Therapy Problems

I am a huge proponent of therapy. Therapy can make the difference between a successful marriage, and a failure; between learning new coping skills and continuing to use self-harm or self-medication instead. Therapy can help a person come to terms with their past, or prepare for their future.

The thing is, therapy is not easy. Sure, you can do fun and easy things, like drawing pictures, playing games, or just having interesting conversations. However, some of therapy can be a lot of hard work. My last session was one of those difficult sessions.

Now, the goal is to keep myself from back-tracking while dealing with my difficult emotions.

So what do I do?

The first thing I did was visit my very good friend. I didn’t go into what had happened at therapy, or why I was shaken. Instead, we focused on what was happening at that moment. We talked about her work, and my relationship. We talked names for her baby, and how my daughter was progressing in school. It was about 30 minutes of simply enjoying ourselves. It reminded me why she was my friend. We don’t have to discuss the problem, we don’t have to go into anything serious, but by the end of our time together, we both felt better.

Next, I grabbed a quick lunch and hug from my boyfriend. I think we were both a little fried, so we enjoyed the silence, and a very small bit of affection.

Simply put, I rallied my support system. I didn’t need much from them, but it reminded me that I had a support system. I am loved, and when I have focused on the dark parts of my life I need a reminder.

At home alone

After getting home, I decided I needed to relax. Relaxing is all well and good, but then I realized I was surviving difficult emotions. Then, I decided to write this post. I think I needed to share how I am surviving.

I have a tendency to dwell on the negative aspects of my days. One thing can trip me up for a week. These difficult memories and emotions can cripple me if I do not take steps to care for myself. I have covered creating a plan in a few of my posts. Still, it is so important, I will cover it again.

1. Eat a healthy dinner: Part of taking care of myself will definitely include eating something good for me.
2. Do something kind for myself. I am going to take a nice hot bath with my newest book.
3. Do something I enjoy. I will probably choose to watch a show or do some extra reading.
4. If I find myself  in need, I will contact someone for help. Make sure I have the Life Line (1-800-273-8255), and the Kern County Hotline (1-800-991-5272) numbers.

What do you do?

Take care of you!

-Nikki