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	<title>Damián Ruiz</title>
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	<description>Licenciado y Postgraduado en Psicología por la Universidad de Barcelona.</description>
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	<title>Damián Ruiz</title>
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		<title>Jungian Analysis and Therapy</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/jungian-analysis-jungian-therapy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mguad]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:50:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3821</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; Jungian analysis is based on the idea that the human psyche is far broader than what we normally perceive [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/jungian-analysis-jungian-therapy/">Jungian Analysis and Therapy</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jungian analysis is based on the idea that the human psyche is far broader than what we normally perceive consciously. According to this perspective, developed by Carl Gustav Jung, a large part of our personality, our motivations and our conflicts are located in areas of the mind that we do not usually recognise. The Jungian approach proposes that, through the therapeutic process, it is possible to approach these unconscious contents and discover aspects of oneself that had until then remained hidden. To this end, techniques such as sandplay, active imagination, symbolic work with dreams, with archetypes, or with elements of synchronicity are used.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the foundations of Jungian thought is that the unconscious is not only a place where repressed memories are stored, but also a creative space full of potential. In this sense, Jungian analysis does not focus solely on relieving symptoms, but on fostering a process of deep self-knowledge. Through, as mentioned above, work with dreams, symbols, active imagination and therapeutic dialogue, Jungian therapy attempts to reveal inner patterns that influence everyday life without the person being fully aware of them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the person explores these contents, they begin to recognise parts of themselves that they may have ignored or rejected. The Jungian approach calls this process “individuation”, that is, the progressive development of the personality towards greater integration. Jungian psychology maintains that each individual possesses unique potentialities that may become blocked by fears, social expectations or past experiences. Jungian therapeutic work helps to identify these inner limitations and transform them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another important dimension of Jungian analysis is the recognition of archetypes, universal patterns that structure many of our psychological experiences. Understanding how these archetypes operate in personal life can offer a new perspective on conflicts, decisions and relationships. From this Jungian perspective, many life crises are not simply problems that must be eliminated, but opportunities for deeper psychological growth.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For this reason, Jungian therapy can act as a stimulus for life. By discovering inner dimensions that were previously unknown, the person expands their sense of identity and finds new possibilities for action. Jungian analysis does not seek to impose a model of how someone ought to be, but rather to accompany the person in discovering their own path. And sometimes that path can be surprising.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ultimately, the Jungian perspective proposes that self-knowledge is not a final destination, but an ongoing process. Through therapeutic dialogue and symbolic exploration, the Jungian approach invites us to look inward in order to better understand our own lives. In this way, Jungian work can become a valuable tool for developing previously unknown aspects of oneself and opening new directions for personal growth.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Barcelona, March 2026</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/jungian-analysis-jungian-therapy/">Jungian Analysis and Therapy</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>Cough and OCD</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/the-cough-and-ocd/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mguad]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 06:53:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3735</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; Damián Ruiz &#160; Introductory Prologue to the Seminar–Lecture delivered on February 27 at ISCREB in Barcelona by Damián Ruiz, [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/the-cough-and-ocd/">Cough and OCD</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b>Introductory Prologue to the Seminar–Lecture delivered on February 27 at ISCREB in Barcelona by Damián Ruiz, General Health Psychologist (COPC) and Jungian Analyst (member of the Jung Institute of Barcelona and the IAAP)</b></p>
<p><strong>Let us imagine that a person begins to cough.</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The cough may be mild and temporary, as in the case of a common cold. It may be dry and irritating, resulting from allergies or environmental pollution. It may be productive, accompanied by mucus, indicating a respiratory infection. It may be persistent and chronic, as in asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It may signal the onset of pneumonia. It may be a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux. In more serious cases, it may be the first sign of tuberculosis or even lung cancer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all these cases, the cough is not the disease. It is the symptom.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is the visible manifestation of an underlying organic process. A responsible physician does not simply suppress it without further inquiry. They question its origin, investigate its cause, and examine the clinical context. The cough is a signal. The objective is not to silence the signal, but to understand what is producing it.</span></p>
