#self directed therapy

[fountainpenchess]

Exposures in reality aim to eliminate obsessions triggered by situations in the real world, your physical and social environment. Exposure activities of this kind require being physically involved with situations that trigger obsessions. Exposures in imagination aim to eliminate obsessions triggered by thoughts and images of imaged dreaded, future events that are impossible and improbable. Exposures of this kind, since they exist only in your mind’s eye, require contact with the imagined triggers. One of the best ways to do exposure in imagination is by writing down the content of your obsessions and recording this scenario on audiotape and listening to it repeatedly for as long as it takes to feel some relief. You can also practice exposure to this scenario by rewriting and rereading it for extended periods of time, again until you feel your distressed lessening. For both types of exposure exercises, it is of the utmost importance that you do not stop them while your anxiety is up. If you do, desensitization is prevented and you can even be further sensitized to the situation you’re trying to neutralize.

— self-directed treatment for ocd: the irony of doing the opposite written by paul r. munford (emphasis mine)

[4starchild4]

I love therapy; I love letting out that sigh of relief that just maybe everything’s gonna be ok in the end ⊹₊｡ꕤ˚₊⊹

[cluescorner]

Randomized Robins AU - Ages + Worst Trait Exercise:

Steph (25):

Says her worst trait is her murderous rages (she is exaggerating for dramatic/comedic effect, she’s killed 3 people tops and for very good reason)

Thinks her worst trait is her spitefulness (one of the few traits she definitely got from her father + one that prevents her from fixing her relationships and living her best possible life. She’ll refuse to interact with someone she dearly loves after an argument (happens significantly less after Tim’s death) or will say things she knows are hurtful just for the sake of having the last word. This trait will worsen in some ways as the list of people who have wronged her and those she loves grows, but will also ease up as she matures and realizes the harm it’s doing to her relationships with those she loves most.)

Her worst trait really is her spitefulness

Cass (26)

Says her worst trait is her self-righteousness (she believes that her goals are righteous and, as a result, she is righteous. Cass becomes very defensive whenever someone questions the mission and often does not second-guess herself. This is a trait she only develops later in life as she grows closer to Bruce/learns to understand herself more/starts to love herself more. But she knows she isn’t perfect and when somebody she trusts criticizes something she is doing she is willing to listen. She just usually isn’t the one to START the introspection.) 

Thinks her worst trait is her self-righteousness. 

Her worst trait actually is her obsessiveness (she gets it from Bruce and, while not as bad as him, she will easily become preoccupied with her night-life and the mission if someone isn’t there to pull her back. She will do this to the point of self-destruction and it hurts her relationships with the people she loves, especially Steph.)

Tim (24)

Says his worst trait is his spitefulness (he actively rejects the idea of mending his relationships with the older members of the family and this causes him to also lack good relationships with the younger ones)

Thinks his worst trait is his obsessiveness (similar to Cass, if he gets fixated on a task or idea he will neglect everything else in his life in order to dedicate more time to it. Unlike Cass, he will almost never be dragged away from it unless Pierrot snatches control of the body and forces them to take care of themself.)

His worst trait actually is how manipulative he is (the KING of guilt-tripping and using people’s emotions against them. He’ll do whatever he needs to do to get what he wants, he’s not above crocodile tears. And he will do it to whoever he needs (or wants) to with little care for how his actions impact others.)

Pierrot (Insists: “Age doesn’t apply to me! And even if it did, I'd probably be the oldest. Or the youngest! I’d never be a middle child, though.” Mental assessments by the Bats have put him around 21, with a margin of error of 3 years. Pierrot has called this “blatant character assassination by my eternal rival!”)

Says his worst trait is that he is an irredeemable psychopath without any regard for the wellbeing of others (this is a lie and everyone who's important to him understands this). 

Thinks his worst trait is his parasitic nature (he literally would not exist had Tim not suffered the way he did. Plus he is a living reminder of one of the worst things that happened to many of his loved ones. He is a parasite injected into a functional person's body and contributes to his continued suffering. This is also a largely incorrect judgement of himself, caused by his actual worst trait.)

His worst trait actually is his limited sense of self (he doesn’t really know who he is outside of ‘inheritor to the legacy of the Joker (a man he despises yet also views as a father)’ and ‘chip in Tim’s brain that became sentient’. He slowly develops an identity over the course of his life and relationships with other people, but he lacks the foundations of identity that most people have. Pierrot will often almost become a caricature of himself and what others perceive him to be because it's the only person he knows how to be. This causes wild swings in how he behaves and relates to others, sometimes to the detriment of himself and others.)

