Dear T,

With the emergence of my inner child approximately two months ago, life has become very confusing. I feel like two separate people inhabiting one body. One person is the adult married woman, student, mother, dealing with MI and feeling content and happy with my life the majority of the time. The other person is a needy, clinging child who is scared and afraid and tired of trying to cope with all the crisis and diagnosis that define my life.

Please try to help me understand why all of a sudden I feel like I'm regressing. Why I want my mother to comfort me. Why I want to be a child again, to be held and comforted. Why I feel so needy all the time. Why I feel the constant need to cry but am totally unable to do so.

I have too much to do, too many responsibilities, I don't understand why after six years of therapy and moving forward, all of a sudden progress has halted and I'm moving backward.

Please help me understand what's going on - I'm confused, frightened and frustrated.