Seneca's Prozac: a tool to stop suffering

In a society as demanding as the one we live in, which often demands more than it gives us back, it is easy for our emotional health to be affected. Especially, if we live with the "happymania", that is, the obsession to be happy.

For only a few decades, the happiness It is everywhere: scientific research, best-selling books, our states on social networks... One only has to take a look around us to see that we have endeavored to create a happy account of our lives. lives.

Are antidepressants and anxiolytics the solution to our sadness and anxiety?

And it seems that it is forbidden not to be happy, when it is impossible to be happy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In modern societies, such as the United States, the consumption of psychotropic drugs like prozac, called the drug of happiness, is increasing year by year. The depression and the anxiety they are the order of the day, and that is why few do not know about drugs such as tranquilizer or valium.

But fighting our sadness or our anxiety with these drugs alone is not an effective strategy:

it does not eliminate the suffering, but calms the symptoms for a while. This is what the book called Seneca Prozac, a work with a philosophical-psychological basis. For its elaboration, the author, Clay Newmann, has been inspired by revealing phrases of Seneca, the greatest exponent of stoicism. His thoughts are a source of wisdom for happiness.

A book with therapeutic overtones

This book is a kind of medicine, a form of therapy to help us live a little better.. Because as the author affirms: "we have never been so rich in the material, but so poor in the spiritual". The idea of ​​this text is to leave drugs like prozac or valium behind and build a more adaptive personality, in addition to helping people to be mentally stronger.

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A book to make us aware that medication is not the solution for emotional imbalances. Because it is more useful to know the causes of discomfort and work to stop suffering. Seneca's Prozac promotes stoic philosophy and provides the necessary dose of wisdom to learn to be happy. Newman defends that values ​​such as humility, self-acceptance, compassion and trust, among others, are inherent in the human condition. However, it is necessary to know this philosophy and have the necessary will to make it effective.

In short, it is about leaving behind what prevents people from being happy. This literary work allows you to develop honesty, humility and awareness, compassion, detachment and acceptance.

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Seneca's Prozac: some phrases from the book

Below you can find some of the best quotes from this book.

1. Life doesn't care what you want. Its function is to give you what you need at all times

Life takes into account how we adapt to the environment, not our desires and our motivations. It is you who has to fight for your dreams.

2. Since you start from lack and the feeling of emptiness, you love others to the extent that they fill you up and give you satisfaction.

We tend to look for satisfaction in others when we should focus on what satisfies us. A great lesson for life.

3. The purpose of your life is to learn to be happy and at peace with yourself so that you can love life as it is.

Working on self-love and self-acceptance is one of the keys to happiness.

4. True security is not related to your external circumstances, which are governed by universal laws that you cannot control. Rather it is an internal emotional state that allows you to live with confidence, courage and bravery.

Creating a strong personality is only achieved when we are at peace with ourselves.

5. Is there someone you don't like or can't stand? Someone who just seeing it already makes you angry? If so, I welcome you on behalf of the collective of the human race. You have just identified one of your “spiritual teachers”

We are human and we feel emotions that are sometimes not entirely pleasant.

6. The best thing you can do for humanity is to be happy and learn to be at peace with yourself.

When you are good with yourself, others will also notice it in a positive way.

7. The only Truth that deserves to be capitalized is Love

Love it is an experience that can make us immensely happy or tremendously unhappy.

8. True detachment arises when you understand that no one makes anyone happy.

Depending on others is inversely proportional to happiness.

9. Are we perfect? Why, then, do we demand perfection from others?

We can be very demanding of others when, in reality, no one is perfect.

10. Adversity is an occasion for virtue

Bad times are opportunities to grow that we should not miss.