Miller explores the intricate relationship between depression and grandiosity, emphasizing how these two states often coexist and influence each other. She explains that depression can surface when grandiosity breaks down due to factors like aging, sickness, or loss of external validation. For instance, an unmarried woman who relied on external approval for her attractiveness faces despair as she ages and loses this validation. Miller states, 'Depression leads him close to his wounds, but only mourning for what he has missed, missed at the crucial time, can lead to real healing.' This highlights the necessity of confronting and mourning past traumas to achieve genuine healing. | Alice Miller | The Drama of the Gifted Child

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The Interplay of Depression and Grandiosity

Miller explores the intricate relationship between depression and grandiosity, emphasizing how these two states often coexist and influence each other. She explains that depression can surface when grandiosity breaks down due to factors like aging, sickness, or loss of external validation. For instance, an unmarried woman who relied on external approval for her attractiveness faces despair as she ages and loses this validation. Miller states, 'Depression leads him close to his wounds, but only mourning for what he has missed, missed at the crucial time, can lead to real healing.' This highlights the necessity of confronting and mourning past traumas to achieve genuine healing.

-- Alice Miller