Research Catalog

Title

Going mad to stay sane : the psychology of self-destructive behaviour / Andy White.

Author

White, Andy

Publication

London : Duckworth, 1996.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

153 p.; 22 cm.

Summary

"Self-destructive behaviour has traditionally been viewed in an entirely negative light. As a result, attempts are constantly made to 'fix' it without asking what its actual purpose may be." "Going Mad to Stay Sane invites us to rethink our attitudes. It sets out to understand the soul's purpose in visiting violence upon itself; substance abuse, compulsive sexuality, obsessive dieting or the grandiose hauteur of a superiority complex all come under scrutiny. In analysing its roots and its manifestations, the author asks us to consider the possibility that the impulse to visit violence upon oneself may be the only means available for the soul under siege to preserve itself and state its distress." "Self-destructiveness is a notoriously difficult phenomenon to bring to healing, not least because the various schools of psychology have such partisan attitudes towards it, approaching it from within the narrow parameters of their chosen theories." "This book, rather than arguing for one perspective or another, finds a place for them all within the compass of a mythical tale: the story of King Midas, who wished for everything he touched to be turned to gold. Through the tale of King Midas, Andy White shows how our self-destructive urges can point the way to our salvation; this is the poetry and the paradox of the psyche."--BOOK JACKET.

Subject

• Psychology, Pathological
• Self-destructive behavior
• Self-Injurious Behavior > psychology
• Personality Disorders > psychology
• Personality Disorders > etiology
• Personality Development
• Psychopathology
• Self-Injurious Behavior

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 151-153).

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

1. Cybele -- the Devouring Mother -- 2. Gordius -- the Absent Father -- 3. Self-Hatred: a Legacy -- 4. Need for Greed -- 5. Seduction of Paradise -- 6. Fear, Anxiety and Self-Betrayal -- 7. Attachment to Suffering -- 8. Madness and Ecstasy -- 9. Chaos and Creativity -- 10. Suicide and Sacrifice -- 11. Self-Destruction as Symbol -- 12. Broken Wings.

ISBN

0715627481

LCCN

^^^98117638^

OCLC

• 35852270
• SCSB-12730200

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library