Alan Downs

Frustración, estrés, irritabilidad, desánimo, cinismo… éstas son algunas de las emociones que experimentan millones de personas. Tanto si son conscientes de ello como si no, no están originadas por u

En la actualidad, millones de personas suelen sentirse desanimadas a causa de la monotonía de la vida cotidiana y se muestran apáticas con respecto a todo aquello que saben que debería importarles. Intentan animar su vida mediante nuevas experiencias, pero siempre acaban cayendo en el mismo circulo vicioso de frustracion, estres, irritabilidad y desanimo. Y lo peor es que, como dan la impresion de funcionar en el trabajo, en la comunidad y en el seno de la familia, y su trastorno no reviste gravedad, no buscan ayuda profesional. Esta valiosa guia, fruto de una profunda investigacion, vierte luz sobre los oscuros rincones del descontento cronico, un trastorno que aisla y debilita, tambien conocido como distimia. Esta dividida en tres secciones. La primera tiene por objeto ayudar al lector a comprender en que consiste este trastorno. La segunda le permitira identificar ciertos aspectos claves del descontento cronico en su vida. La seccion final es un programa de cinco semanas concebido para recuperar capacidades emocionales perdidas y superar el descontento cronico.

I Cant Believe This Is Happening to Me...Again!"Why does this keep happening to me?" is the question most commonly asked by those entering psychotherapy for the first time. Whether we cant stop dating the wrong guy or taking the wrong job, gaining and losing weight, or getting into debt, it is the repeating patterns in our lives that cause us the most pain and frustration. Now author and psychologist Alan Downs shows us all how we can break these cycles...for good! After fifteen years of working with people from all walks of life -- including executives, homemakers, young adults, and the elderly -- Dr. Downs has identified seven crises that every one of us will face at some point during our lifetime. In Why Does This Keep Happening to Me?, Downs uses his revolutionary Crisis Quiz to show us which of these crises is at the root of our repeating behavior. Downs includes quizzes, exercises, and real-life examples to help us resolve universal issues, including Who will I share my life with? Why cant I believe in myself? How can I become my own person? What does it all mean? With wisdom and compassion, Downs leads us from recognition to recovery, showing us how we can apply our new knowledge and triumph over destructive patterns, breaking the cycle once and for all.

In this moving guide, a gay man shares his personal journey of letting go of shame and moving forward with self-compassion and healing. Even though an entire generation of men have openly and freely come out of the closet, gay men still struggle with self-acceptance. Sexually transmitted diseases, depression, and suicide occur more frequently for gay men than straight men. It doesnt have to be this way. Through brave individual stories and compassionate analysis, The Velvet Rage explores how shame is insidious, and can be traced back to childhood feelings of otherness. Drawing on contemporary psychological research, Alan Downs offers a path to emotional well-being and an end to self-defeating behavior.Velvet Rage is an empowering book youll wish you read long ago. Its not too late to begin the healing process.

Todays gay man enjoys unprecedented, hard-won social acceptance. Despite this victory, however, serious problems still exist. Substance abuse, depression, suicide, and sex addiction among gay men are at an all-time high, causing many to ask, Are we really better off? Drawing on contemporary research, psychologist Alan Downss own struggle with shame and anger, and stories from his patients, The Velvet Rage passionately describes the stages of a gay mans journey out of shame and offers practical and inspired strategies to stop the cycle of avoidance and self-defeating behavior.Updated to reflect the effects of the many recent social, cultural, and political changes, The Velvet Rage is an empowering book that has already changed the public discourse on gay culture and helped shape the identity of an entire generation of gay men.