Quote:
Originally Posted by silverleaf
Are you allowed to use ANY coping techniques?? Like grounding/mindfulness - anything that will allow you to have a breathing space to calm yourself and get back to the present moment? That's the one tool that helps me enormously when I feel overwhelmed and 'overloaded'.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruh roh
A therapist who tells someone not to use their coping skills? This is damaging. She doesn't know what she's doing. I don't know how else to put it.  |
She is telling me not to use coping skills as a way to avoid the feelings or the anxiety. She did offer up paced breathing and temperature change as a way to combat high levels of distress. My go-to coping mechanisms can be considered avoiding (like counting things or distracting myself).
I do see the reason for it. She wants me to feel the emotions that I've been avoiding for so many years. It's just really hard.