Death, Dying And CBT

As a boy I learned a World War I song of the trenches that began “Never laugh when a hearse goes by, for you may be the next die.” The song goes on exhaustively to catalogue the process of human decomposition. My favorite verse was and is “The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out.
The worms play pinochle on your snout.”

I didn’t realize at the time this song and much other human culture trained me to perceive death in a particular way. Death is horrific I was learning – and certainly no laughing matter. In this post my friend and colleague Annie Hanaway ND and I consider this old message from the standpoint of self-defeating belief, negative thinking and avoidant behavior.

About Daniel Mintie

Daniel Mintie is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's School Of Medicine. He has a private practice in Taos New Mexico, USA and teaches cognitive-behavioral therapy at universities and training centers worldwide.

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