Sources of Suffering

This book seeks to underscore the multifaceted ways in which we encounter suffering in clinical and social settings. The fear, greed, and guilt cause an individual to suffer privately, while the deception, betrayal, and revenge lead others to suffer. This concise and well-written book deals with six important roots of human anguish. It divides the six areas into those primarily affecting the individual and those primarily affecting others around him. Among the former are fear, greed, and guilt. Among the latter are deception, betrayal, and revenge. The book deals with each realm from descriptive, psychodynamic, sociocultural, and clinical perspectives. It provides ample literary examples and vignettes from psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. The aim is to help the readers enhance their empathy with these complex human experiences and to become more adept in helping their patients renounce or reduce their suffering.