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Originally Posted by Lauliza
This is a great topic. I think everyone has something from their past that traumatized tgem in some way. It depends on the extent of the trauma and the supports available to help a person get through it. In many cultures more value is placed on the group than the individual, so it seems self indulgent to receive therapy. You are essentially depressed because you spend too much time thinking about yourself, and if you spent more time thinking collectively about the others around you you'd be ok. Its a fascinating concept. I think depression and anxiety appear as somatic symptoms rather than emotional ones.
Sometimes, I think there is a point to this line of thinking. think in the US, especially in this generation, everything is patholoigized to some extent. While I've been in treatment if some sort since I was a kid and understand the value of it, it seems like more kids are in treatment now than ever before. I think a lot of people who experienced trauma as children or who felt invalidated are afraid the same will happen to their kids. They don't want them to experience any pain and seek help for everything. This is great in many instances but can also be a problem if kids get more attention for their problems than for the things that are going well in their lives. Coping skills are important and think its important to learn that everyone experiences depression, anxiety, sadness,anger, etc and that is normal. My neice was talking one day about how she hates taking the bus home so we suggested she walk with a couple of her friends. She said "they can't they all have therapy after school". I actually thought that was so funny. How times have changed from just 15 years ago!!
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I don't think the sole purpose of therapy is necessarily to resolve trauma...for some people it is, but if I had a kid, I would see a therapist at least twice a month just as a precaution, I guess, even if I didn't "need" to, just because it would be important for me to have a professional to discuss parenting trials and tribulations with, and also because of my fear of being like my parents and hurting my kid inadvertently...
I would also probably want my kid to have someone (like a therapist) to talk to, just because I know when I was a kid, if I'd had a therapist or someone like a therapist who was objective, not immersed in my life, but also supportive, it would have been very helpful to me, and when I started seeing a therapist at age eight, I was very grateful for the extra support. A kid can never have too many adults in their lives, and I think it would be important for
my kid (not everyone's kids, but my kid) to have an adult to talk to who isn't his or her parent and who can provide the kind of support/expertise/impartiality of a therapist.
My views on this might change as I get older, naturally, and I don't plan on having kids anyway so it's probably a moot point...but I feel like it makes sense for parents who have experienced trauma/maltreatment as children to want to be very careful not to perpetuate the cycle of violence and build a network of support for their children, and I feel like a therapist can be part of that.
Just my two cents, of course. If you have the luxury of affording such things.