<p><strong>Now let us imagine a different scenario.</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Suppose that medical institutions, political organizations, and the healthcare system decided to invest all their resources exclusively in making the cough disappear. Powerful antitussive drugs are developed. Effective protocols are created to reduce the cough reflex. Studies are published demonstrating a statistical decrease in coughing episodes across the population.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some professionals succeed in eliminating the cough in most patients, regardless of its origin. An academic, institutional, and economic movement emerges in support of those who have “cured the cough.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But the pulmonary, infectious, or inflammatory problem underlying it remains intact.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some patients will later develop complications. Others will learn to live with the underlying cause as long as the cough is controlled. Statistics will show symptomatic success. However, the root of the problem will not have been addressed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This scenario, which would be unacceptable in medicine, is strikingly familiar in the field of obsessive-compulsive disorder.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">OCD is a symptom. Beyond a possible genetic predisposition, it often emerges in the context of traumatic, stressful, or disorganizing circumstances, whether acute or prolonged, frequently during childhood or adolescence. Obsessions and compulsions constitute the visible manifestation—the tip of the iceberg—of a psychic structure that has been organized around fear, insecurity, and the need for control.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The obsessive symptom is not the essential problem. It is the expression of a deeper conflict.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, what is widely validated at present is the reduction of the symptom: eliminating the “cough” or learning to manage it in the most functional way possible. What often remains in the background is the question that in medicine would be mandatory: what is producing this cough? What underlying process is generating the symptom?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the psychological domain, the equivalent question would be: what psychic structure, what early experiences, what relational and symbolic configurations have given rise to the appearance of obsessions and compulsions?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is striking that what would never be permitted in medicine—ignoring the organic cause of a symptom and limiting intervention to its suppression—can be considered sufficient in psychology.</span></p>
<p><strong>The cough is not the disease.<br />
OCD is not the root of the conflict.</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu"><span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/the-cough-and-ocd/">Cough and OCD</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>Jungian Therapy Online: Deep Self-Knowledge and Personal Development</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/online-jungian-therapy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mguad]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 19:05:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3601</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; Damián Ruiz &#160; What is Jungian therapy? Jungian therapy is a process of deep self-knowledge and psychological development aimed [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/online-jungian-therapy/">Jungian Therapy Online: Deep Self-Knowledge and Personal Development</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>What is Jungian therapy?</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jungian therapy is a process of deep self-knowledge and psychological development aimed at expanding consciousness and establishing a dialogue with the unconscious. Jungian therapy is not primarily focused on symptom elimination, but on accompanying the process of individuation.</span></p>
<p><strong>Online Jungian therapy: an effective modality</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jungian therapy delivered online has become a solid and effective modality when supported by a clear therapeutic framework and a consistent therapeutic relationship. Jungian therapy does not depend on physical space, but on the relational field that develops between therapist and patient.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Working from a familiar environment can facilitate emotional expression and support continuity of the therapeutic process.</span></p>
<p><strong>Therapeutic work in Jungian therapy</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Jungian therapy, work focuses on dreams, complexes, symbolic material, archetypal dynamics and unconscious conflicts. Jungian therapy requires time, rhythm and commitment, which is why weekly sessions are generally recommended, although fortnightly sessions may be appropriate at certain stages of the process.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jungian therapy online allows psychological work to be integrated into everyday life while maintaining the depth and clinical rigour characteristic of this approach.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu"><span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/online-jungian-therapy/">Jungian Therapy Online: Deep Self-Knowledge and Personal Development</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>Addictions: Therapeutic Support from a Jungian-Based Approach</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/jungian-addiction-therapy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mguad]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:37:24 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3585</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; Damián Ruiz &#160; Understanding addictions beyond behaviour Addictions represent one of the most complex clinical challenges in psychotherapy. From [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/jungian-addiction-therapy/">Addictions: Therapeutic Support from a Jungian-Based Approach</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Understanding addictions beyond behaviour</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Addictions represent one of the most complex clinical challenges in psychotherapy. From the perspective of analytical psychology, addictions are understood as attempts to compensate for an inner void, a loss of meaning, or a difficulty in symbolising emotional experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This approach makes it possible to see that addictions are not limited to a specific substance or behaviour, but rather express a deeper conflict in the individual’s relationship with themselves.</span></p>
