Posted by mair on December 14, 2001, at 8:06:29
This thread is inspired by some of Dinah's recent postings and by a discussion I had recently with my therapist about this Board. I've always valued this Board as a place where I don't have to perpetuate the exhausting pretense that everything is fine, and where I can express in writing things that are much harder for me to say orally. I'm also a person who frequently feels very disconnected from people I know, even family members. Only a very few people in my life even know I suffer from depression and I rarely (almost never) share with them anything about my depression. I have no particular clue how to draw on them for support when I'm particularly down.
My therapist thinks there's an irony to my participation on the Board - namely that it gives me an outlet for expressing myself and serves as a valuable source of support, particularly when I am depressed - but that it also makes it easier for me not to look to people in my life for that same support, and that it keeps me from developing the ability to express my feelings to my friends and family. Therefore, I can "connect" in a way with people here (and that's very valuable when I 'm depressed) but it allows me to be less open with others, and thus does nothing to help me conquer the feeling of disconnectedness I often have.
It's always struck me that there are many very articulate writers on this board who express themselves very well and are very open about things.
Do others of you feel that you can express yourself in writing better that you can orally? Are you more open here about your feelings, even than you are with those who are closest to you? Do any of you have pervasive feelings sometimes that you're not able to relate to others or that you just feel disconnected from them? Have any of your therapists suggested that in spite of the positives, your participation here may be counter-productive to establishing other important connections?
I'd love some feedback.
Mair
poster:mair
thread:15516
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20011207/msgs/15516.html