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In psychotherapy, symptoms are not simply something to suppress as soon as possible.

Psychopharmacology can complement psychotherapy and vice versa.

This post is Part 2 of a series. The first can be read here.

C.G. Jung once said, "We should not try to 'get rid' of a neurosis, but rather to experience what it means, what it has to teach, what its purpose is. We should even learn to be thankful for it, otherwise we pass it by and miss the opportunity of getting to know ourselves as we really are."

When speaking of "neurosis," he was more specifically and generally referring to the various signs and symptoms from which psychotherapy patients seek relief. Now, suggesting someone be sincerely thankful or grateful for their symptoms might be asking a bit much—but perhaps a more realistic and attainable attitude to encourage is choosing to be more tolerant and accepting of our symptoms despite the pain and suffering they inflict.

No, this is not masochism but rather a kind of inner resilience, strength, and courage. In a sense, becoming more patient with our symptoms, ourselves, and the psychotherapy process is what is required to learn to truly listen to what these distressing and enigmatic phenomena might be trying to tell us.

This somewhat stoic sounding—but perhaps more importantly, curious—attitude toward one's own symptoms is implied in the etymology of the English word "patient," meaning "to endure," which is where we also get the noun "patient" referring traditionally to the recipient of psychotherapy. The term patient in psychotherapy in particular, when properly conceived of, does not imply or impute passivity, dependency, helplessness, and lack of responsibility for one's own........

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