Ruby is an attractive very intelligent engaging woman in her late fifties. I worked with Ruby briefly in the early 2000's. At that time she was sober and working a 12 step program. Within the last year she came back to me for further work. She was working on what she called her issues with debauchery. Her issues were now food addiction gambling, drinking and smoking cigarettes. Her relapse was profound and causing her much distress. She was able to give up alcohol and food addiction for a clean keto diet but her issues of gambling remained. We discovered that part of the issue was an issue with her husband who was also debaucherous with her. In other words he was her "lower companion". Another stressor in the marriage was her husband was the exact opposite of her politically and he was a very devout catholic and she was more a metaphysical Christian.
As we were dealing with her addictive issues and marriage issues, I asked about childhood trauma. She indicated that she had dealt with that years back with another therapist. She told me the story though. Her father was clearly a malignant narcissist, alcoholic and sadist. He would come into her room when she was just a little girl and would force her to drink alcohol until she would pass out. She did not know if he sexually molested her and she was in a black out. (I assumed that is exactly what happened as he had that reputation in the family and her older sister clearly remembered being sexually molested by him). He also tortured his children. While napping he would approach Ruby with a stand up vacuum cleaner and suck her hair into the roller causing her considerate fear and pain. This man later died by suicide to her great relief.
I was curious to uncover the current patterns that dictated by this early abuse. Ruby was groomed to tolerate a lot of abuse especially from intimate partners. She had been married a few times and all of those marriages were terminated due to abuse or infidelity. Her current husband is kind but very avoidant of conflict which renders him the weaker partner. Ruby wears the pants in this relationship which is the inversion of the previous pattern of overt abuse. Her current husband is passive aggressive rather than overt, the opposite side of the same coin. If Ruby slips and gambles and smokes he slips too. if Ruby abstained from both addictions so does he. She easily takes on the mantle of aggressor and the partner who demands compliance in most areas of the marriage, except for his political views and religious convictions.
As our work together progressed and a good bond was created, Ruby indicated that she was willing to look again at her trauma issues. I was very gentle with her and showed her kindness and empathy as she shared how her past trauma mimicked much of the subsequent trauma. We talked a lot about how she was groomed by her original trauma. I suggested that she create her own room which was to be her sanctuary and she did. We were just about ready to delve into inner child work at this writing. As she read the previous parts of this trauma blog she indicated that she was learning more about self compassion and was willing to implement the work involved in achieving that.
I feel honored to be Ruby's guide through some of the worst trauma I have ever heard. My own motherly instincts guide me in helping her adopt a supportive loving inner mother for her wounded inner child. She is now abstinent from alcohol, gambling, food addiction and smoking! We continue our work together with loving kindness for each other.
Much love and be well,
Michele Happe MA mhappenow.happe@gmail.com 775 230-1507
Search for my Metabolic Mind Page and my Psychology Today page
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