Posted by Dinah on February 23, 2003, at 17:45:06
In reply to Re: My therapist doesn't buy my theory. » Dinah, posted by judy1 on February 23, 2003, at 13:50:43
It was that rather complicated theory on consciousness that he was questioning me about. He thinks I want to believe that because it is a theory that I don't find threatening.
He doesn't at all dispute that my emotional and rational sides are not terribly well integrated. He's experienced both. :) In fact he thinks I get overwhelmed by my emotional side rather easily under stress and regress quite badly. His goal is to have a better integrated Dinah.
So I doubt their ideas are all that different. He tried for a while to see if there were any childhood memories, but has finally accepted that I've told him everything. He also thinks that if people do repress something it's for a reason and any uncovering should be very carefully thought out in a risk vs. benefit sort of way. He's a big believer in not removing defenses until others are in place.
I'm not sure what I believe about repressing things. I'm not sure that it's bad to forget things. I do it all the time, even today. When I find something upsetting I take a "nap" and if I haven't forgotten it immediately after it's at least pretty fuzzy and I can forget it soon. I think repressing emotions is probably a bad thing leading to self injury etc. There is probably some sort of happy medium that some of us have a hard time reaching.
poster:Dinah
thread:200893
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030203/msgs/203126.html