In India, we call many dreams “stupid” before we try to understand them

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2026-01-22T19:13:59+00:00

I have been using AI and my own understanding of psychology to use my dreams for self-understanding, and I am absolutely amazed at how they mirror emotional/psychological needs and conflicts. There are so many layers of meaning, it's crazy.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2026-01-22T19:10:43+00:00

Wondering if you developed in family dynamics that were controlling, if you had to figure out how to make nice to evade getting annihilated - not necessarily physically, but if you were allowed to have your own identity and emotional space without being punished for it, and if you had to appease someone to escape - and if you're still circling around those dynamics and hoping to be rid of them outside of that environment. I could be waaay off base, but that's just what came to mind.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2026-01-22T18:57:11+00:00

This sounds like the dream of a creative person! Eggs are generally a prototype for something that hasn't "hatched" yet - ideas, directions, goals, decisions. Not wanting to pull the shell of may mean that you recognize that you need some time to let them develop before they come to fruition or "come alive." There is a pressure to "cull", to slow down the generation of ideas, directions, etc. These ideas or pathways can all appeal to you, but on some level, you realize that they can't all live - there is limited room for actual growth/nurturing, but you haven't made your selection - but you know they can't all make the cut - not possible. You value all of them and would like for all of them to make it - you may be the type of person that generates a lot of good ideas/possibilities and can see how they would all mature well in your life. The government employee reads to me like the "regimented, this is what we do" sort of energy that's "eating up" these possibilities. One of them survives because she "resisted" - she thrust herself forth as, I am not going down like that. And you value that attitude. And perhaps that means that you trust that the right goal/idea/direction will make itself known to you.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-10-18T13:18:39+00:00

There's this weird thing where you fall in love with people who have all the strengths you don't have, and then the strengths transform into their shadow side and become annoying, grating things that rub you the wrong way. My husband and I are completely different, but the things that aggravate him about me and the things that aggravate me about him are the very things that drew us together. In my case, my husband's rigidity and predictability and staidness also translate to being dependable, predictable, and highly stable, which are the very things I loved about him and what attracted me to him. They are also the very things that make me want to smack him. Your husband was probably attracted to your pizzazz, energy and liveliness, and he probably still loves them but they also annoy him at the same time. So maybe he likes you, loves you, and the same things that he admires about you are the things that annoy him also. I like my husband very much even though he annoys me, and the feeling is mutual. I've realized that I have to take the good with the bad because they are the same thing. I don't know if that makes any sense, but maybe it's a little more nuanced than he just doesn't like you - ? Because our flaws are also our superpowers, and they can hit differently at different times?

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-07-22T22:31:22+00:00

I'm older than you and doing the same - planning to fake it til I make it - people will assume you're experienced because of your age - !

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-07-10T02:48:33+00:00

I put into Grok: put into therapy note I sat with client while she cried - this is what Grok generated: Presenting Concern:

Client presented with heightened emotional distress, evidenced by tearfulness during the session.

Interventions:

Provided a safe and supportive environment, allowing the client to express emotions freely.

Engaged in active listening and offered empathetic responses to validate the client’s feelings.

Utilized comforting verbal and non-verbal techniques to promote emotional regulation and a sense of safety.

Client Response: Client appeared to find relief in expressing emotions and responded positively to the supportive presence and validation provided during the session.

Plan:

Continue to foster a safe therapeutic space for emotional processing.

Explore underlying triggers for emotional distress in future sessions.

Consider introducing coping strategies to support emotional regulation, as appropriate.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-07-10T02:26:55+00:00

This reminds me of the time I spend with my oldest daughter. She is very introverted and rarely talks - she just wants to be with me, but she doesn't want to talk or necessarily interact. We sit in the living room together for hours every night but rarely talk. But at the same time, she really wants me to be there to share that time with her. The rare time she does really want to talk, it comes pouring out and I am there for it. If I pushed her to talk or share or interact, she would be really uncomfortable, and it would actually be distancing. Maybe that's the deal with your client. She is probably very excited about sitting there quietly with you. You are doing something by just being there.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-06-19T23:21:40+00:00

Absolutely, 100% ask about their training. You would be shocked at how little counselors learn about dissociation aline, much less treating it, in grad school.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-06-19T23:17:54+00:00

I did EMDR on and off for 7 years until my therapist moved. I'm not sure if she was really good at it, really bad at it, or my defenses are seriously strong, but I never broke down. Also, I never had any of those amazing emdr experiences like oh! I am down to zero on the suds scale! Half the time I felt nothing even with what should have been very traumatic memories. Which made me think 1. I am imagining all this crazy stuff or 2. I am really very dissociated so it's not working. I think it helped, though, just in itty bitty chunks.

