It’s all about common sense

Whether you are seeking to profile a drama queen, manage your anger or deal with the death of a loved one, Malta’s first self-help book promises to empower readers to better understand emotional well-being.

This is not therapy... but the beginning for those who are suffering on their own

Clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Edward Curmi has taken the leap to compile his monthly contributions in The Times’ Pink magazine into a book to help raise money for Richmond Foundation, an NGO that helps people cope with mental illness.

“I felt I had to give something back to the organisation that took me on when I returned from studying abroad, and which is doing so much to break the boundaries in mental health in Malta,” he said.

Dr Curmi, who was reluctantly christened resident Pink Shrink in the magazine for the past five years, received so much feedback from his column that the idea for his book, Common Sense, was born.

“At first I hesitated to write under Pink Shrink as the word ‘shrink’ has negative connotations, but really it was the magazine’s version of an agony aunt and it worked,” he said.

His column proved to be popular because he presented complex issues in a simple way, steering clear of theoretical jargon. So whether it was grasping matters of the heart or understanding social behaviour, the topics helped people relate to the situations life threw at them.

“This is not therapy and there could be the need for deeper work to be done, but it is the beginning for those who are suffering on their own and need help to build resilience,” he said.

The book is a collection of 60 short articles – complete with colourful illustrations by Marisa Attard – that make it easy for people to dip in and out of it, or as Dr Curmi suggests, leaving it open on a particular page if you wanted to drop a hint at someone.

The title was chosen because Dr Curmi wanted to link common sense arguments with scientific evidence.

It includes tips on how to make a marriage last, helps men ease into their role as new fathers, addresses the negativity of gossip and dives into shyness and social anxiety.

Depression and anxiety are the most common ailments Dr Curmi’s clients faced in life and he believes this is a consequence of living in a very demanding world that seeks a quick fix for everything.

For those wishing to better understand the subject of any of the articles in the book, Dr Curmi has also provided a bibliography at the start of every chapter that lists titles written by foreign experts.

All proceeds from Common Sense, which is available for €15 from Agenda bookshops, will go towards Richmond Foundation.