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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by shadowmon on July 27, 2008, at 3:23:01
I know that is kind of a silly question to ask, but I am curious... I have a lot of issues in my life pertaining to self esteem, probably my upbringing, bullying and emotional ebuse from a former marriage... all of which have led me here, for help with my depression and my anxiety issues. Has anyone gone through long term therapy to heal core identity issues? Is is truly possible to heal your past?
Posted by Sigismund on July 27, 2008, at 4:29:39
In reply to does therapy heal?, posted by shadowmon on July 27, 2008, at 3:23:01
This is not a silly question.
This is an excellent question, to which you will not receive a satisfactory answer from me.
If, when I was 20, some jerk had said to me 'Since you don't have a core, there is nothing to heal', I would have been distinctly irritated.
But I feel more like that now, 20 years after my interminable therapy.
When you feel wounded it just takes ages and ages to feel any better.
I'm not saying nothing can help.
Feeling part of a group, feeling known and accepted, was important for me.
Posted by Sigismund on July 27, 2008, at 15:48:48
In reply to Re: does therapy heal?, posted by Sigismund on July 27, 2008, at 4:29:39
>Feeling part of a group, feeling known and accepted, was important for me
So the question naturally arises....
Did therapy help me with whatever the trouble with that was?
45 years after the event it is clearer to me.
It was trauma and I was frightened, and my efforts to deal with that (like lots of my efforts) were often worse than useless.
(Now I would adivise my earlier self just to ACCEPT my situation, as my therapist did so often.)
So, to pursue this a little, what would I advise a young friend to do about this if they felt as I did?
I suppose I'd start by asking if martial arts had any attraction.
Anyway, I had the feeling (from when I was 14 or so) that something was very wrong and I needed to take myself to bits and put myself back together.
My wonderful English teacher said I must be a masochist.
Later people on the left (this was the 70s) would question the whole therapy model. But I knew there was something wrong (that was a safe bet; isn't there always?).
In the end we have to walk this life alone, finding such friends and help as we can, which may include therapy. There's nothing magic about it though.
This is all pretty damn inconclusive though, isn't it?
This is the end of the thread.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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