ANNE ROUGHTON, LICSW
Our stories shape us. Fortunately, we can also shape them.
Many of us learn early in life to focus on other people's wants and needs while ignoring our own. This inevitably leads to feelings of frustration, disappointment and emptiness.
It's a sure thing: Live by a code of all-give, and your life will fill up with takers. Routinely saying yes even when you know you should say no creates a perpetual drain on your time and energy, and can lead to serious problems in your work and relationships.
This pattern can also damage your health. You might do this by chronically overriding the physical signals of fatigue, hunger, restlessness or pain. Or, you might spend years trying to tamp down your distress in ways that do nothing to address what is troubling you, but do take a toll on your body and mind.
Living this way can leave you feeling used up, deeply stuck and way off track.
When you are ready to take your life in a different direction, therapy can help get you there.