<p><strong>Therapeutic treatment of addictions</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Clinical work with addictions requires a specific therapeutic framework, clearly differentiated from classical Jungian analysis, while still grounded in its depth understanding of the psyche. The therapeutic process does not focus solely on controlling addictive behaviour, but on rebuilding the relationship with desire, meaning and personal identity.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Addictions often involve long and demanding therapeutic processes, in which continuity and consistency of treatment are essential.</span></p>
<p><strong>Online therapy and addictions</strong></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Online therapy facilitates sustained therapeutic support in processes involving addictions, reducing interruptions and enhancing treatment stability. Working with addictions from an integrative Jungian orientation allows therapy to move beyond symptom management and promote deep, lasting psychological change.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu"><span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/jungian-addiction-therapy/">Addictions: Therapeutic Support from a Jungian-Based Approach</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>TOC: Deep Therapeutic Treatment from a Jungian Perspective</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/treatment-ocd-jungian-orientation/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mguad]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2026 21:58:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3569</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; Damián Ruiz &#160; Understanding TOC from a depth psychology perspective TOC (commonly known in English as obsessive–compulsive disorder) is [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/treatment-ocd-jungian-orientation/">TOC: Deep Therapeutic Treatment from a Jungian Perspective</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Understanding TOC from a depth psychology perspective</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">TOC (commonly known in English as obsessive–compulsive disorder) is a complex psychological condition that cannot be reduced solely to intrusive thoughts or repetitive behaviours. From a Jungian and integrative perspective, TOC is understood as the expression of deep psychic conflicts related to control, guilt, emotional ambivalence and difficulty tolerating uncertainty.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">TOC is not merely an isolated symptom, but a specific form of psychic organisation that fulfils a defensive function. For this reason, therapeutic work with TOC requires a rigorous and clearly differentiated clinical framework.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Online therapy for TOC: effectiveness and continuity</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Online therapy has proven to be an effective modality in the treatment of TOC, as it allows therapeutic intervention to take place directly within the everyday context in which obsessions and compulsive rituals arise. This framework supports continuity of treatment and greater patient engagement.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Working with TOC from a Jungian foundation involves addressing both the symptom itself and its deeper psychological meaning, integrating additional clinical tools when necessary. In most cases, weekly sessions are recommended, particularly during active phases of TOC.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An integrative approach to TOC</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The treatment of TOC from this perspective does not focus exclusively on symptom reduction, but on understanding the function of the symptom, allowing for a more stable and profound psychological transformation.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu"><span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/treatment-ocd-jungian-orientation/">TOC: Deep Therapeutic Treatment from a Jungian Perspective</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>Dream Analysis in a Jungian Analysis</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/dream-analysis-in-jungian-analysis/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[mguad]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:23:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3326</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; Jungian analysis, developed by Carl Gustav Jung, gives a central place to dreams as a path to the unconscious. [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/dream-analysis-in-jungian-analysis/">Dream Analysis in a Jungian Analysis</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b>Jungian analysis</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, developed by Carl Gustav Jung, gives a central place to dreams as a path to the unconscious. Unlike other psychological approaches, </span><b>junguiàn analysis</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sees dreams not merely as expressions of repressed wishes, but as symbolic messages that reveal the process of individuation — the journey toward the psychic wholeness of the individual.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During a </span><b>jungian analysis</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, dreams are interpreted not in a literal sense, but symbolically. Each image, each dream scene, is examined as a representation of inner forces, archetypes, and unknown aspects of the personality. The analyst does not impose fixed meanings but accompanies the dreamer in discovering the personal significance of the symbols that arise in their psychic life.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The method of working in </span><b>jungian analysis</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> involves recording dreams, analyzing them in their emotional and life context, and drawing connections between dream images and universal myths. Jung observed that the symbols appearing in dreams are linked to collective human patterns — the hero, the shadow, the anima, or the wise old man. Recognizing these figures helps the individual understand inner conflicts and reconcile opposing aspects of the self.