Comments on: Discussion topic ~ You know you’re intellectualizing when…

By: merylrunion

merylrunion — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:07:57 +0000

“Talking sometimes seems to signal the cessation of conscious feeling or conscious thinking.” How true, Kathleen! It can be a great avoidance mechanism!

By: Charles Sakai, Japanese Cowboy

Charles Sakai, Japanese Cowboy — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:08:20 +0000

Kathleen, your comment is much appreciated. The history of our family reads like a casualty list because like most Asian families, we were too ashamed to even think about the possibility of being predisposed to depression and bipolar illness, let alone seek treatment for them. So it’s taken me many years to piece together the truth.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:08:14 +0000

I have to thank Charles Sakai for the memory he evoked when I read his comment about the phrase “Snap out of it”. I am lucky enough to know what he is talking about because I had a friend in college who kept us entertained by his bitter sweet observations about the world, and his stories of survival of a difficult family and misdiagnosed mental illness. In one of his more poignant stories, his father was quoted as giving him that advice, “Snap out of it”, and our group adopted it as our “battle cry” for some years after, in recognition of our friend’s suffering. What a species we are!

How about, You know you’re intellectualizing when you open your mouth and talk. Talking sometimes seems to signal the cessation of conscious feeling or conscious thinking.

By: Charles Sakai, Japanese Cowboy

Charles Sakai, Japanese Cowboy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:58:09 +0000

You know you’re intellectualizing when someone comes to you in the depths of despair and your tell him to “snap out of it!” [NOTE: My work with people suffering from depression and bipolar disorder has taught me this reaction is so common that it's a cliche.]