World Mental Health Day – 10 October 2023
In 2018, I lost my optical sight. When I lost my sight, I felt incredibly lost, alone and that I had lost my value in life. Everything I had ever done and learned required sight, I felt hopeless, that my life was over.
That was not a good space to be in mentally.
I sought help and where I eventually found it was in Logotherapy.*
Logotherapy is the work of Dr. V.E. Frankl and is known as the third Viennese school of psychotherapy after Sigmund Freud and Adler. Logotherapy is literally a meaning centered form of psychotherapy.
In terms of Logotherapy, man is in search of meaning in all situations and with the ultimate freedom of choice, we get to choose whether and how we respond and for that, we are responsible.
Dr. Frankl was a professor in both neurology and psychiatry and awarded many doctorate degrees in psychology for his work in the human condition.
I am drawn to Dr. V.E. Frankl’s work / Logotherapy because he is one of the few who witnessed and experienced the worst that mankind can do and used what he lived through to help others. He was captured and imprisoned in the second world war death camps where he lost everything. From his times in those bestial places and from his experiences, he came out an incredibly positive teacher, even though he had lost everything.
His teachings helped me and have enabled me to assist others in rediscovering their own true value in life.
Retina South Africa offers free counselling to all our members, contact our Head Office at headoffice@retinasa.org.za.
*Information on Logotherapy – Source positivepsychology.com
Information in this post does not imply that Retina South Africa endorses any particular therapy, intervention or medication. The views expressed are that of the writer and not Retina SA.

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