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The reason i used the word shame, is because thats exactly what it is, i regret something, then i beat myself up over it for a long period of time. I have a very vivid memory of so many events in my past that i have placed blame on myself whether blame was warrented or not. And as time went on triggers developed taking me back. whether it be a song, smell, movie, etc.
During my last tour of duty of therapy, we stumbled on the fantasy bond, which is mentioned in the book im reading "healing the shame that binds you." Since i left therapy, for financial reasons, this is the first time i have since heard that term. As i began to read on, many of the topics began to hit home and hit home hard. I love my parents dearly and they raised me with love and affection. Never in my wildest dreams would i have thought they could have been the source of so much of my pain. My mom was raised by a loving mother and father. Her dad worked in the mills and drank, he was an alcoholic and sometimes he would get aggressive. She also had bouts with depression, growing up I was there for her, Mommy was sad so i wanted to make her happy. Boy if would have known then, what i know now. In doing so i developed that fantasy bond with her. As i grew up, people would ask me what i wanted to do when i got older, my answer was always "help people" at that point it was ingrained in me. But in all reality i had no clue on how to help myself. I moved out for college, she sobbed, like any normal mother would. But every time i went home to visit, it was the same sobbing, i only went to school an hour away. I have not lived under their roof for 12 years and still its the same thing, she sobs when we part. I would think after a while you'd get used to the idea of me being away, i have. And when i go home to visit, she will save things for me to do, because my brother or father wont do them...which i dont think is true. She would always tell me that i was and always would be her baby, i am the youngest, but after a while that seemed kind of weird. Maybe that was her way of keeping me young, while doing so, she never let me develop. She was protecting me, like she protected her mother while she was growing up. I guess what i mean by this rambling, is i wish i could have scrapped my knees a bit more as a kid.
I greatly appreciate your time and input!
ICView Thread

I appreciate your feed back, its kind of nice to know that my radar isnt to far off. As far as bringing it up, i try to avoid it as much as i can, but the question always seems to pop up. I dont want to sound arrogant, but I am a decent looking guy and i am in good shape, so maybe they wonder why im single? Because the divorce question usually pops up after they ask if im seeing anyone and i say no, i have been asked why not? So that double edged sword creeps up again, either i say, im just not looking for a relationship (to which they assume i am lying, because im not attracted to them or because i have issues, which i clearly do, lol) or i can say, im not ready for one, same assumptions apply, then enter the divorced quesiton. Which i agree with you totally, about just leaving it at divorced. But being a woman, if you are talking to someone whom you find remotely attractive, you wont just let him get away with that type of a lame answer. So they pry, if i say i dont want to talk about it, it seems as if im hiding something, which i am. If i am honest, my insecurities come out and im screwed either way. I know that i do have a lot of unresolved issues with it, but i am working on those. To be honest i am in no place mentally or emotionally for that matter, to really get into another relationship. In terms of delivery, i tend to be a bit on the dry/sarcastic side, so bitter makes sense. Wouldnt be the first time i have been saddled with that title, but i have a lot of walls up, so thats my defense mechanism i guess.
Thank you so much for the well wishes and your time, i really do appreciate your input.
ICView Thread

Thanks for chiming in!
ICView Thread

Sorry for sounding so judgemental, i didnt mean to come off that way and after i posted, i said shoot there was something i wanted to add and it was just that. I appreciate your clarification and i am sorry to hear about your grandfather. But his advice is spot on. As far as my divorce, it wasnt a mutual ending of the relationship, there were things that i had done, that she deemed unforgetable. No i did not cheat on her or anything of that sort. So my concern is that when i do tell some that i am divorced and that it was more her doing than mine...the obvious assumption would be that im a complete jerk or idiot...insert adjective here. When in all reality im not. Its just amazing that one decision can affect your life in ways you would not have ever imagined.
thanks again for the reply!View Thread

Sorry it took so long for me to respond, was on Vacation
While on vacation i started reading a really good book about healing shame. So to answer your question as to why i dont care or love myself, i would have to say, Shame. To be more specific, Toxic Shame as the author put it. There is healthy shame, that we all feel, when we do something wrong what have you. But Toxic Shame has a way of staying with you and eatting away at you from the inside. As i was reading this book, i felt like i was reading a life story and a lot of things made sense. As to why i felt the way i do and it did offer many theories and ways to help heal your shame. I still have a few sections left to go in the book, so more insight is on the way. Thanks again,
ICView Thread

Let me first say that i do enjoy reading your posts, we tend to agree on many topics...Until this one
I do agree that you do need to have your best interest at heart, after all, we control our own happiness. I am a few years older than you and I am divorced, it pains me to say that your opinion on divorced men, seems to be fairly standard...sucks for me. I dont have any children, thank god. But after a divorce debt does seem to become a bit of a burdon, but it is something that you can dig yourself out of. I guess my question is, if a guy is divorced, what makes that such a deal breaker? Is that any different than a guy who was with his girlfriend for 5 or 6 years before parting ways? My next question concerns dating someone with a serious health issues, Im going to assume you mean some type of life threatening illness. Disease is a part of life and you could be with the love of your life and 2 or 3 years into a relationship, they could become sick, god forbid. Would you leave them, because they are now ill? I am pretty sure you wouldn't. So hypothetically, if you met someone and you hit it off and 6 months into the relationship, he tells you that he has a terminal illness, what would you do then?
I am just curious as to how you view those situations. And congrats on clearing up your "baggage"
ICView Thread

Mike, long distance relationships can be taxing and job hunting and her being in school can make it tough for your schedules to jive. There is an old saying, abscence makes the heart grow fonder. I have been in a long distance relationship and unfortunately it did not work out. Sadly i knew it wasnt working, but i didnt want to hurt her feelings, although eventually doing so. At the end of the day it is only 2 hours, be spontanious, call her on a friday and say, i want to have lunch/dinner tomorrow, meet me half way! If she misses you as much as you say, she should be willing, obviously if she has school or work that could be difficult, but its worth a shot. Best of luck!View Thread

i appreciate your input and your time, i have forgiven my ex. For me forgetting something and moving on is much easier said than done, i have a very active mind and an extremely strong memory. So something as simple as a song or jingle or smell for that matter can take me back and almost act as a trigger. And my mind is always thinking, not racing, just a lot of thoughts tend to flow thru my head.
As for family and friends, I do care about them, the person who i have a hard time caring about or loving is obviously myself.
Again, thanks for your time and concern, it is appreciated.View Thread


What ever you decide, follow your heart and good luck!View Thread
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