I don't understand why, if someone is clear about what they need, others must disrespect that.
I don't think it's totally that black and white. If someone asks me, for example (random example, not in this thread) to support them in their belief that they are a horrible person who will never heal because it really is all their fault they were raped - well, I'm not going to support that. To me, that's more than a bit like supporting an addict by agreeing it's OK for them to have just one more drink, smoke, hit, whatever.
We all have the ability to distort reality, to a greater or lesser degree. And I'm starting to think it has something to do with trauma being an event that stresses
actual reality so far that we just lose all sense of where the ceiling is.
Kind of like, once you experience extreme terror, beyond the bounds of what you thought was possible - reality just gets
bent for you. We learn to distort, in other words, because of being put through distortion. (that's my pennysworth of philosophy).
So, we all distort - and so, sometimes when we are very raw, we express ourselves in a very raw, painful, often distorted fashion. That rawness tends to being out whatever is most primal in each of us - whether its nurture, fight, hide, soothe, reason....every human is different, you know?
I'm not coming to some sort of blanket conclusion here, I just feel strongly that the answer isn't "give someone exactly what they ask for" (and that's even assuming they ask for it, which often does not occur)...
It's more like, everyone is going to bring their own tool-kit to the problem. if you, the person with the problem, know yourself well enough to know that nobody should bring out a screwdriver, because the idea of applying a screwdriver to the situation is just
wrong for you - well, that's something we can all respond to. You say "I know screwdriver makes sense right now, but I cannot stand them, please no screwdrivers".
But if you only say, "I want a hammer!" - you'll get:
- a bunch of people rushing at you with hammers
- plus some holding screwdrivers backwards because you can hammer with that end
- plus some wrenches
- probably even some random nails and wood glue
- and a blowtorch.
Sometimes, we are so distorted that we say things like this: "i have to stick these two pieces of wood together. Bring me the scissors!". And personally, I can't fault the individual that offers up hammer and nails.
But if you say, "I have to stick these two pieces of wood together, and I think I want scissors, I don't know, just for pete's sake
don't bring hammer and nails - well, you'll still get someone who would like to point out that hammer and nails might work well - but probably the majority will either click on by, or try and help you figure out about the wanting of the scissors, or suggest you can put the wood down, or whatever.
Analogies brought to you by one tired but well-meaning poster.