Posted by Pfinstegg on January 8, 2004, at 18:10:32
In reply to Re: talking about traumas in therapy.. » Pfinstegg, posted by Karen_kay on January 8, 2004, at 15:29:05
Thanks, Karen! I really appreciate your helpful and supportive message- even when I don't post, I always read, and get a lot of support and strength for the huge challenges of facing these things in therapy. I didn't post for a while because the stuff we were dealing with just seemed so embarrassing and shameful; but, once I got through some of it I felt better. The thing is- there is so much, and it just seems endless, doesn't it? I guess we'd all love to get it over and done with quickly, and it just won't work that way!
It seemed to me as though your mood made a sudden change about half-way through your post. You began by telling about the fears of someone coming- when you were in the shower, etc., and how it felt somewhat less frightening now that you knew what the reason was. But then, as you continued, it seemed that your fear-about the dream of forgiveness?-or other images of someone coming in? got greater. I don't know if I understood you correctly, but that is what it seemed like. I mention it because it is just what I do- going very quickly from feeling that I can manage my feelings to feeling that they are overwhelming me. From my analyst's viewpoint, I've suddenly dissociated, switching in an instant from the adult me to the child, who is naturally extremely fearful, helpless and unable to cope. I wasn't even aware that this was happening, but am now at least suspicious of it when I have a sudden mood change in a negative direction. This may not apply to you at all, but I just thought I'd mention it.
My hope- for you and me and all of us- is that we'll all gradually have more and more of the calm, understanding reactions, and less of the overwheming emotional flooding. I get the feeling that everyone here feels that they've made progress towards this, but that there are still a lot of un-mastered areas for everyone. Don't you think it has a huge amount to do with having a safe relationship with your therapist, which we are gradually internalizing in the place of the original traumatizing one? A slow process, but so worth it.
Thanks so much for you encouragement and good wishes- I wish just the same for you, and I think it's especially smart and wonderful that you are doing this while you are still so young. It will make such a positive difference on the rest of your life.
Pfinstegg
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:294726
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040102/msgs/298280.html