"The Dark Side of Hope"

You probably wonder, and even if you are not, what the Japanese characters mean on my blog header? They spell HOPE.

When I was putting together this blog I was thinking of a word that could represent what I love about therapy and being a therapist. One think I know is I love helping people find hope in their lives. I also love helping them let it go when needed.

A while back I read this article, Researchers Find 'Dark Side of Hope.' It talks about a study done by the University of Michigan Health Center for the Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine that involved a group of adults who had their colons removed. Some of the people in the study were told their colostomy was reversible and some were told it was permanent. Those w/o hope reported actually being happier in their lives.

Here is part of the article, "We're not saying hope is a bad thing. They realized the card they were dealt and recognized that they had no choice but to play with those cards. What we're pointing out is that there can be a dark side of hope. It can cause people to put their lives on hold."

Most people equate hope with positive feelings or emotions but hope can also be devastating. The battle is figuring out whether to hold on or let go?