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Within </span><b>jungian analysis</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, dreams are also interpreted prospectively. This means that, beyond reflecting the current state of the psyche, they may anticipate possibilities for growth or warn of potential imbalances. In this way, the dream becomes an inner guide that points toward psychological development.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, dream analysis goes beyond intellectual understanding. In </span><b>junguiàn analysis</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, patients are encouraged to engage actively with the images of their dreams through active imagination, painting, or symbolic writing. Thus, working with dreams becomes a creative and transformative process that fosters the integration of the unconscious with consciousness.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu"><span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/dream-analysis-in-jungian-analysis/">Dream Analysis in a Jungian Analysis</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>Paris, Hockney and the Meaning of Life</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/paris-hockney-and-the-meaning-of-life/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[miguel]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:13:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3075</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Damián Ruiz The lack of new perspectives, horizons, openness to what is new, to history, or to knowledge in all [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/paris-hockney-and-the-meaning-of-life/">Paris, Hockney and the Meaning of Life</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lack of new perspectives, horizons, openness to what is new, to history, or to knowledge in all its forms—especially to the arts and literature—gradually produces a certain cognitive rigidity as the years pass.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> That is to say, the brain functions on repetitive information or, worse still, on information consumed through social media and the internet, which provides no personal experience at all.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Going out into the world, regardless of economic conditions—myself, in my youth, I travelled by coach, train or hitchhiking, and I slept in hostels, boarding houses, student residences, some not particularly recommendable places—is something everyone should aspire to. But not for the empty exercise of postcard tourism, which offers nothing or very little and serves mainly for Instagram photos, but for the experience of discovering something new, including customs and mentalities different from our own, which can provide a different vision of reality.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For me, Barcelona, my city, has always seemed charming but small, in the sense of true cosmopolitanism and innovation. By contrast, the great metropolises—especially Paris and New York—have always felt deeply stimulating. And they are, in spite of oneself. They will not let you survive unless you make the effort or reach a certain level of excellence. They are not comfortable, because they demand the best of you if you wish to inhabit them; otherwise, they expel you, and all that is left is to revisit them when possible.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> It is true that I never tried to live in them, among other reasons because, as a Belgian friend of mine, a mathematics professor in the French capital, once told me: “If you live here, Paris will no longer be your Paris.” A wise saying that coincides with Enric González’s words in </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stories of New York</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">: “One sees the city one carries within.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I have read extensively about France, and especially about twentieth-century Paris, and I cannot avoid my imagination unfolding fully whenever I walk the streets of the old city—that Western mecca, probably the capital of our civilization. I perceive all that, within the limits of my knowledge, was lived, experienced, felt there… and I discover myself through those wanderings, sometimes alone, sometimes accompanied by my wife or friends. A spirit somewhere between idealist and romantic—though I am not particularly sentimental—nourishes me and gives me strength to continue my therapeutic work and to encourage others to discover themselves through experience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How much would we improve in all respects if we expanded our psychic space, if we increased our knowledge and our level of awareness?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Life only has meaning if, in large part, it is profound and we manage to give it direction. And this is said by someone who can and does enjoy the trivial, provided that it occupies only a small portion of existence. But without focus, without in-depth work, we usually turn it into a neurotic foolishness, constantly chasing novelties and news to distract ourselves. Hence so many problems of attention deficit, anxiety, lack of life orientation, and, often, depression.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I recall that in a difficult period of my life, after the premature death of my mother, when my spirituality and religious beliefs deepened— I am a morally liberal, not very dogmatic, and barely practicing Catholic, partly because in my view today’s Masses put the faithful to sleep and would require a bit more fervour—I took to reading mystical and theological texts of substance. Among them, as I have mentioned elsewhere, Thomas Aquinas’s </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Summa Theologiae</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a work of great depth and beauty.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> And in those moments of pain, I admit there was a certain degree of happiness, for if you penetrate something of such magnitude and connect with it, you cannot help but feel a profound inner peace that makes you feel well.