The little girl, barely age six. if that, awoke, but still couldn't move. She tried to scream over and over but nothing escaped her lips. Something very powerful and evil was in the room. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity the screams left her lips. She cried out for someone to come, but knew it was futile. The grownups kept her in a makeshift garage while they were in bedrooms on the opposite side of the house from the garage door. They got mad when she cried, but she was so scared, it was worth facing their wrath in the morning, for the hopes of a different outcome.
Amazingly, this time, that is exactly what she got as the figure surrounded by bright light floated closer to her bed. She could feel the warmth and love radiating off of the figure, scaring away all that was bad and evil. "It's ok sweetie, it was only a bad dream." the most beautiful voice in the world said.
"Who are you?" The little girl asked.
"I am your spirit mommy," the voice replied. "I am the mommy you were supposed to have, I couldn't be here before, but I am here now, and I will be here to comfort you when anything bad happens."
For the first time, the little girl felt loved and safe as her spirit mommy wrapped her in her warmth. She couldn't quite feel touch, but this was more than she had ever had before and it was wonderful.
The voice told her that it would stay with her until she fell asleep and as she slept to keep the evil spirits away.The little girl drifted off to sleep feeling warmed and loved, knowing she was safe for the rest of the night from the nightmares that plagued her.
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As the little girl grew she became more and more aware that it wasn't normal to have a spirit mommy. She became fearful of embarrassment if someone discovered her secret. She also felt pathetic every time she relied on her spirit mommy, but could never quite give it up.
Rationally she knew it was only in her mind, but her heart longed for it to be real, and at the end of the day she know it was what kept her sane despite the fact that it was a very insane thing to do. Eventually, the girl grew up. She knew she had to start thinking like a grown up. The putting away of her spirit mommy was something that took years to grieve.
Despite the fact that the Dr.s prescribe the adult version her pills now for the nightmares, she still has them every couple of weeks. The worst part is how bad she still wants to be comforted. She feels that if she could just have the memory of being comforted she could rely on trying to relive the memory instead of the the most likely extremely unhealthy, "imaginary comforter" of her childhood.
If people can have false memories of abuse given to them, couldn't they have false memories of comfort that seem real?
You try to approach this with a therapist and they look away, change the subject but will never address what the patient is trying to bring up. All the patient is asking for is a coping tool, so why won't they allow the patient to address the idea? Even if it is just the pros and cons?
Being able to focus on a memory of being comforted after a nightmare would be immensely helpful and eliminate the feeling of being embarrassed and felling pathetic for needing to rely on something that is clearly even less real.
Especially, when the person wants to fall back on a coping mechanism they shouldn't have. Sort of like a smoker who has quit. They still want to smoke when anxious but don't because they know how unhealthy it is and quitting was such a huge milestone.
The girl just wants someone to walk her through what it would be like to be comforted to help create a more real memory to use as a coping mechanism. She just can't seem to do it on her own.
Amazingly, this time, that is exactly what she got as the figure surrounded by bright light floated closer to her bed. She could feel the warmth and love radiating off of the figure, scaring away all that was bad and evil. "It's ok sweetie, it was only a bad dream." the most beautiful voice in the world said.
"Who are you?" The little girl asked.
"I am your spirit mommy," the voice replied. "I am the mommy you were supposed to have, I couldn't be here before, but I am here now, and I will be here to comfort you when anything bad happens."
For the first time, the little girl felt loved and safe as her spirit mommy wrapped her in her warmth. She couldn't quite feel touch, but this was more than she had ever had before and it was wonderful.
The voice told her that it would stay with her until she fell asleep and as she slept to keep the evil spirits away.The little girl drifted off to sleep feeling warmed and loved, knowing she was safe for the rest of the night from the nightmares that plagued her.
------------------------------------------
As the little girl grew she became more and more aware that it wasn't normal to have a spirit mommy. She became fearful of embarrassment if someone discovered her secret. She also felt pathetic every time she relied on her spirit mommy, but could never quite give it up.
Rationally she knew it was only in her mind, but her heart longed for it to be real, and at the end of the day she know it was what kept her sane despite the fact that it was a very insane thing to do. Eventually, the girl grew up. She knew she had to start thinking like a grown up. The putting away of her spirit mommy was something that took years to grieve.
Despite the fact that the Dr.s prescribe the adult version her pills now for the nightmares, she still has them every couple of weeks. The worst part is how bad she still wants to be comforted. She feels that if she could just have the memory of being comforted she could rely on trying to relive the memory instead of the the most likely extremely unhealthy, "imaginary comforter" of her childhood.
If people can have false memories of abuse given to them, couldn't they have false memories of comfort that seem real?
You try to approach this with a therapist and they look away, change the subject but will never address what the patient is trying to bring up. All the patient is asking for is a coping tool, so why won't they allow the patient to address the idea? Even if it is just the pros and cons?
Being able to focus on a memory of being comforted after a nightmare would be immensely helpful and eliminate the feeling of being embarrassed and felling pathetic for needing to rely on something that is clearly even less real.
Especially, when the person wants to fall back on a coping mechanism they shouldn't have. Sort of like a smoker who has quit. They still want to smoke when anxious but don't because they know how unhealthy it is and quitting was such a huge milestone.
The girl just wants someone to walk her through what it would be like to be comforted to help create a more real memory to use as a coping mechanism. She just can't seem to do it on her own.
