Just to share
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Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 2,459
Just to share
I had my first counseling session today to address my grief issues (and other things). It is always difficult to first meet with a therapist because trust has to be established etc. Generally, the first few sessions are about getting a baseline with my history and so forth.
I immediately liked the therapist, which is unusual for me because I tend to have my walls up and I reserve judgment. So she took a history on me, going way back to childhood. I felt comfortable enough with her to divulge all the gory details.
At the end she said something that really hit me. She said that there was a reason I survived all of that craziness and remained sane. And that there is a lot of living yet to do. She said I was a survivor, not a victim and my strength has and will carry me through.
I thought here is a therapist telling me that I am a strong capable person (in the first session) and I have been drowning that person in alcohol for years. It just really hit me that I have been squandering what ever god given gifts I have in favor of zoning out to booze.
The upshot is that I feel there is hope (rare for me) and maybe, just maybe, I can really be done with my self-sabotaging.
And I owe a lot of that to SR! Thank you all on SR for your continued support.
I immediately liked the therapist, which is unusual for me because I tend to have my walls up and I reserve judgment. So she took a history on me, going way back to childhood. I felt comfortable enough with her to divulge all the gory details.
At the end she said something that really hit me. She said that there was a reason I survived all of that craziness and remained sane. And that there is a lot of living yet to do. She said I was a survivor, not a victim and my strength has and will carry me through.
I thought here is a therapist telling me that I am a strong capable person (in the first session) and I have been drowning that person in alcohol for years. It just really hit me that I have been squandering what ever god given gifts I have in favor of zoning out to booze.
The upshot is that I feel there is hope (rare for me) and maybe, just maybe, I can really be done with my self-sabotaging.
And I owe a lot of that to SR! Thank you all on SR for your continued support.
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,469
That's really good news, AF!
It helped me a lot when I realized that I was a survivor, not a victim. Everything shifted and started to make sense to me.
I hope things continue to go well with your new therapist.
It helped me a lot when I realized that I was a survivor, not a victim. Everything shifted and started to make sense to me.
I hope things continue to go well with your new therapist.
Adventures In SpaceTime
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 5,827
Originally Posted by ArtFriend 
I thought here is a therapist telling me that I am a strong capable person (in the first session) and I have been drowning that person in alcohol for years. It just really hit me that I have been squandering what ever god given gifts I have in favor of zoning out to booze.
The upshot is that I feel there is hope (rare for me) and maybe, just maybe, I can really be done with my self-sabotaging.
The upshot is that I feel there is hope (rare for me) and maybe, just maybe, I can really be done with my self-sabotaging.
Yes, hope is a real empowerment. It really can make such a difference in outcomes. Even in the most dire of circumstances, hope still makes a real difference in quality of life. Hope is no small thing.
I'm happy for you ArtFriend.
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