Getting Personal

Nicest thing happened.

I hadn't pushed this blog on friends and family. Like I didn't tell anybody, You HAVE to read my blog, okay, and while you're at it would you PLEASE, PLEASE, comment?

I had too much dignity and it wasn't for them, anyway, it was for patients, for people who wanted a little psycho-education for their surfing efforts.

The extended family knew it was up there and either

a) had no time to read it
b) couldn't find it
c) had been been kind enough not to say anything (thank you), or
d) were terrified that I'd soon out them somehow. YES!

But for some unconscious (not) reason, Ihadn't pushed it on my friends, either. Not very much, really. My excuse again, this blog is to better explain concepts to patients and lay people, even budding therapy docs who don't know much about therapy, especially family and relationship therapies.

So why get personal, right?

That was what I told myself.

It's true that I also didn't want to hear people tell me they didn't get it, that I wasn't a good writer, didn't exactly teach what I'd wanted to teach. As a person who has had to edit so many drafts of papers written for journals, not to mention a dissertation (those are long, and formatting is exceedingly tedious), I know myself and know that there would be even greater temptation to waste even more time editing and re-editing entries if people actually gave me feedback.

But it's not been a personal blog because. . .well. . .like many people, I fear rejection. Fearing rejection is one of the top five reasons people avoid emotional intimacy. I have yet to post on one of the five reasons people avoid intimacy, but suffice it to say that rejection is at the top of the list. People are social animals.

Anyhow, an acquaintance of mine in the community DID get a look at the blog somehow and emailed me the following:

I like the blog for lay people who need to recognize issues and that treatment is available from a normal, . . person who is funny. But, as a professional person who deals with mental health issues every day of the week, I want to know what does Linda think. . . what is going on inside Linda's head as she hears things. I know what goes on in my head (or mostly I haven't the slightest idea of what is going on until I am driving home and re-thinking the day) and I'm too darn tired/cranky/bitchy to write about it. How does Therapydoc manage the stresses, sad stuff and downright awful things she hears? . . .you're what the reader wants to know about!

CRINGE, seriously, but thanks, Mim. On all levels. Made me think, always dangerous, but worthwhile.

Of course I tried to turn it on her, Mimi, you should start blogging. I'll read it and tell everyone else to read it, and bingo, you're a blogger! but it didn't work. She insisted that a blog needed the blogger.

So I ask readers. IS IT TRUE? Should I be doing this? Outing myself and everyone else in my ecosystem in the process? (Ha)

Okay. I'll think about it.

I have to go find a mask.

Copyright 2006, TherapyDoc