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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sunnydays on June 20, 2006, at 22:17:08
Does anyone ever find that they feel a lot younger than they really are? I looked in the mirror recently and I looked so much more grown-up and put together than I felt then. And sometimes it feels like I can put on a grown-up face to the world and handle all my responsibilities, but it feels like an empty shell, and there's this little kid that's just watching me go through the motions. But no one outside can ever seem to tell.
My T and I talked about this a little bit once or twice, he says that it's actually really common in people who have suffered trauma to feel young sometimes (for me, it's more when I feel sad -- and I'm pretty young anyway, I'm in college).
And I guess I'm just feeling kind of like a little kid tonight. I just want some comfort. I've been hugging my stuffed animal all night.
sunnydays
Posted by Adrift on June 20, 2006, at 22:25:46
In reply to do you ever feel really young?, posted by sunnydays on June 20, 2006, at 22:17:08
yes, I often feel much younger then I am. I hope your stuffed animal gives you some comfort tonight.
Posted by Dinah on June 20, 2006, at 22:27:07
In reply to do you ever feel really young?, posted by sunnydays on June 20, 2006, at 22:17:08
all the time.
Posted by Daisym on June 21, 2006, at 0:37:07
In reply to do you ever feel really young?, posted by sunnydays on June 20, 2006, at 22:17:08
Isn't it weird to feel this way sometimes? I find I get taken over, usually by sadness, and just want to hang on to my therapist's leg and never let go. I'm glad you have things that comfort yourself.
I wrote a poem about looking in the mirror and seeing a much older person. I think it is on the writing board a while back.
Posted by happyflower on June 21, 2006, at 6:01:25
In reply to Re: do you ever feel really young? » sunnydays, posted by Daisym on June 21, 2006, at 0:37:07
Well for me much younger would be a teenager, since I am 37. And lately I have been acting all emotional like one. I feel like having temper tantrums against my T and I am just sitting in therapy being so mean to him, mocking him, calling him up and telling him I thought he looked ragged at the gym. I really don't know why I am being like this.
It is hard because my daugher is starting with her hormmone mood swings before puberty. What happened to my sweet little girl? LOL
So yeah, I feel young, but young to me is being a teenager.
Posted by orchid on June 21, 2006, at 13:40:13
In reply to do you ever feel really young?, posted by sunnydays on June 20, 2006, at 22:17:08
I feel very younger too. I am 29 and I feel many times like a 10 or 11 year old. And I used to act it too - people constantly used to say I am very childish even though I did all the adult things like job etc, but then I put in lot of efforts to stop that, so now I manage to atleast act my age.
I think it is part of repressive attitude - maybe I think I got stuck at 10 or 11 - perhaps a part of me did. I don't really know though. Sometimes I think it is healthy to feel younger, but then I don't really know.
> Does anyone ever find that they feel a lot younger than they really are? I looked in the mirror recently and I looked so much more grown-up and put together than I felt then. And sometimes it feels like I can put on a grown-up face to the world and handle all my responsibilities, but it feels like an empty shell, and there's this little kid that's just watching me go through the motions. But no one outside can ever seem to tell.
>
> My T and I talked about this a little bit once or twice, he says that it's actually really common in people who have suffered trauma to feel young sometimes (for me, it's more when I feel sad -- and I'm pretty young anyway, I'm in college).
>
> And I guess I'm just feeling kind of like a little kid tonight. I just want some comfort. I've been hugging my stuffed animal all night.
> sunnydays
Posted by abe123 on June 24, 2006, at 0:36:23
In reply to Re: do you ever feel really young? » sunnydays, posted by orchid on June 21, 2006, at 13:40:13
I do. It only happens at certain times--in social situations. It seems to heppen when I'm insecure. I become this totally other person and I feel like I'm acting flippant, dorky, submissive, annoying. Like a puppy. I hate it about myself, and yet I can't stop this different way of thinking and acting from taking over. When I'm not anxious I'm completely put-together. It's hard on the ego. I know what you're talking about.
Posted by Dinah on June 24, 2006, at 7:31:47
In reply to Re: do you ever feel really young?, posted by abe123 on June 24, 2006, at 0:36:23
I used the exact same imagery thinking about myself the other day.
While I'm certain it's completely accurate in my case ;), are you sure it's completely accurate in yours? Most people I know, particularly anxious people, have a public persona that's different from their private one. My father used to get really hearty and, to me, fake. But when I'd hear other people talk about him, they had no idea that wasn't the real him and they liked him just fine.
Is there someone you trust who has seen you in public that you can talk about this with? You might be surprised to learn that even though Abe seems like such a quiet guy, he can be a lot of fun when he's with others.
This is the end of the thread.
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