How many of you say ’there’s something wrong with me’
'I need to fix this about myself’
‘I need to work on this’
‘I have so much self improvement to do its overwhelming’ .
Because me too.
Yesterday my therapist pointed out how much I refer to myself in terms of pathology (aka there’s something wrong with me).
I label myself as difficult, emotional, anxious, ADHD, all over the place...
My therapist then asked why that is?
Did someone cause me to think there’s something wrong with me?
My answer:
Well, yes
My family has always accused me of being 'too difficult'
'too emotional'
'too sensitive'
They always said there was something wrong with me, that my depression or anxiety needed to be "fixed"
that I’m the black sheep of the family ect. ect. ect…
(My therapist reminded me that my family situation wasn't exactly normal, repressed emotions are not normal. That it's a good thing I don't fit in with my family.)
Realising I carry this 'there's something wrong with me' identity changed my perspective.
My therapist challenged me to think of myself as completely fine and normal.
To believe there is absolutely nothing abnormal about me.
.
.
.
So I challenge you
.
.
to be human.
To believe that It is normal to have emotional reactions, to overthink, to be anxious.
Think about yourself and see if you label yourself in terms of pathology
eg. ‘ I have anxiety’ - 'therefore I need to work on this and fix this'.
And question where that belief came from.
Then reframe it in a non-pathological way:
'yes I may have anxiety about 'something', that’s totally fine and normal, so what can I do for myself to feel less anxious?'
(And even if you are an extra emotional person, or extra anxious, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. We all have different personalities.
Life would be awfully boring if we all had the exact same amount of anxiety/excitement or joy in us ect.)
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Too many human emotions are pathologised when they need not be.
Let us make normal human emotions non-pathological.
Let us embrace the beautiful spectrum of what it is to be a human being.
-Luna