Posted by Tamar on December 1, 2005, at 13:54:08
In reply to Re: sexual issues in session ***Trigger***, posted by B2chica on December 1, 2005, at 11:04:09
Hi B2C,
What you describe is totally normal. It happens to me too when I talk about what happened to me. I found it shocking and distressing for a long time until I learned that it’s an automatic response. Like Daisy said, our bodies respond to certain stimuli by becoming physically aroused, even if we don’t feel emotionally aroused.
It’s very common for people to respond physically to abuse or assault; in fact I think it’s probably inevitable. It doesn’t mean you enjoyed it. Some people have orgasms during an assault but that still doesn’t mean they enjoyed it. Physical arousal and orgasm are simply physical responses to things that happen to us. Whether we feel good or bad about it depends on the context.
The same arousal response happens when we talk about it, for pretty much the same reasons. Talking about it elicits the same emotions and physical sensations that we felt when it happened. If we were talking about something pleasant we would feel pleasurable sensations, but when we’re talking about something unpleasant we feel unpleasant physical sensations. And therapy can intensify these sensations.
I know when I got physically aroused in therapy I found it very uncomfortable and embarrassing. I often feel disgusted and afraid when my body gets aroused. However, I think being aware of the physical sensations, and the emotions we associate with them, is a step towards dealing with it.
I hope that helps a little.
Tamar
poster:Tamar
thread:584138
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20051130/msgs/584235.html