Getting Unstuck With Dr Joy
Dr Joy Browne's Simple Steps to Solving Problems
Radio shrink Dr Joy Browne writes self-help books & offers solutions to life's intimate problems. Here's her 13 helpful steps for getting unstuck & solving problems.
Psychologist Dr Joy Browne's book Getting Unstuck: 8 Simple Steps to Solving Any Problem presents dozens of real-life case scenarios from her live radio talk show. She solves problems, offers insights, and helps people see through their problems to the underlying causes. Getting unstuck will help you solve life's intimate problems.
Dr Joy Browne can help you with getting unstuck – or at least show you why and you got stuck in the first place! From there, getting unstuck may easy.
Instead of reviewing Dr Joy's "getting unstuck" principles, I'm presenting her 13 simple self-defeating steps. She described these in the preface of Getting Unstuck; they're almost as helpful as her eight simple steps to solving any problem…and they're more fun to read! These "getting unstuck" tips are similar to Twisted Thinking and Twisted Thinking Two.
Dr Joy's 13 steps will show you what being stuck really means. If you want to get and stay stuck for the rest of your life, follow these steps religiously. If you're ready to tackle getting unstuck, read her book!
Note: doing the opposite of these self-defeating steps will help you get unstuck.
Getting Unstuck: Dr Joy Browne's 13 self-defeating steps (or, how to stay stuck)
1. Look for someone to blame. Be willing to blame everyone (siblings, parents, lovers, colleagues) about everything from your height to your income. Stay stuck in the past because you'll feel safe. Unhappy, but safe. Getting unstuck means accepting responsibility.
2. Host frequent pity parties for yourself. This will ensure that your blame is fresh! Dr Joy advises you to tell everyone how lousy your life is – and how much you've been victimized. Getting unstuck means no more victimization.
3. Never listen to anybody. Ignore people who offer logical explanations, different perspectives, or escape plans. Refuse to listen to someone else's opinion, says Dr Joy. Getting unstuck means taking sound advice.
4. Use words such as "never" and "always." Dr Joy Browne says using these words will make it impossible for others to disagree with you. You'll always be right, no matter what! Getting unstuck means accepting that there are few absolutes in life.
5. Use the "If you loved me, you'd know" method of communication. Never volunteer information about your thoughts and feelings. Make people guess or pry it out of you. Getting unstuck means sharing your true thoughts and feelings.
6. Make any problem an obstacle. Take all of life's everyday little challenges (such as a headache) and make them into big problems (a brain tumor!). Dr Joy advises you to create giant unsolvable monster problems and blame everyone else for them. Getting unstuck means accepting that life comes with challenges.
7. Assume often and negatively. Dr Joy Browne advises that you obsess that nobody likes you, nobody has it as bad as you do, and nobody understands you. Don't forget that eveyone's out to get you! Getting unstuck means being positive!
8. Try to be in control of all situations at all times. Always be in charge. "Never let your guard down for even one second," says Dr Joy. Getting unstuck means letting go.
9. Minimize your effort. Do as little as possible all the time. Cut corners, cheat, give it a weak shot, and don't work too hard. Getting unstuck means working hard.
10. Go for the jugular. The world owes you, so don't worry about compassion, generosity, mercy, or grace. Winning is everything! Getting unstuck means being kind, generous, and compassionate.
11. Be dependent. Dr Joy advises readers to make others take care of you – and don't take care of anyone else. Don't return favors; other people's lives should revolve around you. Getting unstuck means being interdependent.
12. Act impulsively. Don't think about what you're doing, don't explain yourself to others, and don't accept responsibility. Be defensive when things don't work out. Getting unstuck means thinking before you make decisions.
13. Believe that you're different from everybody else. "It's you against the world," says Dr Joy Browne. Nobody has ever felt or understood what you're going through – nor do they speak your language. You're a law unto yourself. Getting unstuck means uniting with other people.
These 13 self-defeating steps will keep you firmly rooted wherever you're stuck. Doing the opposite will help you with getting unstuck. If you want to break the chains and experience freedom, read Dr Joy's book Getting Unstuck: 8 Simple Steps to Solving Any Problem.
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