Thread: Growing Up
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Old Dec 09, 2006, 12:46 PM
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Perna Perna is offline
Pandita-in-training
 
Member Since: Sep 2006
Location: Maryland
Posts: 27,289
Find one distinct memory and work on the feelings that went along with that. I have one of my stepmother backing me into a corner when I was around 12 or 13, no one else was around, and hitting me in the face and all over. I think about that and how, if your mother doesn't love you, who does? Before that I was initially numb (as you are now) and then that went to anger (if she ever hits me again, I'm smash my fist down her throat) to the true hurt of feeling unloved by the person I wanted to feel love and support/care/understanding from most. Analyzing it with my therapist healed all of that so the old memories are still there but don't obsess me anymore, I can look forward instead and take the feelings and experiences and use them for good in my present relationships.

You can't feel "in general" about your whole childhood, you can only feel one situation at a time (like you can only have a conversation with one person at a time -- this is written to you, even though other people read it, it's not "addressed" to them; the same is true with actions/situations in your past, each one has its own "set" of memories/feelings not related to the others).
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