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Much is made in psychoanalysis of the capacity to work and to love and to hone an ability to dwell in ordinary unhappiness. Of course, this is much more difficult to achieve than to say, and runs the risk of sounding very dreary. What about being in a good mood?
Forensic psychotherapy makes huge demands. It demands that we take care of ourselves. It demands that we “work” on our well-being; making sure we have suitable chairs to sit on, that we eat properly, that we exercise, and aim for a creative space in which to work. But when and how do we play? What brings us into the good mood that fuels good work? Each of us must build our own royal road to the illusive good mood—knowing even when we arrive that it will only be temporary.
The recent one-day conference at the Freud Museum, Between Oedipus and the Sphinx: Freud and Egypt, explored Freud's interest in archaeology and his fascination with ancient civilisations. Freud stated how his wide collection of antiquities put him in a good mood. How many conferences can do that for us?