Feelings

[Footie freak]

Can anyone help explain something for me. After my session last week my therapist asked me to write down things I would like to say to the person in my trauma - so I did and I took it to my session this week. Therapist them tells me that she wants me to use the persona cards too identify one that resembles the person in my trauma - which I did. She them asked me to read what I had written to the card. I totally freaked out and started to stress. I managed some of it, bit not all as I was crying so much it hurt....., this is where I need advice.... All I wanted to do was turn to the therapist and hug her..... For no other reason than I wanted a hug for comfort and to feel safe. IS THIS NORMAL?? Should I tell my therapist that's how I felt??

 

[Deleted member 28403]

That is normal, you are a human being, not a robot without feelings, you need love, you need support, you need happiness! You trust your theraphist enough to want to seek that hug from them, which is good! Do tell your theraphist about it! You need love, support and happiness, don't hide, don't fool yourself into believing you are anything you are not! You are a human, and you need and deserve love, hugs, support, especially as you missed out on a lot of it! :hug:s to you!

 

[WillyKat]

Yeah, that's normal.

Pardon me for saying so but I wonder if the stress you felt had a heaping spoonful of relief in it? Could it be that you realized something important, that you suddenly recognized some new feelings? I ask because another reason why you might want a hug is because you felt some kind of breakthrough.

And yes, I think you should tell what happened.

 

[Laurie McLaughlin]

Hey Footie,

Absolutely it is normal to want a hug for safety.

I would ask your therapist if they feel comfortable if you hug them.

Keep up the good work.

Namaste - Laurie

 

[ghotiff]

Seems "normal" to me. You might have also thought a hug with physical touch might help ground you and give you strength to face those feelings.

 

[Justmehere]

Very normal. If it continues to bother you, it would be a good idea to bring it up with your therapist. I don't think she will be surprised, and can help you work through it more.!

 

[WillyKat]

As a side note, hugs are an ancient form of healing. Our closest cousins, chimpanzees and bonobos, hug and touch each other too, and for the same reasons we do: to make up, to feel loved, to apologize, to show support. Jane Goodall noted how chimps would hug and sort of kiss each other "like Frenchmen" when they found a large cache of food.

They don't have words in the same sense we do (although they do have sounds and gestures that mean specific things) so touch is a critical form of communication. And sometimes, I think a hug says a lot more than words do.

 

[Intrepid]

Been there. Thanks for asking. You reminded me how over time I've become better able to share things like that with my therapist, and then honestly ask for support.

I never get hugs from my therapists. Hugs there can freak me out. But I can see why you would want one. I get verbal hugs from my therapist.

 

[Footie freak]

Thank you all for your comments.... I feel slightly relieved now to know that it's normal, although not sure how I am going to bring it up and discuss it with my therapist. After the event I couldn't look at her for the rest of the session.

 

[WillyKat]

For many of us w/ PTSD, having feelings and being able to express them is like being dropped on an alien planet. It's unfamiliar territory and we don't know what we can eat, don't know that the gravity is different, and we're like infants learning to walk. It's OK to just acknowledge that you're entering a different realm and need some adjustment time.

Overall, I'm convinced this is a positive thing for you! Congratulations!

 

[Footie freak]

Thank you willykat, that is so true - I really do feel like I am from another planet.

 

[WillyKat]

Naw, I don't think you're from another planet. You may have just landed on one though. Remember, we're not crazy, they are!