Posted by shelliR on May 15, 2001, at 12:29:06
In reply to Re: New here ....To Shelli, posted by Waterlily on May 14, 2001, at 12:00:01
> What is bodywork? Is that something like biofeedback? Does progressive muscle relaxation do basically the same thing? I never really thought of depression as stemming from some place in the body.Hi Waterlily. Hopefully this post won't go floating out into space, but I'll copy it just in case.
I feel my depression totally in my body--mostly right in my chest. My assumption is that as a child during really awful times I would hold my breath and the repetition of this created a horrible tightness there. With body therapy, we talk first about what I am feeling, then she does some message mostly on my chest to open it up. Lately, since I have such a disconnect between my thoughts and feelings, she had been working on making that connection by working both on my head and chest. Before I leave we talk again-- about what has come up for me. Feelings come up for me that are blocked in talking therapy, so it has been a good combination therapy for me.
However, for financial reasons, I am taking a break from it--I pay so much for insurance and co-payment insurance that I have little else to spend on alternative therapies. I own a small business and it's set up as a c corporation so I can deduct all medical expenses, but still I can't spend more than I earn!
It really seems like you really know your answer about therapy. You can afford it, your husband is being really supportive about it, and you feel like your current therapist is helping you. Go for it!
I do think that one should always have specific articulated goals in therapy. (My current therapist is a major advocate of that). It seems to keep me from going in circles. We set both short term goals and long term goals (with no time frame on the long term goals.) I think it really helps me to really use therapy for change, rather than just having someone to listen to me. So I think in the long run, even in long term intensive therapy it may cut the total time down. (IMHO)
Shelli
poster:shelliR
thread:5976
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010511/msgs/6013.html