Some passages I read this afternoon that really hit home with me:
Quote:
It hits you in the stomach. The feeling fills you up--that gut-twisting, handwringing anxiety that is so familiar to codependents. It is what causes us to do much of what we do that hurts ourselves; it is the substance worry and obsession feed upon. It is fear at it's worst.
Yep, that pretty much explains the "panic" feeling I get sometimes when my W does whatever she wants without regard for our M. Now I realize that it's not just my W's behavior, but my reaction to it.
Next chapter was on detaching....talk about timing. One passage that rang out to me:
Quote:
Detaching does not mean we don't care. It means we learn to love, care and be involved without going crazy. We stop creating all this chaos in our minds and environments. When we are not anxiously and compulsively thrashing about, we become able to make good decisions about how to love people, and how to solve our problems. We become free to care and to love in ways that help others and don't hurt ourselves.
I am trying to allow some peace to flow over me. Letting go of the control, and not running to controlling behaviors is a challenge, but I'm going to keep my mind occupied. Off to read some more, work on my dialogue questions and maybe watch a movie!