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We lose, amidst so much noise, both outward knowledge—travel, for example— and inward knowledge, the kind that comes from reading, cinema, the arts, music… And although it is true that all this requires effort, that effort is rewarded with greater calm and openness.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I should mention that during my recent visit to Paris, we went to the David Hockney exhibition, the great British painter born in 1937. Photographs of a smiling elderly man hang in some rooms, and his idolized male nudes from other periods give way—he himself selected the works—to a display of landscapes, of a calm and radiant nature, which can be interpreted as a wise approach to a meaning of life detached from desire and in harmony with the passage of time.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> His vitality and his smiling, mischievous, yet conscious gaze indicate the vital progress of someone who probably began with the impulses of youth, only to end reconciled with what is essential.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Life requires effort—sometimes a great deal—and work, and going through all sorts of circumstances. But if one elevates one’s gaze, one’s heart, if one aspires to connect with knowledge, or better still, with wisdom, there is something—hidden, mysterious, secret—that helps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Fortes fortuna adiuvat”, “Fortune favours the brave”, or even better: “At the moment one truly commits, Providence also moves. Whatever you can do or dream, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic.” Johann W. von Goethe.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The meaning of life begins with learning to concentrate and avoiding trivial distractions.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Barcelona, August 28, 2025</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span></a></p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/paris-hockney-and-the-meaning-of-life/">Paris, Hockney and the Meaning of Life</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>Quitting Cocaine Use</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/quitting-cocaine-use/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[miguel]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2025 10:43:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3059</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#160; Damián Ruiz What is the fundamental principle I apply in treating cocaine addiction? That the patient comes to reject [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/quitting-cocaine-use/">Quitting Cocaine Use</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b>Damián Ruiz</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is the fundamental principle I apply in treating cocaine addiction?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> That the patient comes to reject it — that they feel repulsion toward the substance.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> How is that achieved?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Through a change in lifestyle and a process of raising consciousness so that they understand not only that they don’t need it, but that they’re missing many real opportunities to improve their life.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> And how is that done?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Through analysis of the person’s history and current circumstances. By bringing to awareness the positive aspects that have not been developed and the negative ones that generate counterproductive attitudes and behaviors.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> And what about willpower?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> As a therapist, I don’t place much faith in it. I’m not saying it’s unnecessary — especially in the early stages — but I also don’t ask for miracles. What I seek is steady, gradual work that strengthens this virtue over time. But it’s not the core of the therapy.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> What are the fundamental pillars of therapy to stop using cocaine?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> A change in lifestyle and the development of a firmer, more determined, even ambitious attitude — not necessarily financially, although it could be, depending on the person, but in terms of fulfillment.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> And that fulfillment is understood differently by each person: some link it to the “American way of life,” others to spirituality, depth, or even creative processes. The therapist must simply work together with the patient on where they want to go.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Is it easy to quit cocaine?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> No, it’s not easy — but it’s also not “impossible.”</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Progress is gradual, and occasional relapse may happen. As long as the patient doesn’t minimize its significance, such relapses can be accepted in the beginning.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> But in order to consolidate the goal, one must progressively restructure — again — both lifestyle and the person’s perception, beliefs, and emotions around it.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> It’s not about falling into empty positivity, the “you can do it” type, but about delving into the unconscious to activate all that could lead to a fuller life and deactivate everything that — perhaps without clearly realizing it — has been blocking it.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Quitting cocaine is a meticulous process, but it is achievable.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This treatment is for low to moderate levels of use — at most once or twice per week, and in small amounts.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> It is not intended for heavy addicts — for them, clinical admission to specialized public or private centers is more appropriate.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> But it is possible to completely quit using this substance — cocaine.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Barcelona, August 2025</span></p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/quitting-cocaine-use/">Quitting Cocaine Use</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>Can You Stop Using a Drug?