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A compilation of self-help and self-improvement resources

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We've all got issues. We'd like to improve our station in life. We also happen to be members of a forum centered on understanding ourselves and one another--so, as a byproduct, we're able to put ourselves out there and get some community support. We see especially good discussion along these lines in this subforum and in the relationships subforum.

To that end, I'd like to compile especially helpful resources and articles for members to use--not to supplant the discussion that takes place here, but to provide additional tools for support and general self-improvement.

What other resources are out there? Websites, books--virtually any medium is welcome. Feel free to share resources about on topic that has any relation to self-help, self-improvement, understanding relationships, and so on, and we'll update the OP to add to our collection. Suggestions are definitely welcome.

Note also that, given the nature of this thread, we'll have to maintain somewhat tight control of it--posts that defeat the purpose of this thread, that are too off-topic, etc. might get moved. Sorry, dudes.

Hotlines
  • Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696
  • Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433
  • LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255
  • Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
  • Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743
  • Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438
  • Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673
  • Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272
  • Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000
  • Exhale: After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253

Mental disorders
  • Crazyboards.org - forums for those sharing stories and posing and answering questions about a variety of mental disorders (bipolar, depression, OCD, etc.) (free, forum)

General self-help

Relationships

'Life tips'

Parenting

Psychology

Just getting things started here. I'm hoping that this compilation takes off and becomes useful. We'll see :popc1:
/idealist
 
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21%

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Bitchin', [MENTION=6971]21%[/MENTION]. Adding these to the OP.

Keep 'em coming!
 

Mike5609

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I'd like to compile especially helpful resources and articles for members to use ... to provide additional tools for support and general self-improvement.

A worthy aim.

Your expressed aim appears (your-)Type-typical, judging by the first two paragraphs of http://www.personalitydesk.com/enfj and I'd imagine that my response will be seen as (my-)Type-typical, so we will be approaching your project through very different eyes!

I have often thought about how to codify in writing my 'inner construct' of how growth-related literature knits together, but I find it difficult. However, your OP has prompted me to make a start.

My first thought is: how would a list of resources here, differ in utility from a self-generated list obtained by googling on one's topic of interest, opening the google-search-result links to personal growth websites, browsing those sites and then going to Amazon to look-inside the recommended reading linked from those sites and on to the 'More to Consider' that Amazon's rather impressive (IMHO) algorithms throw up? I don't find it too timeconsuming to weed out what doesn't 'speak' to me.

As this site is frequented by Type-knowledgeable members, maybe contributions to your list should be annotated with the recommender's Type?

As an aside (which is really outside the scope of discussing your project) I have often pondered the scope to 'translate' books written by one Type so as to be more assimilable by other Types. I must admit to some prejudice here, in that I could in principle imagine that my own favoured Jungian-flavoured -NT- authors could be 'translated' to be more digestible to -S--- and --F- Types, but I am at a loss to understand how those -SFJ authors who write whole books in the style of "when Jane came to see me, she had been suffering for [very many] years from [symptoms] but after a few sessions of [what I offer] her symptoms had cleared up never to return", followed by Bill, Mary, David, etc etc, could ever be translated; such authors' message seems to be little more than 'Trust Me', so maybe that IS the translation. Book condensed to a sentence. So be it. But, as I say, I digress.

Second: I think the level on which authors write is important. The axis that I have in mind is surface...depth. Relationship is a good example. Authors like Barbara de Angelis (Affection/ Attention/ Appreciation, Love Snacks, etc) has its place. But (IMHO) if a relationship cannot be 'fixed' on that level, then it is futile to turn to another surface-level author like John Gray (Mars & Venus); a deeper understanding of relationship dynamics is needed from an author such as David Schnarch. Now as an INTP, I would say this; certainly I fall into the category of 'cannot live life until I have understood it' (not sure if that's the I or the P or the F! and I can't trace the source right now). The opposite is of course 'cannot understand life until they have lived it' and I suppose a couple of that inclination would not find reading Schnarch at all developmental, though they might benefit from a couples therapist.

Third: a list of literature, even if source-Type, author-Typed, depth-indicated, cross-referenced etc, won't capture the impact that the book had on the reader who triggered the recommendation. I think a big part of being 'stuck' in (non-surface-level) personal development is the existence of pernicious blind spots, not knowing what one doesn't know, not knowing where 'the problem lies', and worse still being self-misdirected by one's inner defences away from potential fruitful personal work. Example: the concept of the need to forgive is quite rightly (IMHO) emphasised in much growth literature, but very rarely mentioned is the complexity of that process, the traps on the path to forgiveness.

Fourth: a list of literature fosters 'keeping it all in the head'. Mere cerebral (pseudo-?)'understanding' is not going to suffice for personal growth [ doesn't sound very INTP that, does it? ;) ] Some regular practice of fostering inner-self-awareness is surely necessary to know what one 'really' wants above and beyond the culturally-conditioned nice house, two cars, three holidays a year, soul-mate partner and 2.4 kids. At a certain stage of life, anyway. Meditation is a good start.

There is more I could say, but I feel that this post is becoming disjointed and runs the risk of hijacking the OP's straightforward intention, so I am going to stop. Personal growth is really an extraordinarily complex, multi-faceted, dynamic area of endeavour.
 
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Thanks, guys. Gonna update the OP with that info in mind and some of my favorite readings soon.
 

Mole

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We can slowly improve ourselves by reading books we don't quite understand. That way we slowly expand our horizons.
 

EJCC

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I'm not sure if this counts, but my INTP dad uses it as self-help, to an extent. He has the poster in a frame on his desk at work.

The Cult of Done Manifesto
 

Mole

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The one book essential for lovely introverts is, "Relief Without Drugs", by Ainslie Mears.
 
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Still paying attention to this thread, guys; thanks for the input.

Speaking of introversion, I remember The Introvert Advantage being a good, solid "basic" read--a good first stab at helping an introvert realize that introversion isn't so bad.
 
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There, I added some more and recategorized; it's worth pointing out the free and readily accessible resources.

Always open to more suggestions and descriptions!
 
G

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Wanted to let y'all know that I'm continuing to update the OP. If you have any good resources or questions, let me know.
 

Mole

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For God's sake forget self help and self improvement and start reading books you don't quite understand.
 

Firebird 8118

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Oh, how interesting... this thread seems to have come back from the dead.

Anyhow, it's nice that these resources are posted here... :heart:
 

Lark

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I actually think that Derren Brown's book Happy is one of the greatest self-help or self-improvement resources I've read, I dont like the guy, I dont like his philosophy and suspect its darker than anyone thinks but even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

The book itself is actually highly critical of self-help and self-improvment, Brown in particular hates, I mean HATES, The Secret but positive thinking generally? He sees it as the same as blind faith, faith healing, stage hypnotist trickery, other sorts of magical thinking and man does he HATE those things :D

Its a great book.
 
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