Dear AG, yes, that describes it well! Sometimes I only need to hear people in other rooms, in the hall to get like that. Thank god for earplugs! Argh!!! It's so infuriating and I want to CHANGE! So I need to remind myself that things take time and I have been getting "better" (asked my t for a tissue the other day with only a little internal jolt...) Thanks for sharing AG, I feel less of an idiot SBRead More...

sleep tight.Read More...

Seablue, not a problem for me at all - the way I see it this is a public forum and anything I post on here is open to anyone to read anyway. And I’m glad showing your T this thread helped (nice to know that the help this forum gives extends beyond the forum itself ) LLRead More...

Fancy that Jones, I just changed mine too, didn't seem fair...Read More...

Wow, another That is so wrong on so many levels. Ouch.Read More...

Monte...just trying to restrain myself since I know you don't like hugs...ermph...ug...ack... (((((Monte))))) ooops, sorry. Couldn't help it. BBRead More...

forlorn, your title just begged me in the door, i know where you are, i have been parenting my mother since i was 9 or so, not knowing it until recently, and the parenting i did was to keep whatever love (as illformed as it was, it was all i know of parental love) as even being without that, i consciously now know, was something. i didn't have any luck either, and see she is just a spoiled child, and only good to me, although i do all the giving, when HER vast needs are being met. yes, and...Read More...

Whoa somebody stop the time machine! I used to LOVE that song and haven't heard it in forever.Read More...

Hi there. I'm not sure we've met, but it's good to hear that you are doing well! Kids certainly keep the computer time down!Read More...

AG, Thank you for posting this link - I love learning more about this stuff - find it fascinating.Read More...

Folorn - missed your arrival somehow! Welcome too, starfishRead More...

Oh wow! Thanks for the warm welcomes everyone! Amazon- The name is nothing special, just means alone and vulnerable. (usually how I feel when I'm struggling) Thanks again for making me feel welcomed.Read More...

Hi Blackbird and Maclove. I think you both have made very good points, and blackbird i think i do need her to share something with me to be able to talk to her openly, i feel that is only right, it does not have to be anything very personal or detailed just a normal every day thing, this helps to see her as being normal especially for me. I also feel that what she wants to share with me is letting me know she trusts me too. Hi Maclove, i have been with this therapist for 4 years and having a...Read More...

wow, great responses! thanks! ultraviolet - i think this is a great point! I think there is something about the fact that we are all working on our stuff that helps this be a community where we take responsibility for ourselves and have a lot of respect for each other wherever we are at. I agree with what several others posted that it is so helpful to connect and read about others struggling with therapy issues and stuff. It helps me so much to not feel alone in the middle of this process...Read More...

Let us know how it goes! It is good for our hearts, too... BBRead More...

Hi Forlorn & welcome! Cool to hear you are doing some art therapy too. I've had two sessions now and one was art and the other was just talking. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Picking up some drawing skills would be a bonus! JRead More...

Hi STRM... You describe my last two weeks perfectly. Last week I got flooded in my session and my T did not bring me down or ground me before I left. I left rather abruptly and then went through a cycle of "I'm not contacting him because I can do this myself"... but I was not so able and truly suffered through the week with no contact. When I saw him the following week I tried to explain to him how I was feeling. How I had to resort to numbing myself to survive the week and didn't use any...Read More...

thanks everyone... LL - oh, you are so right! It is a worm that eats away at us... _________________________________ I have to say, yesterday was a much better day in the battle with the shame. Today, I'm just mixed up. I begining to understand it all a lot more and that combined with even the simple (and often repeated) task of identifying my shame as shame (and not the definition of who I am) seems to be helping lighten the load and be a little less weary. I travel on to fight another day...Read More...

Oh, so sorry MTF. Would love to hear what happened when you are ready. I can't imagine going so long between appointments. I can barely manage 4 or 5 days. You are amazingly strong to go that long!!Read More...

AG: Yes I am sure this is true, she has pointed this out to me so many times already. What everyone said here is really really helping to clarify...but I will still bring this up with her in the next session. This helps so much, thank you! I was seeing "learned helplessness" as a sort of accusation of laziness...but when you explain it this way, it doesn't seem like an accusation at all anymore. Much more like another erroneous belief that needs to be brought out into the light so it can...Read More...

WLOH, I understand how hard it can be to post at times but please just pop in and let us know how you are. We are thinking of you and sending good thoughts your way. TNRead More...

Amen, Starfish...that seems very wise DF! JD, I would feel awful if I thought it would never get easier. Personally, I think we will always go through times when things will be difficult, yes, but we will also have many of the times that are easier and less strenuous. Human beings need times of rest, recovery and regrowth, and that is no wrong, but it's those times we wait for and hope for, in fact! Then, after such times, we may begin again to push to a new level of growth, when we are...Read More...

IHTS Sorry its so tough for you - feeling lonely amongst everything else is really hard. I hope you can feel supported though it here at least. starfishRead More...

Yes, our tax dollars at work.Read More...

Aw, thanks for the kind words, Jones. Lots of times I'm not a good mum, though. But yes, it is the most beautiful nightie in the world...and she is wearing it tonight, so I get my comfy ones. yay! BBRead More...