“How Do I Cope With Everything I’m Learning About Myself in Therapy?”
Each week, Your Therapist Friend answers the internet’s questions about mental health, relationships and how to be in therapy.
From a r/therapy post:
How do you cope with everything you learn about yourself?
I started therapy a bit more than 1 month ago. By now I’ve learnt SO MUCH about myself that sometimes I have a feeling that I can’t handle it.
I thought my abused childhood was behind me, but it isn’t. It affects my everyday life, my anxieties, and my relationships. There’s truly a sack of things to unpack, and if earlier I ignored them or wasn’t even aware of them—now they are all in front me lit like pictures in a museum.
I’m psychologically and emotionally overwhelmed. I just want to cry and pity myself. Is there even a way out of this state of mind?
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Oh, friend. I am sorry to hear that you are feeling overwhelmed. If it helps, I want you to know that this is a common response, especially when we’re new to therapy.
You’ve been in therapy for a little more than a month, so my first piece of advice would be pump the brakes. Tell your therapist about what’s coming up for you, and see if there’s a way the two of you can approach the work a bit…
