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"what Do You Need From Me?"

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@ShikibuZ Sarcasm is optional, if you want to ask me a question you can do it...
Well, i did ask you a question directly, earlier in the thread that went unanswered. I've been in recovery for quite some time as well and think this exact reply that you made to me would've sounded more supportive to Unicorn. I feel that your replies on this thread come across as vaguely critical and preemptive. It is my understanding that we are here to support one another.
 
@ShikibuZ - as you are, like I am, a reader and not the Opening Poster, the replies I made, up to this point have been for the OP. I don't personally think that agreeing with a therapist about overthinking is unsupportive. If you asked me a question, I didn't see it. Feel free to open a private conversation.
 
@UnicornSightings - I do hope you know that I wasn't being flip in my agreement with your shrink about overthinking.

You said in the opening post, "So, if you could, tell me how attachment heals? I mean, I've felt and feel the pain of it and the opposite warm, fuzzy stuff and I talk about it with her but nothing changes in me." Attachment styles are seemingly more entrenched than behaviors but I found an article on the subject that I hope is helpful. My own attachment style is ambivalent so my own issue is different. In the article it discusses Cognitive Behavior Therapy techniques to change/heal attachment style (and mindfulness? I think? I read it yesterday evening and bookmarked it to put up for you today.)

Link Removed
 
@UnicornSightings, not to belabor the attachment thing, but I will anyway. You seem...
Thank you soooooooooooo much for this reply. And you're dead on, that's exactly how I feel. I'm feeling warm and fuzzy towards her and now, a new one, I'm super jealous of her friends that get to hang out with her and I'm envious that she has so many friends (of course she does, she's awesome and caring and a great listener) and I for SURE don't want to tell her about that new insecurity. You make such a valid point about sticking it out or I'll be recreating my childhood experience. It's so weird, though. I feel we aren't making progress and sometimes I think the only reason I stay is because I'm so attached. And honestly who would ever want to leave someone so caring and supportive?

I don't know if it's true that I will trust when it's time to go but I'm thinking if I'm ever not sure, it's best to stay.

Oh and I also tried out brainspotting!!! Omg! So cool! So I'm gonna add that in and see "mom #2" every other week which will be hard but I CRIED during brainspotting! I haven't shed a single tear in the 2 years of therapy. So cool.
 
maybe what you need (from what I've been seeing) is to be given credit for how far you've come?

I dunn...
I'm so sorry, Ariadne! And I truly am grateful for my therapist. I found a really good one! Being so sensitive around someone is super new to me so I'm having a difficult time with it and want to talk it out with people who understand. I wish you awesome support! ❤️
 
@UnicornSightings - I do hope you know that I wasn't being flip in my agreement...
Thank you, Albatross!! I'll look at that! :)
And no, I DO overthink. I pride myself in it thinking I can solve everything intellectually which is why I'm freaking out about this transference stuff in which I can't reason away all these feelings. It was good she pointed that out cause that stopped my obsession on it. Gotta get out of my head more.
 
@Hope4Now I appreciate your post more than you know. My therapist takes up a lot of head space and I understand it makes sense since she is there to meet my needs. Sometimes it really bugs me but mostly it is in check. Yeah, attachment..part of growth.
 
omg I can NEVER answer that question! My T asks me that usually about 10 min from the end of...
OMG. DO I HATE THAT Question. But it comes from my psychiatrist. I have been on so many drugs, worked well and then stopped. I fight depression but i am high functioning. I want to punch him in the face. LOL, i am so non confrontational, but its a thought that runs through my mind.
 
I'm super jealous of her friends
Yeah, I totally get not wanting to talk about that with her...or even some of the other stuff. A LOT of weird-shit stuff about my therapist and psychiatrist runs through my head regularly. I was just thinking yesterday how grateful I am that nobody can read my mind. How wildly embarrassed I would be if they knew! One time, though, I did talk about something that happened in my "inner world" with my therapist helping one of my parts. I'm not sure what gave me the courage to do so. Anyway, he was nonplussed. Just said it was good if his showing up in my inner world was helpful. And that this is the sort of thing he signed on for when he became a therapist. LOL. For me it was a BIG DEAL. For him...no big deal.

I feel we aren't making progress and sometimes I think the only reason I stay is because I'm so attached.
Have you talked with her about feeling like you're not making progress? Have you identified what progress is for you? If this is a persistent feeling, it is worth exploring with her. I have weeks where I feel like we do nothing, make no progress. But then suddenly something will shift and I will get some new insight, or have an interaction with him that is extraordinarily helpful. Again, I can only speak for myself in this because I don't know what your struggles are. But for me, the regular twice a week, predictable relationship with someone who behaves towards me the way I need to learn to behave toward myself...that is where much of my healing is coming from. So even if we spend the session chatting about things and it doesn't feel like "therapy," it actually is for me. Just a thought.

I CRIED during brainspotting!
So cool you tried that. I have heard of it, but need to look it up again. I think it is great to do therapeutic work beyond just your therapist. I have done a million things over the past few years. Some helpful, some not.

I can solve everything intellectually which is why I'm freaking out about this transference stuff in which I can't reason away all these feelings.
I totally get this. I have a part I call "The Thinker," and spent like two years getting it to calm down and step aside a bit so I could access other parts of myself! The awful part about what you wrote here is that when intellectualizers like us try to reason away the feelings and it doesn't work, we beat on ourselves for it. I hope you can acknowledge the nature of the feelings and just be with them in a self-compassionate and accepting way, knowing that part(s) of you need this connection with your therapist.
 
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