Posted by DaisyM on December 9, 2003, at 13:39:09
In reply to Re: I Babbled » DaisyM, posted by Dinah on December 9, 2003, at 1:56:29
<<It sounds as if you're in good hands. :) But it is scary to be open with yourself, and even more so to let someone else in. Does it sound odd to say you can honor that fear while still weighing the pros and cons of setting it aside? What are the potential benefits of doing what your therapist asks? What safety does your fear provide?
>>Yeah, I think I'm in good hands too...even though he is asking me to do something really hard. But he acknowledged that it is hard for me. He also provided some reassurance yesterday about these periods of overwhelm being normal...and that he would see me through it.
As far as the fear goes - I think it protects how much of myself I actually share, which protects how much of me actually is exposed to potential hurt. I kept so much stuffed down for such a long time, every layer is coated with fear so I have to revisit the fear everytime we go to the next level. Which means reaffirming that he "can take it".
The benefits to exploring the anxiety might be that it helps reduce it or even eliminate it. Maybe there is something left to say, something I'm not conscious of yet. This is of course also the reason to not go there.
*sigh* How did you ever get in touch with your feelings and not drown in them?
poster:DaisyM
thread:287845
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031202/msgs/288034.html