Dabrowski's Theory and Existential Depression in Gifted Children and Adults
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Dabrowski’s Theory and Existential Depression in Gifted Children and Adults 1 James T. Webb, Ph.D. 2 It’s very hard to keep your spirits up. You’ve got to keep selling your- self a bill of goods, and some people are better at lying to themselves than others. If you face reality too much, it kills you. ~ Woody Allen When people undergo a great trauma or other unsettling event—they have lost a job or a loved one dies, for example—their understanding of themselves or of their place in the world often disintegrates, and they tem- porarily “fall apart,” experiencing a type of depression referred to as existential depression. Their ordeal highlights for them the transient nature of life and the lack of control that we have over so many events, and it raises questions about the meaning of our lives and our behaviors. For other people, the experience of existential depression seemingly arises spontane- ously; it stems from their own perception of life, their thoughts about the world and their place in it, as well as the meaning of their life. While not 1 1 Originally presented at the The Eighth International Congress of the Institute for Positive Disintegration in Human Development, August 7, 2008, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 2 Many thanks to Jen Ault, Janet Gore, and Bill Tillier for their suggestions and editing assistance.
Dabrowski's Theory and Existential Depression in Gifted Children and Adults
