Are you a “Cup-Half-Empty” person, a “Cup-Half-Full” person, or some place in between?  There are many ways to think about the answer….yes, the question is very subjective and open to interpretation. I did that on purpose.

Where on the continuum of optimistic or pessimistic do you place yourself? If you think of yourself as a pessimist now, were you once an optimist? If so, was there a life event, or multiple life events, that changed your view?

As a Licensed Psychotherapist, I believe that the assessment is an important step in the psychotherapy process. A family history is always a part of the evaluation. I recall one client who was molested in childhood, and could not recall the exact age of the abuse. I asked her to bring in childhood photos. The answer came to her clearly, as we sat together in my office. Flipping through photos, she noticed the change in her smile around the age of 9 or 10. The demarcation point of her sad look was clear, signaling the likely age that the abuse began.

I wonder how this event affected her view of the world? She admitted feeling anxious and powerless related to the repeat sexual abuse by a family friend.

When she came to my office as a 30 year old woman, she appeared happy and upbeat on the surface, but there was a sadness below. We worked through her sexual abuse trauma, and she came through the experience of therapy with a more integrated self and a deeper sense of peace.

Some believe that our outlook in life is based on a combination of Genetics and Environment. What do you think? If you tend to feel more pessimistic about life in general, could it be that you had a trauma in childhood that you may not have healed?

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1) Do you remember a time in life when a trauma happened, and you buried it deeply, not dealing with it?

2) Were your parents optimists or pessimists, or somewhere in between?

3) Have you taken on the world view of your parents? In other words, if your parents were pessimists, do you find that you tend to give up before even trying, because you doubt you will be successful?

4) Do you find yourself listening to mostly sad stories or news reports, or do you open yourself up to hearing about happy and inspirational stories?

Asking yourself these questions can begin the journey into self awareness, and help you identify if your “Cup-Half-Empty” belief system is from unresolved trauma or from your family or origin. Some people suffer a genetic form of depression, and could benefit from therapy. With awareness, change is possible.