Monday, 21 January 2019

Is It Normal to Fixate on a Bad Experience?

From a teen in the U.S.: A few days ago something bad happened. I would rather not go into too much detail but something extremely inappropriate was said to me by a relative who lived with me. I told my parents what happened and the situation was handled. Ever since then, however, any time I try to relax my mind just replays what happened over and over and I make myself anxious and scared.  I begin questioning if it even actually happened, or if maybe I misheard what was said, even though I am positive I heard correctly. Part of me almost thinks I shouldn’t have told anybody because of all the trouble it’s caused but, I know it was the right decision. I guess what I’m wondering is: Are these relatively normal responses to this kind of situation?

Yes. It’s absolutely normal. Something happened that has caused you to significantly change the way you look at the world and your place in it. Basic assumptions you’ve made about your family and your safety have been challenged in a big way. The replays are your mind’s effort to make sense of what happened. Apparently, your parents came through for you which, I imagine, is very reassuring. None the less, you are struggling with a loss of innocence and trust that is very, very hard to handle.

Because something is “normal” doesn’t mean that you don’t need some help. A therapist can provide you with tools for metabolizing the experience and for learning from it. I hope you will consider seeing a mental health professional who specializes in trauma and teens. I think you will find it validating and useful.

I wish you well.

Dr. Marie



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