Quote:
Originally Posted by jexa
I like this a lot. I think what Blue said is true -- it is not going back and digging up the past and just HURTING all over again that helps! It is forming new associations -- getting triggered and not running away teaches us that it is okay to face fear. And then what "fires together" is fear AND holding our ground! Purposely focusing on negative, negative, negative, and causing ourselves pain should CERTAINLY not be the focus of therapy -- we should celebrate, in therapy, that we faced our fears and no longer fear them so much! Therapy can be difficult, but should end up being joyous -- in the way that we leave therapy saying, look what I did! I kicked my mental illness in the butt!
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I asked my T pretty much this exact question at my session this week, and her response was pretty much exactly what you said, Jexa.
I asked her "is this helping? because it FEELS like torture..." referring to the process of confronting traumatic memories in session, being triggered, then calming down again.
Her response was "yes, it is helping. This IS the work we are doing. Every time you can feel those emotions that you have been avoiding for so long, every time you can face them and then tell yourself 'I am safe, I am ok' it is part of the process of healing"