Her feedback
Situation before the therapy
Always scared that something bad is going to happen. I need somebody who can help me understand myself. Sometimes I feel anaesthetized, I do not feel my body, also when I am biking, and that is something I really liked doing when I was a child.
I feel I am transparent as other people seem unable to see me. I can’t stand people here in this country and I resent being discriminated, I did not expect life to be so difficult here.
I am always alert, always moving, if I am at home then I am cleaning the flat. I sometimes have sudden movements and I feel threatened.
In Africa I ended my relationship with Frank but he is still a part of my life and always in my thoughts. I still depend on him, sometimes I feel guilty and think I should have taken different decisions, then we would still be together. I find it very hard to imagine a future without him.
Situation now
I have taken very important decisions. I moved back to my country after being away for five years. I want to stay an build something here. I did not think I would have been able to do something like this.
I have cleared the situation with Frank and I feel ready to start a new relationship.
The key word has been CONTACT. Contact with my body, my inner world, other people, become visible, express my needs and what is important for me.
I understood a lot of things about Frank, about our relationship, the way I was without frontiers, without boundaries. I was feeling responsible for him without realizing it, responsible for his family, his past and his pain.
I realized my anxiety was a strategy in order not to feel other emotions like anger.
I have no idea where I would have been now without all of this.
Paula
Although I would define myself as a positive and happy person, I have always been fluctuating between moments of extreme happiness and moments of intense sadness. Normally it is no problem for me to cope with these feelings, but few months ago my depressing emotions prevailed, and I found myself unable to get back to my equilibrium. Everything seemed too much or too heavy, and I had the feeling I was not able anymore to distinguish between the reality and my dark-colored interpretation of it. Moreover, since I am a foreigner in this country it was difficult for me to comprehend the reactions of the people around me, and I was feeling even more isolated. So I asked help to Lidia. She helped me to recognize the situations in which I tend to lose contact with reality, and helped me to develop “the tools” to neutralize them. Now I feel much better, and I know that next time I will be in a depressing moment I will be able to face it with the right weapons!
Silvia