The Plastic Psyche

Welcome to my mental health blog, The Plastic Psyche. This is where I share my thoughts about the field of psychology in a way that is easy to understand and can be applied to everyday life.

What does the name “Plastic Psyche” mean?
In psychology, plasticity refers to the ability of your brain to change in response to certain stimuli. The neural pathways grow, forming new connections, and eliminating old ones. While psyche refers not to the brain, but to the mind or the spirit.
Thus the name “Plastic Psyche” is meant to empower individuals to take charge of their own mental health. In times of doubt, it is important to remember, you have more power over the way you think and feel than you believe you do. Often, what you need most is not a long list of medications, but the understanding and knowledge to enact change in your life.

The Truth Behind Anxiety

Anxiety exists on a spectrum, from functional to dysfunctional. Due to the stigma around the term “anxiety,” one often associates it with something bad or dangerous. Yes, anxiety in excess can be very harmful. But what constitutes healthy versus unhealthy anxiety?

Functional Anxiety
This type of anxiety is in response to danger or threatening events. For instance, if you are hiking and notice a bear in the distance. This is a natural response. In fact, the absence of this response can be indicative of an underlying issue (ex. damage to the brain or a psychological issue). That is, as long as the severity of the anxiety appropriately matches the severity of the threat (ex. fear of a wild animal versus the fear of an upcoming exam). Furthermore, the anxiety should subside once the threat has passed. And the fear of that threat should lead to adaptive behaviours that help you confront, or avoid the threat. For example, hiding or running away once you notice the bear.

Dysfunctional Anxiety
This type of anxiety is completely unrealistic. It does not match the situation you are in, and occurs even in the absence of a threat. For example, thinking you are terminally ill at every sign of minor physical pain. The anxiety can also be far too excessive given the threat. You may fear an upcoming exam but be too overcome with anxiety to study. Building on this example, dysfunctional anxiety often leads to dangerous behaviour or impairs one’s ability to function normally. And the anxiety persists even once the threat has passed. You might fear the exam, even after it has long since ended.

Today, society has vilified anxiety. Yet not many people fully understand it. As dangerous as it can be, a healthy amount of anxiety has the potential to be beneficial. Fearing that you did not turn off the oven before leaving your home, and going back to check can be life-saving. That being said, everyone experiences anxiety to a different degree. There is great benefit in knowing when your anxiety has passed the point of being good for you, so that you may seek the help that you need.

Sources:
Jennings, H. (2023). Nolen-Hoeksema’s Abnormal Psychology (9th Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Why you should read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Man’s Search for Meaning is a book about how human beings find meaning in their lives and the consequences of living a life devoid of it. Frankl was one of the survivors of the Holocaust. As a psychiatrist, he shares his insights about human nature at the very extreme, using the lives of individuals in concentration camps as examples. He then applies his understanding to a style of therapy of his creation.

Sub-Specie Aeternitas
Frankl notes that it is a peculiarity of man that we can only live by looking to the future, Sub-Specie Aeternitas (Latin: “from eternity’s point of view”). And that this is our salvation from our most difficult moments. Even in the concentration camps, people would look forward to reuniting with their families or eating their favourite means. Those who lacked a reason for living, often could not go on. Their minds would give up, and their bodies would soon follow. That is not to say that living with a purpose in your heart would keep them from passing. But bearing your burden and facing reality allows you to find opportunities to make something positive, even in the darkest of times.

Logotherapy
Developed by Victor Frankl, this therapy is based on the premise that the primary motivational force of the individual is to find meaning in life. Much of who a person is results from the influence of their surroundings. However, Frankl states that the sort of person a prisoner becomes is part of inner decisions, not the camp influences alone. Despite having multiple chances to run away, Frankl, a camp doctor, chose to stay behind for those who needed him. At the time, that was what gave him meaning. It was a unique role that only he could play. Thus logotherapy involves assessing your life and understanding the meaning behind your current suffering, or your meaning to help you endure it.

This book at first may be seen as melancholy, however, I believe the words Frankl has to share are incredibly motivational. He urges us to not simply accept our situation as it is, nor turn away from reality. But to confront the darkest parts of our lives, accepting that which we cannot change while pursuing not happiness, but a reason to be happy. Doing so will help us face any hardship life may throw at us, undergoing suffering with dignity.