Ever on the lookout for glimpses
into therapy, I am grateful to the attentive reader who just sent me this excerpt from New York Magazine’s “Sex Diaries.” The reader prefers to remain anonymous. You will understand why.
Here, it’s all in the
juxtaposition. We witness a young woman’s journey from her therapist’s office to home
care. We get to see how therapy leads to happiness.
One appreciates that the writer, who has never had a relationship and has
only on the rarest of occasions been on a date, is discussing these matters
with her therapist. She might also be discussing her first experience with
BDSM, but perhaps not.
She has been doing therapy for
over six years. Since she is 23… do the math.
Here is what happens in her
therapy session:
8:15
p.m. At
my therapist’s. I’ve been seeing him for over six years. The past year we’ve
almost exclusively worked on my relationships with men, specifically my
tendency to put pressure on guys in order to get some relationship or sign that
they like me. Unsurprisingly, that hasn’t worked for me in the past. Lately
I’ve gotten a lot better at taking a step back and letting relationships run
their course.
Then, here is what she does afterwards, when she gets
home and wants to wind down after what was surely an intense therapy session. (Trigger Warning: this is decidedly NSFW):
10 p.m. I get home from therapy and text the
Dom a photo of my butt plug. I turn on some porn, lube up my butt plug, and use
my vibrator. It is amazing. I fall asleep happy.
You see, therapy has given her a pathway to happiness. I
trust that her story brightens your day.
Ummmmmm, no. No, it doesn't. I get the idea that "therapy" is not helping her.
ReplyDeleteFrom a strictly "harm reduction" perspective: she's probably doing the least damage possible to all human parties, while relieving a bit of stress. I'm not saying the therapy is helping. And I'm not saying my charitable temperament is potentially misguided.
ReplyDelete"11:15 p.m. Pratt and I smoke out of my vape. He’s not making any overt moves to hook up with me, and it’s getting late so I ask if he wants to make out. His response: “I wasn’t expecting this to happen.” At this point, I get kind of annoyed. Why did he think I invited him back to my place?
ReplyDelete8.15 pm At my therapist’s. I’ve been seeing him for over six years. The past year we’ve almost exclusively worked on my relationships with men, specifically my tendency to put pressure on guys in order to get some relationship or sign that they like me. Unsurprisingly, that hasn’t worked for me in the past. Lately I’ve gotten a lot better at taking a step back and letting relationships run their course."
A LOT better, indeed. Someone should ask her money back and make up for at least half a life lost.