</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/can-you-stop-using-a-drug/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[miguel]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 08:19:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3045</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Can You Stop Using a Drug? &#160; Damián Ruiz This test is merely indicative and has no psychometric validity beyond [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/can-you-stop-using-a-drug/">Can You Stop Using a Drug?</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Can You Stop Using a Drug?</b></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This test is merely indicative and has no psychometric validity beyond serving as a mirror to help you understand your current state regarding the use of a substance and your level of awareness about it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You just need to answer each question with **YES** or **NO**.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For this occasion, we will leave out both tobacco and alcohol—not because they are not addictive substances, but because we want to focus on other elements: cocaine, cannabis, synthetic drugs, hallucinogens, amphetamines, etc.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Please answer truthfully—not what you think is the “correct” answer. After all, this is just a self-awareness test.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b> Questions</b></p>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you use that drug at least twice a month? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you believe you could quit at any time if you wanted to? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you think that, in today’s society, taking some kind of drug occasionally isn’t all that bad? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Have you ever tried to stop using it for a period longer than six months? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Is your closest circle of friends mostly made up of people who use drugs? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you think your life would be worse if you completely stopped using that kind of drug? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Does taking drugs—even if rarely—help you escape your problems? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Does drug use help you feel emotionally better? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Does using a substance help you socialize? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you believe most people use drugs (excluding prescription medication)? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you think that some form of drug use is necessary to cope with the current pace of life? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you think that once you quit drugs for good, the brain recovers immediately? **YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you agree with this statement:</span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There are certain types of work or responsibilities that cannot be maintained without taking some kind of drug.” **YES / NO**</span></p>
<ol start="15">
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> And with this one: “I’ve been using for so many years that I don’t know if I could handle life without taking some substance. ***YES / NO**</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Do you believe that using a drug from time to time isn’t really that important? **YES / NO**</span></li>
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><b>Scoring</b></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between 0 and 5 YES answers</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">  You have a good level of awareness that drug use is harmful to your life. You’re in a position to seek professional or personal help to fully overcome this issue.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between 5 and 9 YES answers</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">  You are not yet fully aware of the problem you have. You should make an effort to get more informed. Seek guidance from professionals, doctors, psychologists, or people who have been through this.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">10 or more YES answers</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">  You have a serious problem. Besides being caught up in drug use, your lack of self-awareness and understanding of the issue may make it hard to begin the healing process. Please reflect on it, and don’t hesitate to ask for help.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Psychologist and author of “Cómo dejar, o hacer que deje, la cocaína”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Barcelona, July 2025</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.damianruiz.eu"><span style="font-weight: 400;">www.damianruiz.eu</span></a></p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/can-you-stop-using-a-drug/">Can You Stop Using a Drug?</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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		<title>Homosexuality, Homoeroticism, Homoaffectivity, Homophobia, Ego-Dystonic Homosexuality, and Homosexual Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (HOCD)</title>
		<link>https://damianruiz.eu/en/homosexuality-homoeroticism-homoaffectivity-homophobia-ego-dystonic-homosexuality-and-homosexual-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-hocd/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[miguel]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2025 08:18:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://damianruiz.eu/?p=3022</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Damián Ruiz If there&#8217;s one thing therapeutic experience provides — in my case, over thirty years — it’s the opportunity [&#8230;]</p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/homosexuality-homoeroticism-homoaffectivity-homophobia-ego-dystonic-homosexuality-and-homosexual-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-hocd/">Homosexuality, Homoeroticism, Homoaffectivity, Homophobia, Ego-Dystonic Homosexuality, and Homosexual Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (HOCD)</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Damián Ruiz</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If there&#8217;s one thing therapeutic experience provides — in my case, over thirty years — it’s the opportunity to observe the vast range of nuances in human beings. In my view, these nuances are what create the diversity of life and make interactions between people far richer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That’s why I wanted to write an article with such a long title, focused specifically on the male condition.