I read Men’s Health Magazine and enjoy an occasional article, “Am I Normal”. It’s a question/answer feature where men send in questions that often relate to some psychological aspect about life/human functioning/relationships, etc. I post these articles in my waiting room, so I thought I’d share them with you…
Men’s Health, March 2015
I often wonder who will come to pay their respects at my funeral. Connor, Baton Rough, LA
Is it standing room only? Are people crying so much that they’re ruining your cadaver makeup? Seriously, some people may have an unhealthy focus on others’ future grief as a measure of their own present worth, says psychologist Jackson Rainer, Ph.D., the author of Life After Loss: Contemporary Grief Counseling and Therapy. If the casket scene in your head bothers you, check in with a therapist to explore whether your self-esteem has just hit a short-term dip or you’re actually courting depression. But the more likely explanation is that you’re simply engaging in innocuous imaginings. “Folks are curious about their impact on others and how they’ll be remembered,” says Rainer. In fact, thinking about your departure from the land of the living may help you make healthier lifestyle choices and strengthen your relationships today, say researchers at the University of Missouri. “If you deny your death, then it’s much easier to deny your health, ” Rainer says.
Normal.