How can you tell what came from where?

[justnothing]

This is something I've been wondering about for a long time now… When you have a certain issue that you want to work on and multiple potential sources for it (i.e. your disordered parents being just one potential cause) how can you tell where it came from?

[GeekyGirl]

If it's something that I really want to explore, I'll talk about it with DH (who has heard a lot over the past few years, poor guy) or my T. My T is pretty good at guiding me in the right direction.

Keep in mind that there might be multiple sources for an issue and no "smoking gun," or certain lone cause.

[justnothing]

Funny you should say that… I asked my T the same question a few weeks ago and she also answered with "ask your T"… (though I guess it goes without saying she'd say something like that…). She is indeed one of the main sources I use but sometimes I feel like she might not have an answer herself… though like you say, sometimes the same thing can have many sources…

[cartman1]

If it's something that I really want to explore, I'll talk about it with DH (who has heard a lot over the past few years, poor guy) or my T. My T is pretty good at guiding me in the right direction.

Keep in mind that there might be multiple sources for an issue and no "smoking gun," or certain lone cause.

My T is the same. I will talk and he will say "How does that make you feel." and I won't know but then I "If I give an answer I think I'm right about then he will usually say "Are you sure." which makes me go home and go over and over it in my head and usually find some more emotions and answers!

[justnothing]

My T is the same. I will talk and he will say "How does that make you feel." and I won't know but then I "If I give an answer I think I'm right about then he will usually say "Are you sure." which makes me go home and go over and over it in my head and usually find some more emotions and answers!

Thanks, I try to do that with her but it doesn't always help completely.

[GeekyGirl]

Funny you should say that… I asked my T the same question a few weeks ago and she also answered with "ask your T"… (though I guess it goes without saying she'd say something like that…). She is indeed one of the main sources I use but sometimes I feel like she might not have an answer herself… though like you say, sometimes the same thing can have many sources…

My T is good at playing devil's advocate and asking leading questions... .  not because he doesn't have answers, but he feels strongly that I need to figure out the answers myself. Do you think your T could be doing something similar?

The other thing you might want to think about is the possibility that you may not be able to pin this issue down to a cause. I know that would be very frustrating, but do you think you'd be able to deal with the issue if you aren't able to find a definitive cause?

[justnothing]

Well I would like to think my T is doing something similar… it would be better than the alternative…

As for whether I can deal with something without knowing its' cause… I suppose that's probably possible (from what I understand people somehow do that…) I've just always causes more helpful (a lot more than behaviorism for example). I reckon I'll look into that.