Just thinking

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2004
Just thinking
2
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 10:43am
So what do you do when you start to get inside the psyche of your behaviours and uncover certain insightful pieces of information. What do you do w/ this information?

When you start searching deep into why you may behave certain ways and start understanding perhpas why you behave the way you do or what may have caused us to seek an escape from reality with our A's, then what?

Its like "ok great!! and?" Does uncovering some of this information really help to stop recurring similar behaviours?







iVillage Member
Registered: 07-08-2003
In reply to: dipss
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 11:43am
Hi Dipss! I hope you're well today. My two cents: I've broken my anonymity on this board many times: I'm an addict in recovery. A large part of recovery is working the 12-steps which mean you must address these very issues - the triggers. The benefit in identifying the triggers is that when they come up you know what you're dealing with so it may help to put the situation in perspective. It also gives you the great benefit of "the second thought." I don't know about you all, but my first response to a trigger is always the wrong one. It's something dangerous, damaging, or just plain stupid. The thing is that today I know I don't have to act on my first thought. I wait for the second thought to come!, which is usually much saner, and I act on that one instead.

This new level of self-awareness has helped me immensely in handling situations which I couldn't in the past. I'll use this past weekend as an example. I had the trauma of DS6 being hospitalized in very critical condition. I realized this was triggering some emotions for me and that one of my responses to trauma is to escape. I know that I handle escape by using drugs or alcohol, or calling OMM. Today, however, I know, really know, that drugs, alcohol, and OMM are not going to change anything in the long run. They may make me feel more comfortable in the short run, but afterwards, I'm going to be totally sorry. Enter the second thought: find a healthier way to cope. No one has ever died from feeling uncomfortable. Get THROUGH the feeling, don't avoid it by finding an escape.

That's the beauty of self-awareness. If you understand what triggers you and why, you won't respond in a way that causes damage to yourself or others. JMHO.

mo 7-18-10

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2004
In reply to: dipss
Thu, 04-22-2004 - 5:19pm
Dont you wish you could just print out all this great advice and post it up in front of your face! I go back and re-read alot of the advice I get to help me stay focused.

Thank you. You brought some simple clarity as to why I need to understand the reasons behind my actions.

I dont know any of you personally but I swear I love you guys! Thanks for always giving me such great advice.

Can you tell that my personality is an emotional mush pot?

ps - how is your son doing?