Posted by Dinah on September 24, 2003, at 9:30:21
In reply to Working Through, posted by fallsfall on September 24, 2003, at 7:29:04
I suspect that working through isn't that much different than exposure in behavior therapy combined with some cognitive reframing.
All those feelings were pushed aside as a child. It wasn't safe to think too much about them. When you push aside feelings they gain power. They also subtly influence how we react to everything else in our life.
In therapy, you understand how your current behavior is shaped by your past experiences which helps you recognize it while it's happening. And hopefully change your reactions (that one is more difficult I think).
Plus by talking about your mother, what she did, and how you felt, you release the taboo on those thoughts and feelings and eventually they lose their power. You learn to accept what was and mourn what you lost.
Or at least that's my understanding. It may not be correct.
On the other hand, I don't think those things help everything. Certain inborn personality traits and mental illnesses will probably continue to cause problems even with therapy. Because we're not all nurture any more than we're all nature. So for those things, therapy just helps us cope.
poster:Dinah
thread:262886
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030905/msgs/262907.html