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s start with what is most evident and understandable to everyone: </span><b>homosexuality</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which is sexual attraction to people of the same sex (between 5% and 8% of the Western male population identifies as homosexual or bisexual), is a reality across all societies, cultures, and historical periods. Its visibility depends exclusively on a society’s level of tolerance.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a </span><b>biological minority condition</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the human species. There is no need to search for triggering psychological causes. The percentage remains constant throughout history.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But let’s focus on the concept of </span><b>homo-sexuality</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Why? Because </span><b>not every homosexual person</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> who behaves as such has fully integrated </span><b>homoaffectivity</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. What does that mean? In some cases, there is a split between sexual behavior and emotional capacity, such that life may be guided by compulsion without the ability to form stable emotional bonds with another person of the same sex. A percentage of gay men spend their lives seeking new sexual partners without “daring” to establish a genuine romantic relationship.</span></p>
<p><b>Homoeroticism</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, on the other hand, is a condition found among men who develop an erotic bond not necessarily involving sex — it may be limited to affectionate contact and caressing, without engaging in what we might define as strictly sexual acts. This kind of relationship occurs in men who are closer to bisexuality or active heterosexuality but experience erotic attraction to the same sex. Homoeroticism has also been expressed in art not only by homosexual men but also by heterosexual ones, such as the Austrian artist Egon Schiele (1890–1918).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&#8217;s worth mentioning the </span><b>Klein Sexual Orientation Grid (KSOG)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, one of the most comprehensive tools developed to measure sexual orientation, which evaluates how certain dimensions of sexuality shift over time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for </span><b>homoaffectivity</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, it should ideally be present in all homosexuals who have accepted their identity. But it can also occur between heterosexual men, creating a type of closeness or bond that is non-erotic yet deeply affectionate toward a male companion or friend.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In advanced and liberal societies — as most Western ones have been until now — these realities are relatively common, though often manifesting in intimate and socially less visible ways.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Between </span><b>6% and 10% of men</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, according to certain studies (e.g., </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Critical Study of the Homoerotic Experience in Two Latin American Investigations on Male Sex Work</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, by Porfirio Miguel Hernández Cabrera, Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México), have had </span><b>homoerotic or homoaffective experiences</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, without engaging in actual sex and without identifying as gay.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now let’s move on to </span><b>homophobia</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I must admit that, as a therapist, when I come across a younger or middle-aged man who viscerally rejects or despises homosexuality, I always become suspicious (and I’m not referring to someone suffering from </span><b>HOCD</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">). Intense homophobia could, in some cases, be linked to </span><b>strongly repressed latent homosexuality</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (Adams, H. E., Wright, L. W., &amp; Lohr, B. A. (1996). </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal?</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Journal of Abnormal Psychology). The film </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">American Beauty</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (Sam Mendes, 1999) is a good illustrative example of such cases.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><b>homophobe</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> connects </span><b>masculinity</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><b>sexual orientation</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> because they have not yet integrated the idea that a man who is attracted to other men can possess a defined virility and a typically “masculine” profession. Clearly, there are also homosexual or bisexual individuals in the military, professional sports, emergency services, or security, among others — well outside the stereotypes linked to “effeminacy.” Homosexuality can present itself in </span><b>hundreds of different ways</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, many of which have nothing to do with sensitivity, aesthetic taste, or effeminate behavior.