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Monday 6am - 9pm Tuesday 9am - 9pm Wednesday 9am - 9pm Thursday 9am - 9pm

McNeive Counselling & Psychotherapy

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McNeive Counselling & Psychotherapy

My name is Danny McNeive and I am a Counsellor and Psychotherapist based in Clondalkin Dublin 22. Counselling and psychotherapy for adults

26/06/2024

My new workplace, with a painting of Tramore Bay if I’m feeling homesick 🙂

Address

10 Monastery Heath Square
Tallaght
D22 EP82

Opening Hours

Monday	6am - 9pm
Tuesday	9am - 9pm
Wednesday	9am - 9pm
Thursday	9am - 9pm

Website

http://www.mcneivecounselling.com/

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Our story

I went to see Inside Out at the flicks with Oscar this weekend. The basic synopsis is pretty much the same as the old numbskulls cartoon from The Beano – little people inside your brain controlling your mind. It’s completely brilliant, and demonstrates the workings of the brain and its endless struggle with those damn, annoyingly irrational, emotions.

The movie’s about an 11 year-old girl moving to another town, and the effect this has on her. A coming of age movie about the terrifying jump from childhood to adolescence and ultimately puberty. That would be enough in itself, but it’s far more than that.

In the film, there are five key emotions that control the brain. Two of them, joy and sadness, get lost and must make their way back to HQ. In the meantime, Riley’s pre-pubescent brain, struggling as it already is with her family’s move, is left in the hands of the other three, anger, fear and disgust. This leads her to attempting to run away from home, losing interest in the things she enjoys, getting angry with her parents and friends, and generally doing most of the things we do when we are struggling with anxiety. She doesn't want to do the silly stuff anymore she used to enjoy. A typical adolescent, basically.

But as someone who struggles with depression, the concept of joy and sadness being lost resonated. Or at least joy. That’s kind of what happens. The senses are dulled. And fear and anxiety take over.

Maybe the key learning from the movie is when joy realises that sadness has a right to exist too. Riley allowing herself to be sad and cry, overpowering the anger and resentment that had taken her over, is the first step on her road to recovery.

Allowing themselves the right to be sad is something people with depression (like me) often struggle with. Why am I unhappy again, they ask themselves, thus creating a vicious circle - so you think yourself into an even deeper funk of depression instead of just acknowledging the feeling and allowing it to be. A feeling is just a feeling, it doesn't define you.

This is what joy, who has dominated Riley’s life up to this point, comes to realise. Sadness is a valid emotion in its own right and shouldn't be hidden or buried away.

It’s funny, and touching too. Watching it with my six year-old son, I could see the road ahead and it made me sad. It won’t be long before he’s bored by all the stupid stuff that he likes now. He’ll lose interest in dinosaurs and playing and being a kid. He’ll grow up, and like Riley the whole gamut of emotions will then come into play. He’ll no longer call everyone he knows his friend – there’ll be people he actually doesn't like.

Which kinda stinks, in an angsty existential sort of a way, but in other ways it’s great. Riley ends the movie back playing ice-hockey and enjoying life again – love, loss and the rest all ahead of her. Which is kinda fantastic.