Posted by mair on February 1, 2002, at 16:54:45
In reply to Re: Shar - Look at this Differently » mair, posted by Dinah on February 1, 2002, at 16:26:33
Dinah - I did think about the point you've made. I don't think Shar's therapist has said in any literal way that Shar can't obsessively think about suicide - just that she can't act. My hope would be that Shar could first put the decision behind her, and secondly that when she started obsessively thinking about suicide, she would not escalate that thinking simply because she felt that acting was not an option. I acknowledge that it's also possible that she can't stop these thought patterns. Your suggestion that Shar work something out with her therapist to allow her to vent these feelings is a good one. I'm sure the therapist doesn't want Shar to vent those feelings in the group, but I don't see why this is not something that she can't continue to discuss in private sessions.
I also think that not joining this group and possibly jeopardizing her relationship with her therapist could lead to obsessive thinking of another sort. I've done or thought stuff before that I thought would jeopardize a therapeutic relationship, or cut me off from medical treatment. It's always felt to me anyway like an act of self destruction. Believing that you're very much acting against your own self interest is hard to live with too. Many of us are in the condition we're in in part because we can't look at ourselves in an uncritical way. Hopefully the group will make a positive contribution to Shar's life. If so, I don't think Shar will second guess herself with the decision to strike this agreement to the same degree that she might second guess a decision not to join a group.
Continuing to believe that Shar is doing herself no favors, I remain
Mair
poster:mair
thread:17208
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020125/msgs/17684.html