Sometimes we run for our entire lives, not knowing why we’re running, not knowing what we’re running from, perhaps not even knowing that we are running. We become good at distracting ourselves, hiding in our caves, or escaping in sleep.

When we stop, for whatever reason, the thing we’ve been running from catches up to us, bumping into us, like the last child in a choo choo train who hadn’t noticed the train had stopped. Only this is not a child’s game. And it hurts.

We call it a “crisis” or a “meltdown”. We say we’ve crashed, we’ve hit bottom, we’ve arrived at the end of the road. It seems like a tragedy and it can feel like life is over, but is it? Perhaps it’s just time to stop running so we can turn and face the thing we’ve been running from. Running never accomplishes much except to tire us and “bone tired” is no way to live a full and happy life.

When the crisis/meltdown/crash happens, there are people who can support us and encourage us, but we and only we can turn to face the demon that caused us to run in the first place. We and only we can look it in the eyes, stare it down, demand to be delivered the message and, finally, accept delivery of it.

The demon has a gift for us. The gift is healing, wholeness, life like we’ve never experienced it before.

You’re not alone. There is amazing, effective help available. I highly advocate Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy [ISTDP],  for four reasons;

1. I’ve been learning about this from my brother, Dr. Allan Abbass, for years now.
2. I recently read his book (several times.)
3. I’ve experienced ISTDP. I can’t say enough about it. It is worth every penny you pay for it. Every. Single. One.
4. In each session, you take a quantum leap toward healing.

Treat yourself to a brief introduction to ISTDP (and meet my brother) in this video. Then find someone in your area who is trained in ISTDP – and go! It’s time to stop running and start living.

Do you know what you’re running from?

Photo credit: Damian Gadal