Author Description

What is "normal" in human personality has become a pressing, modern question. And what is the potential for achieving emotional health through deliberate action, as we do with physical health? Clinical psychologist Camay Woodall, PhD, addresses these and many other complex questions in this work that cogently discusses parameters of emotional health. This book covers historical concepts; examines personality at its developmental stages and beyond; explains that "normal behavior" constitutes a wide range, whereas emotional symptoms are narrow and definable; and discusses the common aspects of normality we all share, such as the struggle for realism and the need for social connection, as well as coming to terms with guilt. Covering topics that include anxiety; self-esteem; depression; food (and the abuses of it), sex, love, and intimacy; shame and guilt; and spirituality, this book identifies common sources of dysfunctional personality traits and stresses the importance of individual responsibility in each area. -- from dust jacket.