Dick (17) 

Says his worst trait is his clinginess (he is a very extraverted person who likes to be around others, which mixed with his fear of abandonment after his parents died means that if he goes a few days without seeing/talking to a friend he will get very anxious.)

Thinks his worst trait is his anger issues (he gets ticked off very easily and will explode on people. He’s kind at his core and is usually very nice, but he has a temper that can escalate significantly. Spoiler (and later Twist) help him channel this anger into something positive.)

His worst trait actually is his anger issues.

Barbara (18)

Says her worst trait is her disability (internalized ableism, she thinks of herself as less valuable than the other Bats because she cannot be out there in the capes like they can. She will grow out of this as she matures and as she learns how invaluable her support for the team is.)  

Thinks her worst trait is her disability 

Her worst trait actually is her overly-independent nature (In an attempt to overcompensate for everything she can no longer do, she has resolved to do literally everything that she possibly can without any help from others. This results in many instances where she either takes on too much and winds up not being able to fully realize any of her tasks or where she makes her life and the lives of others significantly harder by refusing help when offered/not asking for it when she needs it.)

Damian (16)

Says his worst trait is his perfectionism (he is overly critical of both himself and others, taking any flaw or problem and amplifying it to an absurd degree. This is due in part to his life with the LoA (where even a brief misstep could lead to death), in part to how others treated him initially as Spoiler (any flaw was fixated on and used as a reason to either mistrust him or portray him as unworthy of the mantle), and in part due to the fact that he is Bruce’s son (the only person with worse perfectionism problems than Damian). Gradually, Damian has improved in this regard but it’s still a massive barrier to both his own happiness and his relationships with others.)

Thinks his worst trait is his perfectionism 

His worst trait actually is his perfectionism

Duke (16)

Says his worst trait is his definitely-real secret evil side (says this as a ‘my dad is a villain so who knows??’ joke)

Thinks his worst trait is his impulsivity in his words (Sometimes he will crack a joke or say a remark without thinking it through, leading to a LOT of hurt feelings and drama. He’ll say something without thinking it through and wind up seeming insensitive. This isn’t done because of malice, rather because Duke is someone who’s quick to act and speak. But while the mantle of Insight and his awakening powers have helped him with his actions, they do not always help with his loose tongue. As such, Duke gains an unfair reputation in the media as an instigator and will accidentally cause family drama through what he says.)

His worst trait actually is his impulsivity in his words

Jason (14)

Says his worst trait is his bad manners (he grew up on the streets and has no idea how rich-people society works, which he’s pretty insecure about considering he’s now the youngest kid of Bruce freaking Wayne). 

Thinks his worst trait is his reactiveness (Jason never got the privilege of planning ahead for various events in his life, so he instead needed to rely on being swift and harsh in how he could react to situations. It’s saved his life on multiple occasions and helps significantly in his role as Spoiler, but it can also lead to extreme overreactions (accidentally causing kidnapping scare after Jason ran away following a fight with Dick) and a struggle to plan things out ahead of time. As he grows more secure in his place in the family and in life, this trait will lessen but never fully dissipate.)

His worst trait actually is his reactiveness

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Thinky thoughts;

Abandon ‘ships -> Buck abandoning his relationships with Chris and Eddie because of the basketball accident -> Maddie tries to talk him round but Buck shuts her out (because she tells truths he’s not yet ready to hear -> Buck isolates himself and avoids Eddie at work -> Eddie not letting Buck succeed (hand on shoulder scene) -> Buck goes with Eddie to the Diaz house to talk to Chris (Chris bedroom scene) -> Buck realising he needs to deal with his abandonment issues that stem from his parents -> Buck goes to therapy to get the help he needs

[shigayokagayama]

too scared of those weird ableists who term search personality disorders to accuse random disabled people of abuse apologism to make an indepth analysis post but like is this not a slightly modified version of the speech teru gives to mob in the black vinegar arc

[localratwithcowboyhat]

Anyone wanna send asks /strawpage stuff to distract me from the horrors?

[moe-broey]

Thoughts on Grima in FEH? I personally am a big enjoyer of this horrible little guy getting picked up by the scruff and dragged kicking and screaming into therapy by the summoner.

