M--I wasn't on much at all yesterday. I took my daughter to a doctor many hours away, so I missed your post until now--sorry!

Honoring myself and my fear means that I respect that I have extreme emotions, that this is me, now. I study not judging myself in the same way that I wouldn't judge someone who needs to grieve or to face a new job or to leave home for the first time--or to change their diet because they have just developed an allergy--or someone who has to switch to the MAOI drugs that require eating no hard cheeses. I am in a situation. If I judge myself, I've found, I am not only being unfair to myself, but I am likely making my emotions stronger and more extreme, adding shame, adding more fear--and making me want to hide...

The fear is justified by where our heads go...they go there. Period. While we are in fear, it is very unlikely we can soothe ourselves quickly. Even if we only look at how long it takes for the stimulation of all the chemicals to stop, let alone wash away, we are look at hours. Yes, we would suffer less if we could speed up learning the skills we are practicing, yes it would be far better for us if we didn't feel so deeply. We are where we are, we are trying to soothe ourselves, we can use all the help we can get. This is so. This is just so. And we carry on, honoring our needs, just as we would honor any person's. We are people.