Meeting Recap for July 16, 2008

Ideas from the writings of Victor Frankl were
central to presentation given by our guest
speaker, Dr. James Stratigakes.

Victor Frankl 1904-1997, Holocaust survivor.

Developer of existential philosophy & logotherapy.
Author of Man's Search for Meaning, 1946.
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Photo: ideasvida.files.wordpress.com

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The meeting for July 16, 2008, comprised two parts:

I: Guest Speaker and Facilitator, James Stratigakes, PhD, Clinical Psychologist (one hour).

Dr. Stratigakes opened his remarks with two quotations from Holocaust survivor and psychologist Victor Frankl.

II: Group Discussion about September, Pain Awareness Month. (45 minutes).

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Part I. Dr. Stratigakes: Presentation (30 minutes)
followed by cross conversation with the group (30 minutes).

Dr. Stratigakes grounded his talk and the cross conversation that followed on two quotations from Holocaust survivor and philosopher Victor Frankl:

/————————————————————————————————\

Between stimulus and response there is a space.

In the space is the power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and our Freedom.

Victor Frankl

"Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his
life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked.
In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only
answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can
only respond by being responsible."

Man's Search for Meaning

\————————————————————————————————/

Dr. Stratigakes then simplified Frankl's ideas to the this conceptual model:

Pain stimulus » Space » Response.

What follows is a summary of Dr. Stratigakes's talk (based upon this writer's notes) with direct quotations from the Doctor inserted where fitting.

Dr. Strategakes gave focus to the Space element of the model by inviting each of us to ask the question, "How can I be in the moment?"

When chronic pain enters our lives — when life "turns on a dime" and everything goes "upside down," when our personal cosmology is challenged and we ask ourselves "Now what?", when we find ourselves in the Space between Stimulus and Response — the Space where, equipped only with "ideas we lived in the past" — we pause and ask ourselves: "How am I going to take responsibility for my life" in these circumstances?

The beginnings of answers to the question, the Doctor suggested, are "to learn to love ourselves," "to learn from life experiences, and "to ask myself "as I walk through my life," "how can I be in the moment?"

Dr. Stratigakes commented that as he has investigated on-line articles about these questions, they clustered into tree categories:

1.) The challenge to "re-frame" one's life
2.) The need to situate ourselves with people who will offer us "support, compassion, and empathy and forgiveness," and
3.) The importance of presenting ourselves with reasonable, specific goals, both short term and long, for dealing with the pain.

He cautioned not "to judge oneself" and not take the idea 'I am less than I was before . . . and because of this disability I am not as whole as I was' and turn it against ouirselves.

As we seek situations that we hope with provide us with help, we should also consider the simple notion of "leaving situations find us."

He returned to the Space concept encouraging us to take a positive idea and "put it into motion" with "the energy that follows thought."

Dr. Stratigakes concluded his remarks after 30 minutes had transpired, devoting the remaining 30 minutes to cross conversation.

At the end of the hour, the group responded with a stout round of applause.

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Part II. Discussion among the members about the imminent arrival of "September, Pain Awareness Month" and activities we might initiate to promote it.

We came to no consensus on what to do or not do (except to say that the County Fair would be, at least this year, beyond our reach). But the conversation prompted some important questions for us to deal with in future meetings:

1.) How much outreach to gain new members should we undertake?
2.) If the membership grows, should we consider having two groups instead of the one we have now, which totals around 25 members?
3.) If we do set up displays at health fairs and other appropriate public settings, how can we assure that volunteers are not taxed beyond personal fatigue limits?
4.) Right now, we do not maintain a group treasury. Should we have one? How will we fill it? Who will fill it? How much money do we need? And for what purposes?

The meeting concluded at approximately 3 p.m.

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