A “GENERAL THEORY OF MENTAL SUFFERING”, AND THE ROLE OF AN INNOVATIVE NARRATIVE THERAPEUTIC APPROACH
Psychological Thought October 30, 2021 Derek Botha 2 citations
Mental disorders classified in the DSM (third through fifth editions) can be understood as manifestations of a general theory of mental suffering, in which negative life discourses capture the mind. Recent research indicates the psychedelic psilocybin produces safe and effective outcomes for such states. Drawing on brain plasticity, the article explains how a person can move away from subjection to these dominant discourses and intentionally adopt more acceptable, preferred subjectivities. Using depression as an example, it proposes that an innovative form of narrative therapy could be a safe, effective, and meaningful approach for conditions including anxiety, addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anorexia nervosa.