Posted by Dinah on March 30, 2004, at 8:12:25
In reply to Poet: My 'hack' may have left you high and dry, posted by 64Bowtie on March 29, 2004, at 22:30:10
Rod, are you insulting "inner children"? Are you saying that they aren't worthwhile? That they aren't worth listening to? That therapists should just ignore them? That people should just ignore their own "inner child"?
Or do you just lack belief? It doesn't sound as if you lack belief since you appear to say it's harmful to get in touch with your inner child, and it's better to stay with the grown up part of you.
Getting in touch with your inner child often doesn't have much, if anything, to do with getting in touch with the purity and sensibility of our youth. And not much to do with missing our childhoods. For many of us, getting in touch with the younger self within means soothing a part of us that is hurting and angry. And a part that the "grown up" part of us has tried to ignore and silence if not do away with for most of our lives. Because it's darn inconvenient to have a part of you that hurts and that is angry. Ignoring it and hoping it goes away seems a much better and more sensible alternative.
But guess what? "Inner children" won't be ignored forever. They'll scream to be heard and make your life difficult until they're heard.
Not because they're bad. Not because they want attention. Not because they're horrible. Because they hurt and because they're hurting has been minimized, ignored, and scoffed at by the "grown up" part of their being. It's not so horrid to want to be heard. It's not even terribly childish.
poster:Dinah
thread:330138
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040327/msgs/330248.html