Enlightened Choices Newsletter for Women's Trauma Issues - From WIIT - The Women's Institute for Incorporation Therapy - Offering women's treatment programs for acute symptoms of psychological trauma including depression, bipolar, borderline personality, child abuse, sex abuse, trauma, survivor, dissociative disorder, PTSD, multiple personality, D.I.D., ritual abuse, incest and other trauma issues.

Self Concept:
Mapping the way through Recovery

“Sometimes we wish for things that we really don't want" Survivors generally wish for certain things because we know that we will never achieve them. Recovery from psychological trauma is one of these things that we wish for. People have told us that we will never get better or that we did not do something “right" enough. If we find the way, our reaction to reality is fear and doubt. We had underestimated the amount of new skills which are needed. Since we only have a short length of time in recovery and the new skills take so much effort, we instinctively go hack to our old painful patterns. Our old patterns were mastered only to keep us in a defensive position to guard against the frequent emotionally paralyzing events. These old patterns never worked before to help us to be functional in every day life, so what makes us think that they will work now?

This reminds me of an adolescent who wishes for the day they can leave their home and live on their own. When it actually comes true, they find themselves afraid and lost due to ineffective skills for the higher level of responsibility needed for their new independence.