Trauma Therapist Recommended I Celebrate Anxiety

[Justmehere]

Has anyone had a trauma therapist tell them to celebrate having anxiety? Like in the context of being glad about feeling one's feelings and not being numb.

My therapist suggested this, adamantly, and it has me quite confused. I think the point is to not fear my fear, and it is helpful to not fear my fear. But to celebrate it? Is this likely hyperbole or actually something I should do?

She is generally a great therapist, knows her stuff about trauma, and has generally been very helpful and insightful. This could just be one thing that just doesn't work for me, and that's ok... or it could be something I really need to do. I need some outside perspectives.

 

[Nighthawk]

I have never quit heard that before. Maybe the thought is if you can be glad its there it won't affect you in a negative way. It woud not work for me.

 

[zoie33]

My T did not say to celebrate it but he did let it be known that being able to feel and not being numb means that I am improving. Using mindfulness I am supposed to be able to accept and sit with the feeling of anxiety and let that be okay. Maybe you should ask them to clarify a bit what they mean by celebrate.

 

[Intrepid]

In EMDR my therapist tells me to let my anger, fear, resistance, etc, get as big as it needs to get.

My normal therapist told me in one of our first sessions that until I deal with my anxiety I won't be able to deal with anything else.

I don't "celebrate" that I'm no longer numb. I certainly don't celebrate anxiety. However, I do understand your therapist's suggestion. My therapist tells me all the time to celebrate the little improvements. Moving from numbness to anxiety is a big, significant, improvement. Yay!

I spent most of my life dismissing improvements as never enough.

 

[Friday]

Embrace the suck.

Yep.

One of the oldest tools in my kit.

 

[Crow]

My T says the same. It's actually helped me with not fighting the anxiety which in turn allows the circuit to complete and hopefully that specific trigger no longer is a trigger....at least I think that's the idea. But yep, T throws her hands up and yells yay anytime I relay a story about feeling through and celebrating anxiety.

 

[barefoot]

Not sure that I have gone as far as "celebrating" my anxiety but there has definitely been encouragement from my T to accept it for what it is with self-compassion and without judgement/self-criticism. Sometimes I feel like I'm going into battle with myself - me vs my anxiety - and I don't think T thinks that is a very useful approach!

And, yes, that idea of it being progress to feel a feeling and sit with it instead of numbing out/dissociating.