| Personal Growth |
| Happiness |
| Self-help |
| Form |
| Psychology |
| Depression |
| Mental Health |
| Humor |
| Mood Disorders |
| Parodies |
Summary
Summary
In How to Be Miserable , psychologist Randy Paterson outlines 40 specific behaviors and habits, which--if followed--are sure to lead to a lifetime of unhappiness. On the other hand, if you do the opposite, you may yet join the ranks of happy people everywhere!
There are stacks upon stacks of self-help books that will promise you love, happiness, and a fabulous life. But how can you pinpoint the exact behaviors that cause you to be miserable in the first place? Sometimes when we're depressed, or just sad or unhappy, our instincts tell us to do the opposite of what we should--such as focusing on the negative, dwelling on what we can't change, isolating ourselves from friends and loved ones, eating junk food, or overindulging in alcohol. Sound familiar?
This tongue-in-cheek guide will help you identify the behaviors that make you unhappy and discover how you--and only you --are holding yourself back from a life of contentment. You'll learn to spot the tried-and-true traps that increase feelings of dissatisfaction, foster a lack of motivation, and detract from our quality of life--as well as ways to avoid them.
So, get ready to live the life you want (or not?) This fun, irreverent guide will light the way.
Author Notes
Randy J. Paterson, PhD , is director of Changeways Clinic, a private psychotherapy practice in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He is author of The Assertiveness Workbook and Your Depression Map , and he conducts training programs for professionals on evidence-based treatment. Through Changeways Clinic, Paterson presents lectures and workshops internationally on topics including mental health policy, cognitive behavioral therapy, the nature and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders, and strategies for private practice management. He is the 2008 recipient of the Canadian Psychological Association's Distinguished Practitioner Award. For more information on Paterson, his presentations and workshops, or Changeways Clinic, visit www.changeways.com. To view Paterson's blog on psychological and practice issues, please visit www.psychologysalon.com.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Psychotherapist Paterson (Private Practice Made Simple), director of Changeways Clinic in Vancouver, offers an inventive, if strained, twist on the self-help genre. In his practice, he has come to the conclusion that many people are unhappy because of their lifestyles-whether that means not exercising enough, spending more time with screens than with people, or deriving satisfaction solely from work, among other common issues. Recognizing that many people are still unhappy despite the proliferation of self-help books, Paterson alters tactics by adopting the persona of a "tour guide to hell." Rather than trying to make people happier, in this role he aims to make them feel worse, through 40 ready-to-use strategies. Readers can thus identify which tactics they already practice, and then adopt the opposite. The strategy that makes this book stand out also hinders its readability, as one can only read about poor life choices and go along with the pretense for a limited amount of time. That being said, Paterson's unique premise at least encourages self-reflection, and for fed-up self-help readers, it may be the panacea they need. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
What makes this book from Paterson (Your Depression Map) so delightful is that the author's obvious use of reverse psychology actually works as readers can laugh at their own behaviors. For instance, Paterson says that if a person wants a miserable life, then he or she should eat junk food, dwell on what "could be," read online news in endless detail, and eliminate the word "no" from their vocabulary. Although most readers will be accustomed to positive and negative behavior patterns, this work outlines the results of their favorite excuses for not acting in mentally healthy ways. VERDICT Though somewhat contrived, this book allows readers an opportunity to contemplate in an -engaging way that also gets to the point. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
