Detachment

[tryingtilDorR]

There is no way to escape pain in this process. It's like expecting to have surgery without any post-op pain. Ain't gonna happen. The important focus points are: You are doing all you can to make this as healthy as possible for everyone. And whatever pain you feel, you will survive it, you can handle it, and you will not always feel this bad.

So true. Hopefully over time the pain stings less.

One other thing that I thought was worth mentioning on this thread is that the LBS will come to a point where they intellectually understand that they need to detatch for multiple reasons - maybe initially to affect the WAS because they read that it will help, but later to allow themselves to move forward with their life in a healthy way.

However, even thought the LBS intellectually understands all this, understanding and agreeing with the concept isn't enough to actually do it (in my case anyway). I felt like I understood that detatchment was important and why for many months, but doing it was a longer-term exercise and a gradual process (the degree of detatchment increased slowly over time).

Later, most likely due to the actions of the WAS, the LBS will then detatch for real.

Only then will they have a chance to get the WAS back, but by the nature of the detatchment process they may not want the WAS! How ironic, but it makes so much sense.

I think Puppy or Coach mentioned above that this is kind of a like a game when you actually detatch and look at the situation from the outside-in. I agree. It is a high stakes game with your family in the balance, but you get to a point where you can rationalize that you 'win' no matter what the outcome is.