Posted by fallsfall on February 4, 2005, at 18:56:58
In reply to Containing emotion, posted by gardenergirl on February 4, 2005, at 8:15:31
Ice cream.
My therapist's office is next to a river. I sit on the walkway next to the river swinging my feet and watching the Herons and Loons and Seagulls and turtles and tadpoles and water. Like someone else mentioned, it helps to think about what those creatures are thinking about. How do they decide to go here or there? Are they bored if they are just sitting on a rock? Is the tide coming in or out? Nature is good - their issues are so different from mine, but they get along just fine without worrying about my problems...
Swing on swings. Sometimes I pump really high - to either discharge energy/emotion or to feel free. Lots of times I just barely swing. Letting my feet dangle is good.
I sit in my therapist's bathroom, on the floor in the dark. I probably dissociate often when I'm doing this. I have no idea what I think about at these times. I cry for a long time. I sit in the bathroom because I can't face the world and need to be contained.
I don't talk to people. I don't answer the phone, I sign on Messenger invisibly. I go to my room if my daughter is home, or just make it really clear that she wants to leave me alone.
I play computer games - they are orderly and it doesn't matter if I completely mess up. It keeps me occupied.
Talk to people. Sometimes it takes a while before I'm ready to do this.
Sit with my dogs. They are comfort.
Don't expect anything of myself. That way I don't disappoint myself.
Play solitaire with real cards. Shuffling is therapeutic. Again, it is orderly busywork that doesn't matter if it is done right.
Are you asking more about for when you have therapy, or when you are the therapist, or just in general?
poster:fallsfall
thread:453008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050129/msgs/453387.html