View Single Post
 
Old May 02, 2011, 01:22 PM
BlessedRhiannon's Avatar
BlessedRhiannon BlessedRhiannon is offline
Magnate
 
Member Since: Feb 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,396
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suratji View Post
Then she asked me a couple of weeks ago, what would she say to me if I called her in an emotional panic. I replied, "I don't know. You're you." And she asked me to imagine what she would say that would help and that I could say the same things to myself.

Later in the day I left her a message and told her that it wouldn't be the words she said but the 'presence' she offered.

Well, in my small brain, I am now interpreting her words to mean that in reality, whether she's here or on vacation, she really can't help me if I'm on an emotional brink.
Maybe what she was trying to get you to consider are words that might be helpful to you in dealing with an emotional panic. Since she will not be available by phone when she's on vacation, maybe she was trying to help you imagine what a conversation might be like so that you could use that imaginary conversation as a fallback if needed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Suratji View Post
But, I'm wondering, now that I've tapped into them, can I now retreat from them a bit, analyze & interpret them with T's help and then try to initiate change from that angle?
.....
Has anyone found success in withdrawal? Can we identify our problems and then solve them without having to go through emotional turmoil?
I'm really, really good at withdrawing from my emotions...unfortunately, they just come out in other ways. I tried pulling away from my emotions when I first started really tapping in to them with my T. She encouraged me not to do that. What I've found is that the more I pull away from my emotions, the more difficult they are to eventually handle, and the more pronounced they are when they finally do surface. Feeling is HARD, but it's really the better option. What I've learned from my T is that if I just stop and let myself feel whatever it is I'm feeling, the emotion will pass. Emotions are really fleeting things, as long as we pay attention to them. So, now, when I'm feeling something...I stop and take a few minutes to pay attention to it. Where in my body do I feel it, what is this emotion trying to tell me, etc. I do some deep breathing and just let myself be present. It's really, really hard to do, especially when I'm panicking. But, it does work. I'm not very good at it yet, but I've seen the difference, and I like it.

I've noticed you like to be able to read about things...I do too. My T recently recommended a book called I Know I'm In There Somewhere by Helene Brenner, which talks about listening to your inner voice and listening to your emotions. The first time I read through the book, it made me mad, but the second time, I took away a lot of valuable information.
__________________
---Rhi
Thanks for this!
Suratji