Posted by Morgen on July 26, 2003, at 21:14:39
In reply to Vacation Crutches, posted by fallsfall on July 26, 2003, at 19:34:50
I just thought of a more subversive way I handled the problem of wanting something to hold on to between sessions -- if that's how you'd characterize it. I stole one of my therapists books.
Well, not really... but kind of. She loaned it to me and when I kept it and kept it for months and months, and she asked if I was ready to give it back, I sort of flipped out. Initially I didn't flip out, but what happened is, after telling her I'd return it at the next session because I'd decided to buy my own copy, I started thinking that I would kind of like to keep the copy of hers. It was the copy that had got me through leaving my ex, I had bonded with _that_ particular copy! So I went to a bookstore to see if I could find an identical copy to give back to her.
When the bookstore I first went to didn't have the identical copy, what was initially just a nice idea that didn't seem very important suddenly became more and more important with every bookstore I checked. Ultimately, after calling numerous bookstores, I drove two hours to pick up an identical copy!!!
Boy, did I feel nuts.
She realized it was a new copy too, commenting that that wasn't necessary, but I said I didn't really want to talk about it unless the old copy was for some reason important to her (thinking, you know, if it had been a gift then it might be). By this time, I didn't want to talk about it because I was just embarassed... it was pretty clear to me that I wasn't merely motivated by a bond with a book.
I still didn't think of transference though, even then.
So don't feel bad if the vacation crutch you find seems a little... crazy.
Morgenada
poster:Morgen
thread:245660
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030711/msgs/245692.html