Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Psychological Theory of Dependency to Improve Quality of Life

In this paper, we suggest a psychological theory of dependency as an escape from feeling existential suffering and a poor quality of life. The ways in which human beings escape hidden existential pains are multiple. The wide range of dependency states seems to be the most common escape strategy used...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Søren Ventegodt, Mohammed Morad, Isack Kandel, Joav Merrick
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2004-01-01
Series:The Scientific World Journal
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2004.124
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832558288164618240
author Søren Ventegodt
Mohammed Morad
Isack Kandel
Joav Merrick
author_facet Søren Ventegodt
Mohammed Morad
Isack Kandel
Joav Merrick
author_sort Søren Ventegodt
collection DOAJ
description In this paper, we suggest a psychological theory of dependency as an escape from feeling existential suffering and a poor quality of life. The ways in which human beings escape hidden existential pains are multiple. The wide range of dependency states seems to be the most common escape strategy used. If the patient can be guided into the hidden existential pain to feel, understand, and integrate it, we believe that dependency can be cured. The problem is that the patient must be highly motivated, sufficiently resourceful, and supported to want such a treatment that is inherently painful. Often, the family and surrounding world is suffering more than the dependent person himself, because the pattern of behavior the patient is dependent on makes him or her rather insensitive and unable to feel. If the patient is motivated, resourceful, and trusts his physician, recovery from even a severe state of dependency is not out of reach, if the holistic medical tools are applied wisely. The patient must find hidden resources to take action, then in therapy confront and feel old emotional pain, understand the source and inner logic of it, and finally learn to let go of negative attitudes and beliefs. In this way, the person can be healed and released of the emotional suffering and no longer be a slave to the dependency pattern.
format Article
id doaj-art-0722085022074d609470ad9552b0c998
institution Kabale University
issn 1537-744X
language English
publishDate 2004-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series The Scientific World Journal
spelling doaj-art-0722085022074d609470ad9552b0c9982025-02-03T01:32:44ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal1537-744X2004-01-01463864810.1100/tsw.2004.124Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Psychological Theory of Dependency to Improve Quality of LifeSøren Ventegodt0Mohammed Morad1Isack Kandel2Joav Merrick3The Quality of Life Research Center, Teglgåstraede 4-8, DK-1452 Copenhagen K, DenmarkDivision of Community Health, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, IsraelFaculty of Social Science, Department of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Judea and Samaria, Ariel, IsraelNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Office of the Medical Director, Division for Mental Retardation, Ministry of Social Affairs, Jerusalem and Zusman Child Development Center, Division of Pediatrics, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, IsraelIn this paper, we suggest a psychological theory of dependency as an escape from feeling existential suffering and a poor quality of life. The ways in which human beings escape hidden existential pains are multiple. The wide range of dependency states seems to be the most common escape strategy used. If the patient can be guided into the hidden existential pain to feel, understand, and integrate it, we believe that dependency can be cured. The problem is that the patient must be highly motivated, sufficiently resourceful, and supported to want such a treatment that is inherently painful. Often, the family and surrounding world is suffering more than the dependent person himself, because the pattern of behavior the patient is dependent on makes him or her rather insensitive and unable to feel. If the patient is motivated, resourceful, and trusts his physician, recovery from even a severe state of dependency is not out of reach, if the holistic medical tools are applied wisely. The patient must find hidden resources to take action, then in therapy confront and feel old emotional pain, understand the source and inner logic of it, and finally learn to let go of negative attitudes and beliefs. In this way, the person can be healed and released of the emotional suffering and no longer be a slave to the dependency pattern.http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2004.124
spellingShingle Søren Ventegodt
Mohammed Morad
Isack Kandel
Joav Merrick
Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Psychological Theory of Dependency to Improve Quality of Life
The Scientific World Journal
title Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Psychological Theory of Dependency to Improve Quality of Life
title_full Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Psychological Theory of Dependency to Improve Quality of Life
title_fullStr Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Psychological Theory of Dependency to Improve Quality of Life
title_full_unstemmed Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Psychological Theory of Dependency to Improve Quality of Life
title_short Clinical Holistic Medicine: A Psychological Theory of Dependency to Improve Quality of Life
title_sort clinical holistic medicine a psychological theory of dependency to improve quality of life
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2004.124
work_keys_str_mv AT sørenventegodt clinicalholisticmedicineapsychologicaltheoryofdependencytoimprovequalityoflife
AT mohammedmorad clinicalholisticmedicineapsychologicaltheoryofdependencytoimprovequalityoflife
AT isackkandel clinicalholisticmedicineapsychologicaltheoryofdependencytoimprovequalityoflife
AT joavmerrick clinicalholisticmedicineapsychologicaltheoryofdependencytoimprovequalityoflife