[DelusionsDaily]

How do you handle it when the most painful aspects are brought to the surface in T? I tend to run away and I am trying to find a better way of handling the painful areas of my life. How do you handle them when it's too painful to talk about in detail?

[critterlady]

I first talk about really painful stuff in generalities. I tend to circle around it, getting a little closer to the deep part with each circle. I also talk about how painful it is to talk about. T reminds me that there is no need to go so fast that the therapy itself is traumatic. He never pushes for more detail than he thinks I can handle.

[Syra]

Originally Posted by MELISSSAD81

How do you handle it when the most painful aspects are brought to the surface in T? I tend to run away and I am trying to find a better way of handling the painful areas of my life. How do you handle them when it's too painful to talk about in detail?

I usually get very quiet. I'll start sounding like a little girl instead of an adult. HIgher voice, short sentences. Lots of tears. There's something nice about having an accepting witness to my unbearable pain.

[EllieBear]

I talk about it a little bit at a time, as much as I can handle, sometimes in general terms first. I too talk around it, but that usually doesn't help me. My T does sand tray therapy and things like that, so sometimes if it's too hard to talk about it, I'll put it in the sand tray, or paint it with little kid paints and a big brush. Or I'll take a piece of clay and sculpt it. If I'm having a hard time facing it directly, sometimes what works best is finding something besides just talking that allows me to "show" it instead.

[Perna]

Every little bit helps; just getting comfortable with their being brought up or bringing them up, that helps over time because then you can stay with them just a tiny bit more each time. Maybe joke about them when they're brought up? "Hey, my least favorite topic! Can we change the subject now?" At least acknowledge them. Maybe get yourself to say one sentence more about them each time? "This subject scares me because _______" something like that.

[sittingatwatersedge]

Originally Posted by Syra

I usually get very quiet. I'll start sounding like a little girl instead of an adult. HIgher voice, short sentences. Lots of tears. There's something nice about having an accepting witness to my unbearable pain.

((((((((((((( syra ))))))))))) my voice changes too, & my modes of expression.

My T is so very good. Patient and understanding.