own mind's dysfunctions, as well as with and on behalf of hundreds of others to overcome theirs. Radical as some of these notions may seem to the vast majority of us who were in- struct -ed, conditioned socialized , habituated, normalized and institutionalized to " consensus consciousness ," the following facts are inescapable for one who has used the most research-proven and widely-accepted techniques of clinical psychology to overcome hismind's dysfunctions, as well as with and on behalf of hundreds of others to overcome





believe things to be the way they are not... and fail to see, hear, feel and otherwise sense the way things actually are. 1) The empirical evidence that supports the cognitive basis of psychopathology (as well as the use of the cognitive psychotherapies to treat it) is overwhelming: Most people who suffer from depression, anxiety, mania, neurosis psychosis , addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and various personality disorders do so because theythings to be the way they areand fail to see, hear, feel and otherwise sense the way things actually





2) Virtually everyone is at least somewhat disconnected from actual reality via use of various " defense mechanisms ."

These defense mechanisms are built on beliefs, ideas, ideals, assumptions, presumptions, convictions, misunderstandings, fantasies, prejudices, instructions, commands, rules, regulations, requirements...

many of which have become relatively

normalized in the common culture as the result of parental, peer and other behavioral modeling.





3) Emotional distress is caused by specific collections of such belief-based defense mechanisms, aka " cognitive distortions ." These defense mechanisms may have been acquired to "protect" us from actual threats of physical, verbal and/or emotional abuse (e.g.: criticism, devaluation, invalidation, covert control, cynical manipulation, intimidation,

bullying,

battery, rape) or abandonment (e.g.: rejection, neglect, being ignored, being marginalized, being "excommunicated"). But they often set up "feedback loops" of beliefs, emotions and dysfunctional behavior that cause more problems in

never-ending cycles of uncomfortable emotions and ineffective efforts to avoid them.





4) People who have "psychological problems" tend not to realize, recognize, acknowledge, accept, own, appreciate or understand that their behaviors -- and the beliefs that drive those behaviors -- are the cause of their emotional discomfort, including frustration, resentment, anger, worry, anxiety, sadness, regret, remorse, guilt, shame and grief.





5) Most people who have "psychological problems" were innocently conditioned, taught, trained, socialized, habituated, accustomed and normalized to believe that they are either entirely responsible for their mental illness... or that other external forces are entirely responsible. They are not able to see, hear or otherwise sense that neither circumstance is absolutely or totally the cause.





6)

Most people who suffer from depression, anxiety, mania, neurosis, psychosis, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and various personality disorders will begin to recover from such difficulties as they begin to observe to notice to recognize to acknowledge to accept to own to appreciate to understand that they

things to be the way they are

and fail to see, hear and otherwise sense the way things actually

.





7) Most people

who suffer from depression, anxiety, mania, neurosis, psychosis, addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and various personality disorders will almost wholly transcend such difficulties when they are consistently and reliably able

to see, hear and otherwise sense the way things actually

as well as

see, hear and otherwise sense the way things are believed to be in the consensus trance.









Understanding the Issues





Firs

tly, we need to define some relevant terms as to what they actually mean with respect to unobservable mental operations and the effects of those operations on observable sensations, feelings, emotions and behavior.