@Former-Member @Oaktree @Appleblossom @Anastasia @Dimity
@bipolarbunny @Mazarita @Shaz51 @Sophia1 @frog
@Appleblossom @greenpea @Olga
Hello Always-hope and Everyone else
Thank you @Former-Member , for your response to my essay regarding Counselling and Therapy.
The cyclone and the subsequent requirement for action was actually a stimulus and beneficial input, that caused me to review my present position. So it had a positive effect in that regard. It stimulated me to be aware of issues, in the recent past, that I continue to need to deal with. The issues in that recent past are those that are reflections and reactions, of and to, the background of past traumatic events.
I find it interesting that, while I am writing this response to you, I am still trying to minimise, or think that I am making too much of, those past events. That very conscious act of “minimisation” is a barrier to my dealing with those events from my childhood and teenage years. The “Oh, Henry, your making too much of this!” response. I am using my real name in that expression. It is not fictitious or happening to some-one else. We can displace our feelings by thinking of them as belonging to some-one else, even a pseudonym character and avatar, which can be one unfortunate consequence of our “fictitious existence” on this site.
It is interesting, and possibly counter intuitive when thinking of the aftermath of a disaster, that positives can be apparent. Those positives, for me, exist as a result of the absolutely wonderful manner and attitude of all the people from first responders, in the SES and Fire Services, through to the people dealing with the disaster relief services, who are from more public service, government organisations. Their input, in those ways, has been assuring, affirming, and a reason for me to reconsider my position in a more positive way than I have been doing more recently. Their responses, and those of friends and associates in the community, have actually lifted me up in various ways. In other words, the fact that people, many of whom were virtually strangers to me, cared as much as they did, gave me another perspective on my life, that was so much more positive.
So consequently, the repairs and picking up of my life in general, has not been a struggle based on insecurity and vulnerability. But rather, while the events have made me feel exposed in various ways, and very likely because of that, the stimulus to and for me, has been positive and moved me in a much more confident and reassured manner.
The physical difficulties, that I have at this stage of my life are more to do with diminished capacity that come from increasing age, although I am aware of the recent and long term past reactions and the consequently engaged psychologically negative reaction to past issues and circumstances, that also impose their effect on my physical capacity.
In a sense, the displacement of feelings has also been positive. The feelings associated with past early life events have been to some significant degree, displaced by the feelings of assurance, appreciation, self worth, that have arisen from the activity of all the people, to whom I have referred above, in the events related to and following the cyclone.
However, I am aware, that unless I reinforce those feelings, using them as a springboard, to again face and deal with the old negative self perceptions and low self-esteem, (that are still "under the carpet") through counselling assisted self awareness and development, I am likely to slide back and lose the recently gained advantage and psychological ground.
Time is certainly a factor, and I am aware that the more quickly I take advantage of and reinforce the recently acquired gains, the greater the opportunity to apply those gains in the life in front of me.
With My Best Wishes
Henry X
