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So my therapy session today was kind of a bust. I spend most of the time in there being angry and quietly stewing at everything my T said. It must have been bad because he told me I seemed angry again.

Anyways I brought back up to my session (I had a feeling this would happen). At the end I handed him a letter that I had written about how I was feeling. I have recently gotten off of antidepressants (I had been taking them for about 3 years or so) so things have been pretty bleak lately. My internal dialogue volume seems like it's been turned on full blast lately. Sometimes it feels like there is screaming in my head. Everything I do causes that voice in my head to taunt and insult me. For example at work, I'll be working on a design piece and I'll show it to my boss and he'll just love it, gush and everything. And all I can think is "Jeeze this sucks, you (me) are incompetent, he just feels sorry for you. He is lying that your work is good, it's really bad and you should be embarrassed...." and so on.

Anyways back to the letter...I tried to explain this and the separation of myself that I am feeling in my head. I'll just quote some of it, I'm no good at paraphrasing. I'm shortening names to first letters (I don't know why I want to protect some of these people but it seems like the decent thing to do) Also there is some cursing in there...sorry about that if anyone is sensitive about that stuff.

"Over the past few weeks I've felt like there are two of me. I can see the separations between the two sides. I don't like either of them honestly. I think they are both worthless and disgusting in their own ways. I've always felt this hatred for myself. I told my husband I have no idea what it feels like to love myself or at the very least not hate myself. I have know clue what that feels like. And I don't even know if I have a desire to change that. It's always been like that, I'm accustomed to it.

Anyways the two mes. Well there is "little" me. The girl. She's pathetic and weak. She cries and begs for someone to save her. She begs for love. She wants to be held and comforted. She's pathetic. Her sadness is disgusting. I've had her locked away in the back of my mind for so long and then after starting therapy....well the door to where she was hiding just flew open and I can't shut her up. All the pathetic crying and needing. I hate her. I want her to shut up. To stop crying, to stop begging for people to love her. To stop depending and opening up to people. JUST STOP!

Then there is the "big" me. She screams at the little me. She tells her to shut up. To stop crying. Just freaking stop crying. This big me puts up the walls, and holds on to the anger. She doesn't want to trust people, she pushes people away. She yells and is hostile with anyone who tries to get near. This big me screams at the little me all the time. She tells her that she is pathetic and worthless. That I brought this on myself so I should just suck it up. She tells her we are all of those awful things that our parents said. We are that disgusting girl who were with those men. We got what we deserved. We were asking for all of it. So stop whining. Stop crying and if it's really that bad, quit being such a fucking coward and kill yourself. The world would be better off anyway. You are a burden. You are horrible and awful and nobody loves or cares about you. And if you died people would just be relieved. Look at how disgusting you are, look at what you have done to your arms. Look at how weak you are. You are stupid and incompetent. Any progress you've made is just luck and that's about to run out. You are incapable of loving people, of having a good relationship with anyone. You just spread your darkness to others. You are broken and NOTHING will ever change that. You were born that way. You don't deserve to be happy. You are a worthless whore, a disgrace. S saw that in you. He knew you were worth nothing and he just gave you what you were asking for. If you didn't want it then you would have fought back harder instead of crying like a weakling. You wanted it. You did and you know it. You wouldn't have let him in the house if you weren't a whore. And your Dad knew that, and called you on it. You disgraced your family. That's why your mom wants nothing to do with you. She knew from the beginning better than anyone that you were worthless, a complete fuck up. You "successes" mean nothing, they are temporary. But your brokenness is your core and will follow you forever. Your brokenness is you, there is no escaping that. And B, well he saw you for what you are. He treated you like a whore because you are one. He beat and choked you because you deserved it. He saw the ugliness in you. He could see you for what you were. Your friends abandoned you because they were sick of dealing with your "poor me" crap. No one wants to hear it. Why would anyone want to be around someone so pathetic. They could see you for what you are. And that's also why your husband wants to leave you. He can see what a disgusting excuse for a human being you are. After spending years with you he knows what a worthless person you are. You are incapable of making anyone happy. It's just a wonder that he hasn't left sooner. You know you don't deserve to be with anyone. You deserve to be alone. All the wishing and praying in this world will not grant you redemption. There no hope for you. This is the way it will always be. No one will save you, so you can stop wishing for that. It's pathetic, you are not worth it, and everyone can see that when they look at you."

