The Couch! #21

Chopin - why the acking?

Granite - have you tried any of the verbal grounding things like saying aloud to yourself (I know this sounds cheesy - but for some it works) that you are in your own house, that you are safe, that your husband is nearby - over and over a few times while taking deep (not hyperventilating though) breaths?

I'm sorry that you are having a hard time at the moment. Grief is so difficult.

I feel for you, critterlady. Tomorrow will be one year that my dad has been gone.

Negative response to my session. Apparently a hairball.

i remember this time for you MKAC (((hugs)))

(((critter)))
(((MKAC)))
(((granite)))

it is the breaths that are a huge problem .god it seemed like i couldnt breathe and that is what woke me up and nightmares and so on.i need a tape running through my head that is reminding me of all you said. aparentally it is getting to be a problem.

you ok chopin

I'm sure I will be eventually. Just can't believe I shared something so shaming in my session and that I completely forgot that I shared it before. WTF? Now I'm more ashamed.

(((chopin)))

..

Sleepies kicking in here.

I think I am going to ask t to teach me guided imagery when I see her week. We've talked about it a few sessions and I wonder if it would help me concentrate. She's given me handouts on it, but I never did anything with them

I'm not sure if I want to send her this email. I know i should, but I'm afraid to I guess. I want to talk about these things in the email on my appt tomorrow and it's easier when she has it ahead of time.

Maybe someone can help me and give me a second opinion on if I should rewrite any of it?

My T is still sick and is going to the doctor tomorrow, so I have no session. Thursday is iffy. I'm starting to miss her and worry about her too.

Sending out good thoughts to you sconnie on doing the guided imagery! That's similar to the active imagination that my T taught me about that I do mostly on my own and then share with her after the fact, occasionally I do one during a session. I hope you do well with it!!

Thanks for the hug, Chopin. It makes me feel better.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Morning couchinistas. I'm waiting for my first student of the day.

I finally sent the email. Time to sleep..

Good for you, Sila. I would have offered to comment on your email if I'd been around and not at work (stupid time zones mean I'm never free when other people are) but I'm actually sure it is best if it's your own words coming from you. I hope your T will offer the support you need.
Sleep well.

Me, I've been meeting with students all morning and now I have to construct a course evaluation form. I hate course evaluations, hate them. Either I get criticised in which case I feel like the worst teacher ever, or I get praised in which case I feel like the phoniest teacher ever (since I've clearly deceived the students). Hmmm. Is this something I should tell T about, ya think?

And then I had to cancel a trip which my mum and I were to have made this upcoming weekend... the weather in northern Norway is going to be horrible with severe gale warnings and the last leg of our trip was to be with a small plane which won't fly in a gale. Since we were going for only a couple of days, to visit relatives, being stuck for a day in a small town where we know nobody (and there's a raging gale with sleet) isn't really that attractive a notion. Plus my mum isn't quite well after her pneumonia and I have been worried about her exerting herself too much. So it's the right decision but still a disappointment.

Good morning.

Good for you Sila.

Apt I am sorry your trip was cancelled. From a student perspective, I always disliked doing those evals for my professors. We had to do the kind where you filled in bubbles and they ran them through a machine. No room to explain your answer.

It is dangerously foggy here today and I have to drive 30 minutes for a marketing workshop. At least I have to leave very early and the roads shouldn't have too much traffic.

I found the guided imagery handouts from t. She gave them to me 9 months ago I think... I read them and started to feel myself triggering. She had written out scenes that were really beautiful - beaches, wooded glades, etc. But as I read them scenes from a bad relationship crept in (We often went to the beach and hiking.) So, I guess my first question for t will be, how can I get past those images and onto something relaxing. I tried to make up my own beach scene but my brain was clogged with this other junk. Maybe I will go online and find some photos to look at and see if I can focus on one of those images. I wish t weren't a whole week away yet.

Sorry to be the downer this morning. We've only had sun one of the last 7 or 8 days. And more rain the rest of the week. I think the SAD might be kicking in.

Hello everyone.

I didn't have a chance to read back yet but I offer hugs to everyone.

Chopin good luck with the professional cleaners today. I'm jelous!

I woke up feeling sick, heart racing, chills. I thought I was hungry since I didn't eat since about 1pm yesterday so I made some oatmeal and now that has made it worse. Going back to bed as I don't have to be at work till noon.

Sconnie - i have found a couple of android/apple apps to help. I particularly like ones by andrew johnson and glenn harrold.

morning peeps i hope you all end up having a great day

good work sila

rain i hope your T feels better soon

jersey i hate when i feel that way .could you be stressed about something and it is causing you to have stomach problems

chopin are you feeling less ack today

sconnie i don't think i could ever be calm enough or control my thoights enough to do that imagery stuff

lola and wiki miss ya hope you both are ok

Apt - I'm sorry about your Norway trip. I hope that it is something that you can reschedule soon. Norway is close to the top of places I want to visit. I used to hate filling out those evaluations as well. It always seemed that students either filled it out negatively because they were upset with the instructor for getting a poor grade, or they were like me, and filled it out positively because they were worried that the instructor would know whose it was.

Sconnie - You're not being a downer.

Jersey - I hope that you feel better soon.

Hello to Stopdog, Granite, and everyone else.