pretty alienating to have…
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and “The Fear of Fear Itself.”
“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” FDR’s famous line from his first inaugural address used to strike me as a universal truth. He describes fear as “nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” I…
Tuk Tuk Riding and Psychotherapy
I am riding on the back of a tuk tuk, a small, motorized three-wheeled vehicle ubiquitous in the streets of Southeast Asia. I’m about 16 miles outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia, and I’m alone except for Mr. Laim, my tuk tuk driver who I have known for a couple days, and the people we are…