This was during a psychological consultation after the pandemic.
When she entered the consultation room, her eyes were noticeably swollen, betraying a deep-seated emotional turmoil.
As soon as she sat down, tears began to flow unabated. I chose not to interrupt but simply offered my presence as silent support. After several minutes marked by deep breaths, her tears gradually subsided.
"How are you feeling now? Can you tell me about it?" I gently inquired.
"I..." she began, only to be overwhelmed by her emotions once more. This time, her crying seemed less intense, slightly easing her distress.
I remained patient, conscious that any premature intervention might feel intrusive or judgmental. In moments like these, even a well-intentioned greeting could be misinterpreted.
When she regained her composure, I asked again, "When you're ready, could you share what's troubling you?"
Tears, in my view, are not just expressions of sadness but also outlets for pent-up emotional energy.
According to Leslie Greenberg, the pioneer of emotion-focused therapy, it's essential to fully understand and process these emotions for genuine relief.
An emotion must arrive before it can leave. Otherwise, the underlying pain persists, often resurfacing with time.
Miss Marywood eventually shared her fears stemming from the pandemic. She recounted an incident at a supermarket where she accidentally touched her tongue after handling some groceries. Given the multitude of people who had touched them, the thought that the items might be contaminated filled her with dread. Despite rinsing her mouth and washing her hands, her fear remained unassuaged. Rational discussions with friends and family about her fears only seemed to intensify them.
Thus, she repeatedly washed her hands with an uncontrolled urgency every time she left or returned home, occasionally washing for over thirty minutes.
Our initial session focused on mindfulness exercises to help stabilize her emotional state. These practices, centered around regulating her breathing and mitigating her fear response, brought her some temporary relief.
In our second meeting, she reported feeling calmer for a few days, and life seemed more manageable. However, the panic soon returned. She expressed an overwhelming fear of infection, plagued by what-if scenarios and heightened by constant online searches about infection probabilities.
The catastrophic thought triggers the compulsive behavior of hand washing. However, I contend that the fundamental source of anxiety extends beyond the mere fear of germs. It is imperative to delve further into understanding the true essence of our worries.
Despite the pandemic's waning, her fear persisted, bordering on the irrational. Miss Marywood also disclosed her arrhythmia, which exacerbated her anxiety, leading her to believe that any infection could prove fatal.
By our third session, she had resorted to disinfecting her entire home. Although this brought brief calm, her terror inevitably resurfaced.
Our fourth meeting, however, took an unexpected turn...
Disclaimer: This simulated case is a composite based on many such cases from my clinical practice over the years. There may be an apparent resemblance to any one individual since the situation depicted in this vignette is relatively common. However, any such resemblance is accidental. The names are manufactured and do not refer to any one actual person.
Image from www.pexels.com , edited by #professionalkarmamaker