Posted by Daisym on September 3, 2008, at 0:52:10
In reply to My T is back and we met today (long), posted by lucie lu on September 2, 2008, at 12:56:37
Hi Lucie,
So much of what you describe is familiar. I think often we consolidate gains when we stop working on things for awhile - kind of like pro-athletes when they take a break before a big race. It isn't surprising that you would notice a lot of progress during your therapist's vacation. (I do like "Vacation" in Caps too.)
Sometimes I think we get really scared when we are doing well. And that scared part starts screaming and we melt down some. I'm often confused about these feelings that suddenly well up - I want to wrap myself around my therapist's knees and hide in the safety of his office. I've come to understand that he is my safe base. And I'm getting braver about venturing away from my safe base. But sometimes I need to come running back and I then get mad at him for *letting me* go so far from him. He sees through this anger as fear usually.
I'm wondering if these old feelings are your way of telling your therapist how much you missed and needed him. Sometimes instead of accepting the need to reattach for awhile, we go to that place of crisis - not on purpose, but we seem to have to feel really bad in order to receive the caring we want. We make sure we aren't invisible - at least in their office.
Being flooded with feelings is really hard to deal with. I'm sure you'll settle back in and sort this out. I see progress as being aware of the feelings, figuring out the triggers and moving forward. Each time a little quicker and little easier. My therapist says it is a spiral - we circle around and around our issues, learning something new each time.
I'm glad your therapist is back. You don't have to figure this out alone.
poster:Daisym
thread:849897
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080826/msgs/850018.html