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  #1  
Old Sep 12, 2012, 02:10 PM
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Chopin99 Chopin99 is offline
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As I walked into session, T was opening a new box of tissues. I asked if that was a bad sign. She said it's funny, as a therapy office, they keep plenty of tissues on hand. Some people will just take one and keep using it until there are holes in it and it is completely drenched in snot. They will not take another one. She said she wants to tell them, you know you can have more than one right?

T said it was strange to see me twice in less than 24 hours. I agreed, although we've done it once before. I showed off that I had gotten the new Brene Brown book and she said she needed to run out at lunch and get it. Then she said she hasn't finished the first one yet, so she'd wait. I said I noticed that the client before me was holding The Gifts of Imperfection. She said she just loves her now. I told T not to forget who turned her onto her. I have to say a big thanks to Elliemay who posted said video, which made me fall in love with her research findings and subsequent conclusions!!

I told her when I left yesterday, I "left" The Emotionally Absent Mother behind and it was like a weight off my shoulders. She said it wasn't completely terrible that I worked through it because I learned some things about myself. I said that I got triggered by things, took it out via emails to her, then got embarrassed that I emailed so much. She said that the reason why she never answered my emails was twofold; one, that she knew I was trying to pull her into a conversation about not giving up on me and she wasn't going to give into it because that would then cause a battle of wills between she and me:

1. "You want to give up on me."
2. "I won't give up on you."
3. "Prove it."
4. "There is no evidence I'm giving up on you."
5. "Yes, there is...XYZ..."

So on and so forth.

Secondly, she wanted me to discover on my own what was triggering my fear of abandonment, which I did yesterday (projecting my mom's/teachers'/etc. giving up on me as a child).

So I asked her what the difference was between answering my question via email and answering it verbally at the end of session. She said I figured out during session yesterday that she wasn't going to give up on me (that I'd already figured it out on my own...or as she put it, "I put on my big girl panties, pulled them up real high, and figured it out all by myself.") and even still, with that knowledge, I verbally asked for reassurance. She saw it as similar to what people do with significant others sometimes; we know our SO's love us, but we still like to hear it sometimes. So, she didn't mind telling me.

She said overall, I am at the stage where I figure out my triggers without getting reassurance about certain things. She said if she always gave reassurance, I'd be dependent upon her forever and neither of us wants that for me. It's true, I don't. I want to be able to say for the first time in my life that I am mentally healthy. She really, really wants me to read the Brene Brown book. She reminded me twice before I left.

That was the gist of the work. I asked her where she was going on vacation. She said to the Virginia mountains. We talked about the mountains as I too love to vacation in the mountains (of TN/NC). She then talked about going on vacation, working for a week, then going out for surgery the week after that. She said that the day the surgeon wanted to perform the surgery was the day they leave for vacation. She told him no, because she moved (the same) vacation in April. So, that was the only time he had left before the end of the year. I told her I knew what the stage 3 and 4 reconstruction surgeries are. After that, I could tell she was nervous; she began fidgeting, playing with her necklace, tugging at her pants, etc. I told her I thought she was done and she said no, she was just putting it off. Then she talked about how the process could have been even longer if she had went with another surgeon who would not have done stage 1 at the same time as her mastectomy (which makes no sense to me). I think the upcoming surgery is really bothering her.

So as we finished up, I asked if she wanted me to email what I find out at the neurologist tomorrow. She said yes, she did want me to email her because she wanted to know what was going to happen in that regard with me. That meant a lot. I told her to have fun on her trip. I really want that for her. She deserves it. She's been through (and will be going through with two more procedures) so much with her cancer battle and she's managed to maintain her practice overall. She's a strong lady and I'm proud to say she's my T and helping me grow.
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  #2  
Old Sep 12, 2012, 03:28 PM
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CantExplain CantExplain is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chopin99 View Post
one, that she knew I was trying to pull her into a conversation about not giving up on me and she wasn't going to give into it because that would then cause a battle of wills between she and me:
Grrr! I don't like this reason.
The battle of wills is there anyway, and it needs to be played out.

PS:

I think I mentioned that one of my T's roles is as a safe sparring partner.
I need to have someone to fight with.
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Chopin99
  #3  
Old Sep 12, 2012, 08:32 PM
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Chopin99 Chopin99 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CantExplain View Post
Grrr! I don't like this reason.
The battle of wills is there anyway, and it needs to be played out.

PS:

I think I mentioned that one of my T's roles is as a safe sparring partner.
I need to have someone to fight with.
Apparently, as a person grows in maturity and "acceptance", we don't need to battle with T (or too many other people for that matter). Very zen.

I don't need T as a safe sparring partner. My H fulfills that role for me.
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Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. - Henry David Thoreau
  #4  
Old Sep 12, 2012, 09:49 PM
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CantExplain CantExplain is offline
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Member Since: Oct 2011
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 19,616
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chopin99 View Post
Apparently, as a person grows in maturity and "acceptance", we don't need to battle with T (or too many other people for that matter). Very zen.

I don't need T as a safe sparring partner. My H fulfills that role for me.
I am very envious that you are so close to completion. My T has never even hinted that.

PS:

I think I'm getting abandonment triggers. You're going to get better and leave me behind.
__________________
Mr Ambassador, alias Ancient Plax, alias Captain Therapy, alias Big Poppa, alias Secret Spy, etc.

Add that to your tattoo, Baby!
Thanks for this!
Chopin99
  #5  
Old Sep 12, 2012, 10:11 PM
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Chopin99 Chopin99 is offline
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Member Since: Dec 2009
Location: Southeastern US
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CantExplain View Post
I am very envious that you are so close to completion. My T has never even hinted that.

PS:

I think I'm getting abandonment triggers. You're going to get better and leave me behind.
We're in different kinds of therapy...and I'm nowhere near finishing therapy. It's easy for her to say all that about acceptance, but there's a lot of stuff I'm not ready to accept yet. So I wouldn't worry about that!

I didn't get fixed from what happened in two sessions. I am less depressed and more focused, but as T keeps telling me, it took 35 years to get the way I am, I won't change it overnight!!
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Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. - Henry David Thoreau
  #6  
Old Sep 12, 2012, 10:31 PM
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rainbow_rose rainbow_rose is offline
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Member Since: May 2011
Posts: 2,653
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chopin99 View Post
Apparently, as a person grows in maturity and "acceptance", we don't need to battle with T (or too many other people for that matter). Very zen.
Definitely something to chew on - food for thought, if you will. I'm just beginning to get this...
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Happiness cannot be found
through great effort and willpower,
but is already present,
in open relaxation and letting go.

Don't strain yourself,
there is nothing to do or undo.
Whatever momentarily arises
in the body-mind
Has no real importance at all,
has little reality whatsoever.

Don't believe in the reality
of good and bad experiences;
they are today's ephemeral weather,
like rainbows in the sky.


~Venerable Lama Gendun Rinpoche~

Thanks for this!
Chopin99
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