Addicted to Unhappiness: Free Yourself from Moods and Behaviors That Undermine Relationships, Work, and the Life You...

Reader Reviews
This is a quick read. The reason I picked it up was trying to understand why a bully at work had me down. On pg 224 the matter is addressed, "Frequently there is someone in the workplace who is snappish, constantly angry or agitated, or who has an emotional hair trigger. The addiction to unhappiness can cause you to take other people's grouchiness personally, when in fact it's not about you but about them. If these difficult coworkers or managers treat everyone else the same way, there is certainly no reason to feel particularly singled out or attacked. By taking their behavior personally, you gratify your addiction to unhappiness and ruin an otherwise good day." Okay... I feel like I've been given a pat on the head and told to run along. Every problem outlined is blamed on one's parents and sends you back to their previous book, Smart Love, to understand how the failures of your parents are to blame for everything from eating addictions to my problem with a bully. Having said that, I think they have identified a real issue - it is mysterious but some people do shoot themselves in the foot when life looks good - but this book is a disappointment if you think it will help you overcome this tendency. The Piepers tout the magic of their therapy sessions which may indeed be true, however this book recycles typical self-help ideas: make a plan for change and be vigilant that you don't backslide, but mostly they repeat over and over again the idea that you are either preventing yourself from achieving happiness or you are actively choosing to cause your own unhappiness.