And round and round, all freaking day. Those horrible things in my head, and I have no idea how to make it stop. I guess I'm posting this in hopes that others may feel the same...maybe someone can tell me how to curve this. It's so loud in my head I just want to curl up in a ball and cry.

Thanks to anyone who took the time to read through this. I'm sure it's long and maybe TMI.
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quote:
My internal dialogue volume seems like it's been turned on full blast lately. Sometimes it feels like there is screaming in my head. Everything I do causes that voice in my head to taunt and insult me.


Ruby - It's uncanny. Everything you said in this post, with the exception of a few details, could have been ripped almost verbatim from my journals in December-January. I have labeled my two others, "Victim" and "Angry." They do not get along with one another. Victim is always crying out for love, attention, help, just a tiny bit of care. Angry is always keeping Victim in line by trying to abuse and neglect her, berate her, threaten her, entice her to end it, etc. I shut both of these "kids" up in my early 20s to end a serious depressive period. I called it incarceration or quarantine...I refused to let either of them out, but they reemerged when I began therapy for other reasons. I do want to say, as loud as they can get at times, the volume will not always be on full-blast. Right now, it is quite high for me, because I'm reconnecting with a lot of past stuff. But, I did have a period of several weeks, where I could still sense those feelings, but feel not so taken over by them...if that makes any sense. I was able to recognize them as feelings and states, but not feel powerless against their actions. I think the shift coincided with me being VERY honest with T about the feelings he was drawing out of me, especially the transference of being drawn to him as a paternal figure. I guess, that made V feel heard...and that T didn't run away made her feel safer. And if V feels safe, she doesn't act desperately or have the "ridiculous" thoughts that make A so abusive. Hopefully, admitting how you're feeling to T will make those parts of you feel heard. Perhaps you will find that feeling someone is listening, they don't feel the need to be screaming all the time to get their message across? I don't know if this makes any sense to you...it's just been my experience for the last several months.
Welcome, Ruby!!!

It's hard to shut off the interior critic. I relate to what you have written. While it may be hard for us to respond this kind of thing, out of fear that we will either negate your feelings, or worse- affirm them! That doesn't negate that you *really are* feeling this way! and it is quite simply, not fair that you deal with these kind of despairing feelings about yourself. you ask- what is the way out? That you are even able to ask such a question while feeling such things is heroic, in my view! It would be so much easier to just give up, than to post what you did! But, instead you have done a very brave, very good thing and posted all your feelings, and made a cry for help. I think that is really, really good.

quote:
I want her to shut up. To stop crying, to stop begging for people to love her. To stop depending and opening up to people. JUST STOP!


quote:
Then there is the "big" me. She screams at the little me. She tells her to shut up. To stop crying. Just freaking stop crying. This big me puts up the walls, and holds on to the anger. She doesn't want to trust people, she pushes people away.


It's very understandable with what you have been through in your life, to do this kind of fight within.It is almost a given. I think it's commendable of you- *your good spirit* to seek help from T in spite of all these horrible conflicting feelings- there is something really good and precious in you that says *I want out.* Honor that. follow that. that is good enough- following that idea of "I want out of this" is really and truly good enough and heroic, in fact, right now. So just- keep seeking healing. Keep going to your sessions with T, and also if you can, post here- no matter what. that's enough for you to have to deal with for right now.

big hugs- and welcome, here-

BB
Ruby,

I can relate to what you've posted as well. I think explaining this to your T was a great place to start. I also suspect that the only way you are going to get that little one to stop crying and being so upset is to find a way to connect with her. She isn't going to stop until she gets what she needs. She's begging for attention for a reason and just as a real child would do she will be persistent in her efforts especially if ignored. I know that is easier said than done, but pairing up the critic with the child is probably the way out of this.
Ruby, you must have been a mind reader at some point, cause you sure took thoughts right out of my mind!

quote:
or example at work, I'll be working on a design piece and I'll show it to my boss and he'll just love it, gush and everything. And all I can think is "Jeeze this sucks, you (me) are incompetent, he just feels sorry for you. He is lying that your work is good, it's really bad and you should be embarrassed...." and so on.

