[musinglizzy]

Maybe? I think my T perhaps has taken my crying during session that way. I think it IS regression after thinking about it. As an adult, I rarely cried at all. Now, I was blubbering during many sessions. I have since stopped. I will leave before I will cry.

Just curious if anyone else sees a correlation.

[guilloche]

Hm... I'm not sure. I think my T *wants* me to cry, as a way to "feel the feelings" and grieve my crappy childhood?

Is it possible that it's both a regression, and a good thing (accessing feelings)? Real question, because I'm not sure...

[Partless]

Crying itself is not regressive, people of all ages and emotional maturity cry. Unless you start acting a certain way or saying things that are immature while you cry, I would not think of it as regression.

[musinglizzy]

Thanks for the input. No, I don't act a certain way or say anything immature, I just quietly cry, usually do try to hide it..... because crying was a punishable offense when I was growing up. She, too, says it's good.... but she thought she might be helping to encourage regression, and wanted to change that.... so it got me thinking.

I don't have flashbacks when I'm awake. I have bad dreams.... but I never feel like I regress into the younger version of myself, ever. In fact, I avoid the thought of that younger version, or "inner child." She did ask me once earlier on how old I felt right now. I'm quite sure I looked at her like I thought she was smoking something. I said "I'm ME." Somehow, for whatever reason, I think she thought I had delved back into my childhood, and was no longer 40 years old.

I am a very serious person. People who know me would tell you that. I can joke at times, but in a mature adult manner. Never will you see me horse around, as in playful side, heck, I won't even dance around. I do very little to draw attention to myself. I do envy people who are outgoing and carefree and dance and sing and goof around here and there, but that is not me. I think regression is the LAST thing I do. I'd never "allow" it. However I have somehow opened up to cry quietly (ok, as quiet as a lot of sniffling can be!), but I've done everything I can to shut that down....as I don't want it to be read into too much. I don't bawl, I don't cry out loud, I don't appear at her feet grasping for dear life, I don't accuse her of hating me or throw fits or yell at her.... nope. Anyway...I just came to that realization, and I really believed that perhaps crying could be a form of regression.

[feralkittymom]

Yeah, I don't think I would equate the two necessarily. They could coincide, of course, but it seems that the intention expressed through the crying could reflect many different emotions at many levels of maturity. I can see crying that comes from the experiencing of being denied comforting as a child as regressive, but I could also see crying that comes from the awareness of time lost as quite adult.

[JustShakey]

Nah, crying in itself is not regression.
I do do regression though - it involves whining and feet stomping and I-don't-waaaaaant-tooooo. And I laugh at myself while I'm doing it, because it's hilarious.

[musinglizzy]

Originally Posted by JustShakey

Nah, crying in itself is not regression.
I do do regression though - it involves whining and feet stomping and I-don't-waaaaaant-tooooo. And I laugh at myself while I'm doing it, because it's hilarious.

So you obviously realize you're regressing though...is it possible, do you think, to regress without being aware? For the most part, I am aware of just about everything.....hyper aware, actually....

my t always wants me to cry, ive only cried once.

[Merecat]

I don't think crying is regression. I know I've cried for younger losses and can feel very young in therapy but its not regression. The only way to know how your therapist sees you when you're crying is to ask her?

Therapy is like being under a microscope. Who wouldn't cry!
Seriously though, don't worry about it. I can cry over something I didn't think had much affect in yet not cry over something I think is huge.

[Soccer mom]

There are times that I'm completely aware that I feel 7 years old in therapy - I literally feel small on her couch. Then, there are times that I don't think I realize it - I just sound like a kid but don't feel small? Like what I'm saying sounds childish but I feel like an adult.

No, I don't think crying is regression. I think when you're regressing, you feel like a child or a younger version of you? At least that's what it means for me.

I looked up the definition as it relates to psychology. It says regression is a defensive reaction or there is age regression. So, I guess I have age regression.

[Splish Splash]

I would like to cry during the session. I have never experienced it yet. I'm still to "blocked".

[iheartjacques]

I cry a lot. Simply because the pain is too much. It's like someone only pulled out a little stick and since then it's been a waterfall. T says it's healthy to let it all out, it's cathartic. Yes I do feel drained afterwards. But it's not regressive. I think throwing a tantrum would be regressive behaviour.

[musinglizzy]

I agree throwing a tantrum would be regressive. I was never a tantrum thrower. Perhaps because I lived with one and saw how it looked from another perspective.

[NowhereUSA]

Crying is a human response. It can be in response to any number of emotions - people weep for joy, in empathy, in pain. I don't think there's anything regressive in that. But then, I don't really think of emotions in terms of regression.

[BlessedRhiannon]

Crying = a release of emotions. That does not necessarily correlate to regression. Adults cry for many reasons - fear, pain, joy, laughter, sadness, etc. I think if there are other things going on, like a temper tantrum or mentally feeling like you're a little kid, then it might be regression, but just tears - nope.

[JustShakey]

Originally Posted by musinglizzy

So you obviously realize you're regressing though...is it possible, do you think, to regress without being aware? For the most part, I am aware of just about everything.....hyper aware, actually....

Oh, it's definitely possible - I've done that too. But then again, when my emotions come out I'm usually age-inappropriate because I have poor emotional maturity anyway. I'm not sure that that counts. It's not regression, just immaturity.

[musinglizzy]

I think it's awesome that you admit that!! Really, how many people would?