Quote:
Originally Posted by mixedup_emotions
*sigh*
Well, as I mentioned in my other thread, one of the dilemmas that I face in group T is shutting down too easily. When addressing it, I said that I would need to work on saying, "give me a minute" to work through my internal barriers, instead of shutting down completely.
That idea is just SO scary to me....but I know it's something I need to work on.
When I saw T yesterday for my individual session, I told him that when I got home from group, I thought to myself, "What on earth can the group do to help me?" (regarding my dad issues, grief, etc.)....and told him how I ended up having a full blown panic attack and then a total meltdown, bawling my eyes out for what felt like hours....
T asked me what that was about...I said, "My dad"....he said, "What about though?"....And I said, "I don't know.....I don't want to know....and that's my problem".....
It didn't dawn on me until AFTER the session that I DID know. I DID KNOW. But that fear - that internal protective barrier was there - and my automatic response was, "I don't know"....or some other benign statement.....
If I can't even get past those barriers in individual T, how on earth am I going to do it in group T?
Anybody have any suggestions on how you've been able to overcome shutting down - and working through those protective barriers?
|
I too am a big fan of the blurt...although I call it vomiting...just getting it all out at once...but somethings are too hard...I know for me admitting feelings that I have towards members of my family that are not "nice" although justified has been the hardest thing to talk about in therapy. The "thing" that caused those feelings was easier to blurt out. My feelings about it is a very difficult place to get to...and may not be blurtable....For me I started somewhere safer...talking about how I felt about good things....then how I felt about normal disagreement things....then I might mention one little negative thing...and then I had to stop.
But I don't know about doing that in Group. I have problems shutting down when there is any conflict not even my own. So for me I could work on not shutting down and protective barriers related to conflict in group...that would be much safer....You may be setting yourself up for failure expecting yourself to feel safe enough in group to do what you are not able to do yet in individual.