Exactly. I can never find the good in my own work, only in other's work. If I find any good in my own work, I always have to justify it as somehow being aided by luck. Sadly, though, I do know that I am good at what I do, I just can't let that slip below surface thoughts, as my inner voice is so freaking good at drowning out any positive self-talk I try out...


quote:
Over the past few weeks I've felt like there are two of me. I can see the separations between the two sides. I don't like either of them honestly. I think they are both worthless and disgusting in their own ways. I've always felt this hatred for myself. I told my husband I have no idea what it feels like to love myself or at the very least not hate myself. I have know clue what that feels like. And I don't even know if I have a desire to change that. It's always been like that, I'm accustomed to it.

Minus the husband part (I'm single) I could have written this. It is something I constantly struggle with. I have no clue what it is like to love myself. It is kind of like learning to be a student as an adult - I never knew what it was like to study and work hard in school, and it took me forever to know that feeling in my body. I don't know what it is like to care about me, and have no idea as to how to bring that feeling in Frowner

The little me and big me - ouch. That was painful for me to read, because again, it's quite hard for me to read my own thoughts written out, and even harder knowing that I'm not alone in those thoughts. Which is ironic, cause it should be easier knowing that others are dealing with the same $hit. It sucks big time. I hope to find a way, at some point, to learn to deal with it. Those things drown out any chance of positive growth in my brain, and I am so grateful that I have a T who is so good at what she does, and really is working with me where I am to help overcome this.

quote:
It's so loud in my head I just want to curl up in a ball and cry.
That's how I spend most of my days Frowner Not fun, but it's where I am now. At least you know you're not alone? I know there is a lot of work ahead of me, but slowly, things will change. They have to. There is that tiny little part of me that knows I'm worth it, that knows the little girl in me deserves to heal and grow, that knows I am a valuable member of society. Right now, the logical rational part of me holds this, while the emotional part of me is screaming as loud as possible to drown out that voice.

(((((Ruby))))
(and no, this was not TMI, that's what this place is for - sharing our experiences with others as we reach out for help!)
Last edited by room2grow
I want to thank everyone for their insights. It has been really helpful to me to know that others feel the same way as me. I was beginning to worry that there was something wrong with me because of the conflicting views going on inside.

Yaku- I really like your names for your sides. "Angry" and "Victim" are perfect. I've started referring to mine as that as well, hope you don't mind Big Grin I think that having the v inside me feel heard (like you) is probably the key to quieting everything.

Blackbird- Thank you for the encouragement! Reading what you wrote made me feel a bit better. I appreciate the support.

STRM- I think you are right about connecting with little me. I know that's been something that I have put off for so long. It seems like I'm paying for it now, for all the time I spent ignoring her cries. It really sucks getting to that point where you feel like you cannot ignore your pain any longer. I've tried for so long to be strong, the complete opposite of my victim. I've tried to disconnect from every bit of my past that I could. I never wanted to be that person again. And it seems like it's inevitable, that I am that girl, and I should probably start taking care of her instead of denying her existence.

R2G- I'm sorry you are feeling the same as me, but you have no idea how it makes me feel to know that I am not alone in that fact. It's a painful place but at lease we're in good company. So truly, thank you for sharing with me.

I think by far one of the hardest times I feel my big me is when I'm at work. I use that word "luck" a lot too. If something went right it was luck, if my boss likes my work it was luck. If I get any recognition or succeed at anything it was luck. A few years back when I was in school my confidence was much better and I could take credit for my successes. Now though, I really can't. I know it annoys my friends and husband to no end when I turn down any compliments. With my boss and co-workers I'll usually grumble "yeah sure" or something when I'm complimented. It's been tough these last few months. I guess I'm sticking things out is because I hope that something in me is worth it.

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