Thank you Jones, for bringing your calm and acceptance to everyone here. It's very precious. And I agree with everything you said. There are no expectations. Everyone gives as they can, when they can. And asking for support is NOT just taking. There are so many people reading who never post and when you ask for support it may be about an issue that dozens of unseen people are struggling with, and the answers will also speak to them. You're being brave enough to reach out for support is a...Read More...

Hey JD, This is probably obvious or not that helpful but I get stressed out at airports and the thing that really helps me is to plan my schedule ahead so that I leave heaps of time for every step of the journey and don't have to rush. It helps me to know that if anything goes wrong I have time to figure it out, and I can take relaxation stops as I go. xxJonesRead More...

Thank you DF!!! you are so sweet <3 Both of my T's are being really kind and encouraging me to take small steps. I'm leaving in less than a week to go to the town where I grew up and I want to cancel that flight so bad. 11 years, and I'm still not ready for this! It really is safe and fine and good for me to go. But I'm having having a hard time with the fact that it is stirring up 11 years of pain... Friends and two safe family members will be there (and all other family is on a "maybe"...Read More...

No, it's not crazy. To me it sounds like dissociated material surfacing and that makes it hard to know and understand where the feelings and urges are coming from. These things get split off and held separately and so they can seem so incongruent when they come up because the feelings don't match with the knowing.Read More...

Hello sweet Draggers It must be hard to now **own** your own, righteous anger Did you notice the word **righteous**?? I won't go on at the moment coz I really need to go back to bed but fwiw I totally agree with your lovely T when she wants you to sit with it and feel it and breathe through it You now have to learn to be gentle with yourself like you are with everyone else Love and hugs MorgsRead More...

June, I'm back and it is really hard to find the "right" card because it's hard to place a T or P in our life... they are not friend or family or romantic interest (or at least they are not supposed to be LOL). I settled for a beautifully hand decorated, unique card with a general Christmas sentiment in it. I also bought him a nice bookmark to put inside... for all the books he is yet to read. And it seems that he does like to read (as opposed to oldT) and this is a nice point of connection...Read More...

Wow, Jones...That's coming right up. I imagine you are sort of excited/nervous/dom't care something, but I wanted to send you loads of support as you prepare for the switch...may it be successful and leave you with a sense of sureness in yourself, that you have made the right decision. I too am hoping to hear how it goes, but totally understand if you can't post about it. Love, Bebe ps- Hi Froggy!Read More...

oh, my pleasure. I like exchanging music. one of my all-time favorite piano songs (Yann Tiersen; Amélie) another piano (and other instruments)track by Y.T. When I was a kid, I used to own one of those little pianos that plays during the next track. When I heard it on the soundtrack I went to look for my own little piano and tried to play the tune. . funny little piano sad piano piece (Y.T. of course) and the last one: simply beautiful I've never heard of Rob Costlow, but thank you so much...Read More...

Frog, Thanks for letting us know! Good luck on your exams. I hope to see you back here soon.Read More...

Welcome to the forums LadyGrey!Read More...

Thank you for saying I am courageous for accepting my needs, that isn’t how it feels to me though. I agree with you, it is a therapists right to choose their mode of practice and contact policies and this does not define how they work as therapists or mean that they don’t care.. I think it is just the place I am in at the moment…which is that the only person I have ever felt really cared for was my last T so it would be hard with someone whose policies are so different. Saying that maybe I...Read More...

Hi, Wolfie...I'm so glad to see that you were able to tell your T and get so much reassurance from him about it...that is wonderful. Yes it makes very vulnerable feelings though doesn't it. It sounds like you have a good T who will respect and honor those feelings, though? Anyway, I just wanted tosay I like your posts. I hope it's still going well. BBRead More...

Liese Hmmm, that must make it really hard, is there an element of self-doubt that goes hand in hand with that too? What would it take to trust in yourself? I mostly really trust myself(that's not the same as not beating myself up over things I do though! lol), but take time to trust others with my stuff in case they let me down again. I guess attachment can only happen after that...IDK, I suppose we're all different, shaped by our experiences maybe. starfishRead More...

Thanks so much for the support, DF... hugs back, BBRead More...

DF, Sounds like all good stuff. The support you need is the support you need, right? If only we could all convince ourselves of that and allow it to happen and not bash ourselves for it.Read More...

***Parts of this post could be triggering*** Thanks Marsh - you don't need to have anything to help...thank you for letting me know you're thinking of me. That in itself helps, please don't doubt that. BB - I just want to make sure I'm understanding you right. I'm not quite sure I'm getting what you're saying here - sorry, my brain is not working to quickly right now. Are you saying that the knowledge that I can't feel freely is a cause of pain? If that is what you're saying, then yes, this...Read More...

I'd like to comment on your original post, but I'm afraid I don't understand. Are the feelings associated with the new therapist, or of past traumas, or of the old therapist? All I can say about the holiday is that it's just a day. You can make it what you want. I, too, hate this forced "you must celebrate this day in this way". Take Thanksgiving, for example. Who says we have to do give thanks then? Don't I know when to give thanks and when to dine with my family? Yeah, I do. Just take a...Read More...

Take care Forlorn and we will be here when you are feeling better. If you need us we are here for you always. PGRead More...

Thank you guys for your replies. I don't know what happened to my first reply from Deepfried. It's no longer showing here.Read More...

Thank you TN I'm so sorry about your grandma too. I was thinking about what you said - and I think there is something about grandma's and their grandkids. kids rebel and push back a lot. grandkids... we are enough different and enough alike too... there seems to sometimes be such a special bond. oh, I am not making any sense. but thank you TN. thanks for the encouragement too - i so needed that this morning...Read More...

Deepfried Wow that sounded like a really good group session, well done for getting that said there - that took courage. And interesting to read that your group T sees you zone out a bit at times too - might you be able to mention that to your T? It might help validate what you've been feeling all along? You're not on your own with that ....I think there are many on this forum who haven't told those they work with, friends, certain family members etc that they are in therapy...myself...Read More...

i made it through, too. last year was the FIRST year i did NOT have my parents over for thanksgiving, and THAT got me out of the will. this year, and only for my kids and somewhat, yes, for my dad, too...i invited them up, but, they cancelled at the last minute!! nothing better than two LESS for dinner! especially if one of them is my mom!! ho ho ho!! how many days til Christmas!!??? pray for icy conditions!!! a 'two-fer', would it be possible?? jill oh, and i didn't even HAVE to ask my...Read More...

HI SG, So good to hear from you again. I'm sorry to hear you are having the same problems. Maybe I can help you with your list, if you want. Or your private T. Maybe you can ask him if it's something you can do together. I would be happy to help you with it, if you want to PM me. I've asked my husband to go to therapy but he won't. So I do this all alone. My husband really had a bad childhood so I can't blame him for not wanting to face the pain but on the other hand, he often makes...Read More...

Hi Jill, I sleep fairly well on it (I've always had some insomnia but it's no worse on it than off. ) But I do take it first thing in the morning which seems to help. And I agree, I like the decreased appetite. I'm overweight enough, without a drug increasing my appetite. That's why I got off my first AD, Nortripyline. AGRead More...

Opps that should read grumpy mama...how do you edit on hereRead More...