What Does "Self Help" Mean?

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Minor issues can sometimes seem to dominate one's life.

Investigating problems rather than venting about them can often reveal their true meaning.

Free association and memory exploration can help one to understand a problem's underpinnings.

Sometimes, big emotions come into play with some small practical problem too inconsequential to mention—and yet you find yourself mentioning it all too often. To friends who are starting to roll their eyes. To colleagues who change the subject. You sort of know you’ve given the issue too much weight for what it is, but you have no idea why it’s in the forefront of your mind.

Let’s say you’re dealing with the remnant of a back injury that’s left you unable to forward bend. Not really a big deal. Yet it feels like it’s rattled the foundation of your life. Without help, which you don’t have since you live alone, you can’t even put on your socks or tie your shoes without pain. And on it goes.

Maybe a piece of your mail was stolen from the post box, and that’s turned into identity theft. Try complaining to people with real problems, like making ends meet or fighting cancer, or to your therapist, how having to write to identitytheft.gov six times a day is driving you crazy.

For me, the small and obviously solvable problem was staying warm, especially inconsequential because I........

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