Posted by stebby on September 6, 2004, at 8:14:00
In reply to Re: Why bother with therapy?, posted by starlight on September 4, 2004, at 19:08:19
Hi Starlight,
No I haven't researched self-flagellation, but certainly what you say about cutting out the pain, or thowing it up makes a lot of sense. Anything to stop it...today I feel that way. Anyway, I also agree that working on relationships and focusing on and giving thanks for the beauty in the world is helpful. I'm getting there more and more, but mostly what I do is keep busy and that distracts me, but it doesn't make it go away. Thanks for the book recommendation.
stebby> Have you ever researched self flagellation? Cutting and bullimia seem to be a form of that behavior in a sense. A way to get the pain out of the body, throw it up, cut it out, drown it, etc. It's cathartic. Maybe it's finding a different way to release the pain. I think it's a lifetime struggle. I try to do a lot physically, walk, do intense yoga, exercise my creativity, work and stay very busy. But that too can be a form of cutting or throwing up.
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> I'm trying to aim for more balance in my life, but I still struggle, I've been through a lot of stressors this year but I seem to be coping fairly well, but have been doing a little too much self medicating that I'm keeping an eye on, but I try not to judge. Judging just makes me feel worse. I try to accept my circumstances and work harder on having good relationships with the people around me.
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> I look for the beauty in the world around me and give great thanks for it, even if I don't feel like giving thanks. And I feel much, much better when I do that, and it seems like I have many more grace and beauty filled moments. The book "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron gives all sorts of practical tools to explore and discover your strengths and vulnerabilities and help channel your emotions in the right direction. I think it takes a lot of practical work and willingness to take on the responsibility because our relationships with people and our health are what makes this life really rich and fun. When you work really hard and come to new understandings of how to see love and really enjoy this life right now as you stand in it, it's still a struggle.
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> Whatever helps. I'm going to research self flagellation and see what's out there, both illnesses seem to be a type of that. Sometimes I wonder what it is in my personality that drives me to be that way.
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> starlight
poster:stebby
thread:251041
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040905/msgs/386992.html