Mental health requires connection and social contact. We need our various groups, our wolf packs, for protection, and to learn, grow, earn a living, procreate, and to achieve sustainable mental health. But there are dangers within our various groups. When we conform too much, we can fall victim to groupthink or pack mentality, and in an age of technological growth, these dangers have spread as the reach of the wolf pack has stretched far and wide. We need to keep our wits about us so that we can balance the collective wisdom of each group with the inner wisdom that make us unique.

This book addresses the dilemma of when to act according to our inner wisdom, which includes individual conscience, and when to listen to input from external sources, such as the dictates of a group. In other words, when we should conform and when to be a free thinker. This dilemma leaks into every aspect of our lives; within every wolf pack, including familial and friendship groups, political groups, and community groups. We are encouraged to act like a team player, to think of the community, and apply knowledge established by those groups, but we also know that there is value in independent thought, we know that communities can be manipulated for the benefit of an influential individual, and even research can be biased. Throughout history, we have seen the dark side of pack mentality as much as we have benefited from the wonderful inventions that have resulted from free and critical thought beyond the established “wisdom” of the wolf pack.

Beyond the Wolf Pack is written by Chris Warren-Dickins, a trauma therapist and author of Beyond Your Confines, The Beast of Gloom, and Beyond the Blue. In his latest book, Chris utilizes his experiences as a psychotherapist and a parent to offer insightful takes on everyday challenges. You will find information about psychological pitfalls but also strategies and skills to reach beyond the wolf pack and achieve sustainable mental health.