OOF... UNFORTUNATELY... I have zero complex thoughts about Grima 😅 I do think it's interesting, from the many Grima and Robin interactions in FEH, that there's almost this self-fulfilling prophecy to it, like Grima believes no matter what they Have to be this way. That all roads lead to this, and there's no changing it. And in believing that, they make it their reality.

HOWEVER. I do get really stuck on just. How they talk. Top Ten Least Effective Insults: Worm.

They are like middle school bullies to me...... at least in FEH specifically where they will just harass Robin to no end LMFAOOO (and anyone else they have a bone to pick with)

I do think they can have a little therapy. As a treat :) (they could use it.)

[dandyshucks]

anxious avoidant x anxious avoidant.... what could go wrong! (so much. soooo much. but isn't that oh-so-tasty to explore!!!

[themagikmirror]

🚫 Boundaries AIN'T Automatic ❌❗️

Do you know the difference between needing boundaries and needing to disconnect?

Disconnection is not a boundary.

Boundaries help maintain connections mostly by managing discomforts.

There are some instances where "boundaries" are not helpful because we're never meant to get comfy and cozy in the first place. This doesn't mean you shouldn’t practice speaking up for yourself, communicating discomforts and living in your authentic expression, but it does mean recognize the bigger picture and make sure you are not too focused on managing your discomfort when you really need to disconnect.

via the last of Scorpio transits (including but not limited to the Mercury RX) vs. Saturn in Aquarius

[3liza]

I've been trying to figure out how to respond to this incredible text my dad sent me for three days

[scorpiusmalfoylovesoscarwilde]

me, through gritted teeth and blurry tears, doing literally anything:

it doesn't have to be perfect it just has to exist, it doesn't have to be perfect it just has to exist, it doesn't have to be perfect it just has to exist, it doesn't have to be perfect it just-

[fountainpenchess]

However, you might be concerned that the obsessions will become stronger if you give up your efforts to stop blocking them, or if you deliberately bring them on. Or you might worry that whatever you dread will happen. Paradoxically neither of these outcomes occurs. Instead, the exact opposite happens; you will recover as a result of re-training your brain’s fear system to stop making false alarms about harmless events. You will be desensitized to the previous fear triggers and see them as they truly are — harmless thoughts and images that are simply part of the normal flow of your stream of consciousness. In other words, OCD is erased when the unwanted thoughts images and impulses are faced and embraced.

— self-directed treatment for ocd: the irony of doing the opposite written by paul r. munford

[jonny-b-meowborn]

I go to this support group thingy every tuesday, I love it, the therapist there and most of the people are super sweet, but last week I had. idk. and unpleasant one, I guess. I brought up my concerns about my skin picking disorder, and while I'm not diagnosed with anything I used the word dermatillomania, because I just know the name for that disorder and I'm pretty sure that's it. and the therapist mostly just dismissed it saying that everyone sometimes feels anxious and picks their skin or nails about it. I tried explaining that it's not just that, it happens all the time and on multiple occasions I gave myself an infection from picking skin, but her main giveaway was that I need to think about what makes me stressed and try to do something about it. and then she kinda went on this small, mostly lighthearted rant about youth these days self diagnosing with everything because they hear it on tik tok or whatever. and idk, the therapist is a genuinely lovely lady, so that was weird to hear her be so dismissive about this. I definitely am going to bring my skin picking with my psychologist or psychiatrist if I don't forget tho. it's getting real bad recently and I think I need some professional help with it lmao

[milo-is-rambling]

Me when I tend to lose my shit around big meaningful events and changes and then I started taking my pills daily just in time to hit 100 days taking my meds exactly on January first 2024. what are the fucking odds.

[cardboard-queen]

i’ve realized that i have a very strong ‘gimme positive stimulation’ response to stress.

i may not even consciously know i’m stressed. but my body will call out to me:

“hey. i need something. i wanna smoke something. drink something. bite something. someone. feel someone. something. anything. now.”

and like. it’s a constant uphill battle, finding ways to re-direct that stress response into healthy coping mechanisms, yknow?

i’ve found exercise is by far the most helpful thing for me. but that’s just like. not practical all the time. i can’t workout at 1 am lol.

neither is removing the source of the stress. sometimes you have some control over it. other times u don’t.

anyway. art kinda helps. journaling helps. stretching and breathing exercises often help. reading is nice but doesn’t make it go away.

i think it’s about re-directing the stress. sitting with it, and putting that energy into something tangible. i think that’s really important for me.

[lapdogchase]

babe it's time for your government mandated rumination!