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I have a pretty good grip on my anxiety until I want to sleep. It happens often before a nap when I am just starting to relax after 5 or 10 min then it's a sudden tightening of my chest, etc. Sometimes at night it also happens, or I can wake in the middle of the night from a sound sleep. While...

I know that is kind of a silly question as the answer is different for everyone and not necessarily quantifiable. I used to have a lot of social phobia which I have made a lot of strides toward overcoming and I don't really consider it an issue any more. I am married so I don't spend all of my...

Two things haunt me. One - I was in elementary school and very cruel to an animal one day. It was so out of character for me, as I absolutely loved animals, and still do. Obviously, I was in a lot of pain then, a child, and that is not the person I am today. I try to remind myself of this, but...

I am at a point where I am considering stopping therapy. I feel like I have grown a lot and am at a good place. Am I 100% "fixed"? No, and I am realistic in knowing that there will probably always be hiccups along the way. I haven't gone into this with my therapist yet and want to make sure I...

I am in therapy and happy with my therapist but I have a terrible time with eye contact in session. I understand the vulnerability and so on that goes along with such a direct connection. I know this is also a protective mechanism so she won't get too close. I can't see her so she can't see me...

I've been doing my work w the T for a little over 4 years. I've learned a considerable amount about myself, and her, and the last year was tough in that it brought up a lot of repressed memories and experiences that I never knew existed. Am I all fixed? No. Will I ever be? Will any one ever be...

Last year my T and I dove into some heavy IFS work. We have agreed that when I go into therapy, I am not my true self as I am not free to chatter nor much free dialog - I am shut down a lot of the time, and we are attributing it to a part. I have written to this part who said they are protecting...

I have been thinking about this big mountain of a project that sits in front of me, the one called "healing". Sometimes it feels impossible to find a way. My therapist occassionally asks what my goals are and usually I mention something about trust. I am pretty guarded, still so with her...

The summer and fall were difficult. Working with my therapist, we started digging deep and uncovering forgotten trauma. At first she told me that we would process one trauma at a time but that didnt happen. I think the focus became more upon what was being revealed, because there was a string...

I am not sure that I have a clear understanding of what it means to "process" trauma. There is acknowledgement that something happened. Coming to terms with how it has impacted you. Perhaps sharing the story makes it less impactful by releasing the burden. Maybe support from a therapist...

I have had a long run with my T and it has been very enlightening, I've learned a lot and she managed to chink away at my defenses slowly and gradually until we revealed some big traumas and she has touched into places no other therapists has come close to. I would say she has amazing skills as...

I would appreciate some feedback as to whether I am being unreasonable. My T moved her office to above her garage in June. My first session in the new space, I was really triggered by the strangeness and dissociated which was exacerbated by hearing her spouse go in and out of a door into the...

For almost a year, Ive been writing to parts as an approach to healing in therapy. I dont know if it's DID, Internal Family Systems or Inner Child.work, and I am not that concerned about that. A.couple of things are going on, though. 1. Writing has revealed a lot of forgotten abuse. I didn't...

I've always been ambitious and productive, lots of interests, hobbies, and so on. I lost my job a while ago and enjoyed the freedom to hike, read and make art. I've been in several shows and sold pieces and that felt good. The novelty of no longer working lost its shiny veneer but I don't care...

This may seem like a ramble of sorts but I'm diving in. I am thinking today about how mundane things become big things in therapy and how I am stymied by what seems so insignificant. But maybe they aren't insignificant afterall, but a matter of learning to ask for what you need. I am 4.5 years...

My therapist asks me this on a fairly regular basis and I'm often at a loss. Partly because I never had anyone help me, and secondly, I'm often a bit spacey and not sure what my options are. I would love to hear how others are answering this question.

Quick question. Talking about trauma vs processing it. What is the difference? Does processing include Somatic work or .... ? Maybe talk is step 1?

I was asked for a list of triggers. I have never thought about this and realize it is not simple. For example, I noticed when visiting my sister I started to feel agitated when she wouldn't respond to a question. Then I realized I was triggered because this was one of the mind fork games my...

Spinning off from another thread, I thought this may be worthy of investigation. I don't believe there is a one size fits all model nor do I believe that relationships are 50/50, rather the pendulum swings continuously. I have been in a relationship for 21 years (eek!) but it has gone through...

This thread is for venting about our Republican nominee. Re: the 2nd Ammendment comment. Seriously. Why do they always think we want their guns? There is no way anyone can do this. Hill specifically said she is not interested in this, but do we need tighter laws, yes. They are so deeply...

At the beginning of the year, I started tapping into my inner children. There are three who reference themselves consistently as “we”. They shared many repressed memories with me, of which I have zero recall, and my T says more than likely the memories are real. The most prolific part is very...

The neverending saga. This appears to be the golden thread that ties ptsd survivors together. I have read plenty about how to trust, as in, put yourself out there, see how it goes, put a little more out there, etc. However, in practice, I live behind Fort Knox and keep my true self very...

In the last few weeks, I hear many people referencing therapy as a place to learn new tools for managing life situations. I can understand how perhaps we learn ways to manage anxiety or symptoms, skills for interpersonal relationships and so on. But for me, it feels as though the crux has been...

For six months, I have been focusing on non-dominant hand writing with my inner child. I am a bit stunned by the last few months in that details of CSA are coming out in this writing. Of course, like everyone, I question, "is this real???". The writing, I suppose, is just a different modality...

The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse By Ellen Bass and Laura Davis 20th Anniversary Edition was published in 2008. I recommend this for CSA survivors regardless of where you are in your healing journey. I believe it may be especially helpful to those who are...