Anger Management - Apples vs. Oranges

Over the years, and on an hourly basis, people continue to enter my office.

They all do so whilst firmly grasping their apple. Moreover, they declare, "This is my apple, the bane of my life; if you can fix it for me, everything will be perfect once more".

Now the apple is different for each person. For some it is a symptom: depression, anxiety, OCD, anger, infidelity, etc. For others it may be a maladaptive coping-mechanism: over-drinking, overeating, overworking, smoking, infidelity (once again), drugs, etc.

Unfortunately, the widely held psychological belief and practise within Western Australia (and indeed the expectation of the apple's owner) is that success is to be found focusing upon, and consequently removing, the apple. All perfectly logical so far.

However, in practise, the logical path can often be a jolly misleading one. For if one does just that, the very best that can be hoped for, is the eradication of the apple.

But (I hear you all shout), surely that's the swiftest and most logical direction to take?

Swift and logical... yes; psychotherapeutically prudent... no, not at all.