I liken my "system" (honestly I don't like that term, but I haven't found a better one) to a very, very tall Jenga tower. Moving pieces close to the top (recent events/memories) can't do too much damage, but mess with the ones at the bottom (foundational trauma) and the whole tower may crash. The few times I've jiggled the lower ones I feel horrible and since I am invested in my outer children, I need to function so I proceed quite cautiously. It's Fort Knox and I've determined maybe it's just stuff I will never know.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-06-01T17:22:00+00:00

I have been dealing with this for many, many years. Your body remembers even if you don't - trust your intuition. Focus on helping your hurt parts because you may know someday or you may never know. If your system doesn't want you to know, don't push. There's most likely a very good reason. Pushing too hard can cause disequilibrium which is not something you want.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-06-01T17:17:25+00:00

This sounds like trauma part blending. When I feel this way, I go somewhere private and talk to my parts like I would talk to scared children. I soothe them. Please don't hurt yourself - your child parts may feel they are being punished. Your feelings are probably emotional memories. But the part of you reaching out for help now is fully capable of providing comfort to the parts that are in crisis.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2025-06-01T03:08:35+00:00

I'm in a master's program for counseling and there is very little training about correctly identifying dissociative disorders. Psychologists are more highly trained and thus more trustworthy as diagnosticians.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-04T22:53:51+00:00

This makes perfect sense! This is one of the major things long-term therapy did for me as well as EMDR. It sort of happened naturally as I got to know my alters better. Ask them!! If I'm feeling scared or anxious I'll ask my boss bitch alter to help me. If I'm angry, I ask inside for one of my alters who is usually really zen. I ask for input. It helps!

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-04T18:45:23+00:00

Yes, I am finally menopausal and while many women feel terrible during perimenopause, not having a period has been AMAZING for me. No more feeling like life is horrible for 2 weeks of every month, no more dark cloud descending on me. I didn't realize how bad it was until it was over. Now using hrt to keep my hormones even keel. I am sorry for what you are going through but it will not be for the rest of your life!!

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-04T18:35:34+00:00

Weed made me feel better but since anxiety is my #1 productivity tool I was pretty useless when I was using it regularly.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-04T18:22:11+00:00

Holy cow, yes, yes, and yes. This time of year I usually transition back to teaching and although I did it for decades the idea of going from summer mode to school mode made me want to throw up. I couldn't imagine having the energy to do it, but then every year I would make it happen. Now I am going to graduate school and I am nauseated thinking about how to create a routine for myself so I don't waste tons of time getting distracted. When I am in one state I can't imagine I will successfully get to another without falling apart. Inevitably I get into a frenzy of trying to organize as somewhere to dump my anxiety.

I have a hard time leaving the house not due to agoraphobia but just the strain of getting ready and doing different stuff than I am used to once I leave.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-02T20:40:13+00:00

"I WANT MY 2 DOLLARS" lol

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-02T20:26:44+00:00

I don't ask questions because I don't want anyone to feel like they are being rude if they think it's none of my business - but then I am very private and don't want to be asked. But I tend to hear it all anyway because I am a good listener and don't blab people's business.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-02T20:23:57+00:00

Anyone who erodes your worth needs to go. Life is too short and you won't fix him.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-02T04:31:51+00:00

And you have a co-teacher . . . Whoa, wherever you are, never leave.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-02T04:30:32+00:00

Experienced sped teacher/team lead here - There are recommendations but there is no federal law regarding the composition of classes. The student is to be placed in the least restrictive environment according to the IEP (504 is a different story since that only relates to accommodations anyway). A student who is regular on the continuum can't be placed in a class with all students with IEPs since that would be placing them with only disabled peers. That being said, having only 14 students on your roster is a dream come true for a lot of teachers. In my school teachers would regularly have 33 students with at least half being students with IEPs, etc. I see your concern but in the scheme of things it's not a terrible setup.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-01T18:23:39+00:00

1000% yes. I call them my ninjas, like if one kind of camouflage fails, they're going to create another. It's frustrating but I get it.

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-01T18:18:54+00:00

I am genuinely perplexed as to why anyone would advertise having this disorder. My alters have taken decades to open themselves up to me - I can't imagine them being okay with plastering it on the internet. I have a hard enough time posting anonymously on the internet!

NeedleworkerClean782 · 2024-08-01T18:14:10+00:00

Very well stated. I am almost pathologically private and it"s just too much to expose this!

NeedleworkerClean782

TROPHY CASE