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course, anyone has the right to dislike certain groups, but when the </span><b>anger is excessive</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, we must ask ourselves from a psychological point of view: </span><b>what is being hidden</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now to the topic of </span><b>Homosexual Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (HOCD)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you&#8217;re </span><b>constantly doubting</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> whether or not you&#8217;re attracted to men, that’s a </span><b>clear sign that you are not</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Why? Because when something cannot take root in your thoughts or emotions, it’s because </span><b>it doesn&#8217;t belong to your genuine interests</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. We don’t endlessly question things we truly desire or enjoy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In my practice, when someone comes to therapy with this issue, I always ask the same questions:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you ever had a pleasurable homoerotic dream while sleeping?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you had enjoyable sexual experiences with someone of your own sex?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you ever fallen in love with someone of your own sex?</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For those who test themselves by watching gay porn: did you feel clear arousal — an erection — without touching yourself while watching such scenes? (And I don&#8217;t mean the common tingling due to nervousness — that doesn&#8217;t count).</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If the answer is </span><b>no</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to all, or at least three, of those questions — with the first one being a possible exception — then </span><b>there are no indications of a homosexual tendency</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and it is very likely a case of </span><b>HOCD</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By the same logic, if the answer to </span><b>at least three</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of them is </span><b>yes</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, then it may be time to start considering a possible </span><b>attraction to the same sex</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That brings us to </span><b>ego-dystonic homosexuality or bisexuality</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which occurs in people who, despite clear behavioral evidence of same-sex attraction, </span><b>refuse to acknowledge it</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For example, those who would answer “yes” to all the previous questions and still consider themselves fully heterosexual. These individuals face a long path of integration — something they will eventually have to deal with, beyond their homosexuality or bisexuality and how they choose to live with it. No one is obligated to do what they don’t want to do, even for moral reasons, but that’s one thing — </span><b>self-deception is another</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the end, each person’s condition should be lived with </span><b>complete naturalness</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><b>without fear</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><b>without compulsions</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><b>in an integrated manner</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A man, regardless of age, may live his life as he sees fit based on his values or circumstances, but what he </span><b>must never do</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, because the price would be too high, is to </span><b>lie to himself</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each person’s identity is full of different variables — ideological, cultural, sexual, moral, emotional, socioeconomic, intellectual, etc. — and all of these must be integrated in a way that generates a </span><b>satisfying and balanced life</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. But </span><b>self-knowledge</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is key to ensure this path is one of </span><b>temperance and inner peace</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Human beings are complex and, as I said at the beginning, we are full of nuances. Each of us is dealt a unique set of internal conditions and external circumstances, and with those cards we must learn to </span><b>“play the game” of life</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In any case, </span><b>let’s relax</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. And if someone feels they can&#8217;t be themselves because they are not understood or allowed to be, </span><b>they should not despair</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> — there will always be people and places in the world willing to help.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whatever each person is must be </span><b>integrated with dignity and self-respect</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><b>no one should be forced to be anything other than who they truly are</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><b>Heterosexuality</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is clearly the majority orientation — over 90% of the male population — while </span><b>homosexuality and bisexuality</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are clear minorities. Accepting these realities </span><b>without drama or conflict</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, personal or social, should be as simple and obvious as understanding the ecosystem of a particular habitat. Often, if the minority </span><b>does not seek to be the majority</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and the majority </span><b>respects the minority</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the system can become </span><b>harmonious, productive, and culturally elevated</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p>La entrada <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/homosexuality-homoeroticism-homoaffectivity-homophobia-ego-dystonic-homosexuality-and-homosexual-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-hocd/">Homosexuality, Homoeroticism, Homoaffectivity, Homophobia, Ego-Dystonic Homosexuality, and Homosexual Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (HOCD)</a> se publicó primero en <a href="https://damianruiz.eu/en/">Damián Ruiz</a>.</p>
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