8th session today. I showed him my horny 大尺度傑作 and after reading he asked if this is a 春文 hahahahaah
also shared my brief death plan, and how I was crying yesterday night because I watched a photographer's trip to Aomori (one of the top places in my travel bucket list- for non-suicidal reasons), when I learnt that it was one of the places with highest snowfall and I spent the whole vid imagining which pile of snow should I lie and die on. And there was a scene of the photographer in an outdoor onsen, with all the snow surrounding, and I was wondering how come I would want to give up the coziness of the hot spring bath and choose to die in such coldness in the dark snow alone- it was quite 唏噓 honestly and I felt 矛盾 by my choice。(I think I delivered this point accurately in therapy with the correct emotion words impromptu without a script and I felt lowkey proud as a person who struggle to describe their own feelings.)
Also asked him about I thought I did cry previously during sessions, and he said yeah and back then he said "I haven't cried in front of him", I did cry when I was curling on the couch but he didn't see it. So my question was cleared. (I was lowkey amazed at how he remembered what he said an entire week ago, holy shit his memory was strong)
back to the title. Arthur was saying I was giving mixed signals of wanting him to be closer/ craving for a personal relationship with him yet I kept emphasizing he is replaceable in a sense that if another therapist was at his position I would've reacted the same to him. (Although actually I can't 100% replace because I am judgy towards Billy LOL- so he said there is still a personal aspect to it right?) He was wondering if I am wanting a personal relationship with him or an impersonal one, and if I am avoiding to admit something/ holding back/ 玩緊佢/ whatever, he was just thinking what's going on. I thought long and hard and I don't know. I also think I was kinda playing with him but it wasn't the main reason- at least I wasn't that evil and I actually need him and not treating him entirely like my toy imo. But I know my mind wanted to escape from this question so badly, because my mind was blank and ultra slow from thinking about this and instead many new topics popped up in my head. I told him I wanted but at the same time I don't and shouldn't and was scared if he really did turn this into a personal relationship, and then I gave some examples of real life merged with imaginary ones. But I am not entirely sure if I had encountered in a truly personal relationship in which I indulge wholeheartedly. So this question became a take-home question for me.
He also talked about being authentic in such a relationship but I forgot what exactly he said, oops. I recalled I think he wants me to be more authentic and thus he would also need me to verbalise instead of showing him my blogs and other word stuff, because I have already slacked off from my practice, especially on difficult topics many times that way lol.
First I think I should define what is a "personal relationship" and what's "impersonal". In Arthur's sense I think we were discussing on a basis of wholeheartedness, authenticity and actual closeness. But how close is close? Is it necessary to be 100% wholehearted in a personal relationship? How is authenticity different from honesty?
Checked my little journal book where I contemplated how "healthy" is defined (previous take-home question). In there after thinking if it should be compared between oneself or with others, I eventually arrived at the conclusion "About how values are defined by the person himself. Perhaps 'healthy' is the same". But now I was thinking I should refine my sentence a bit. It should be the "weight of such values" that is subjective. Values should technically have a general social consensus thus an objective definition, if it is purely based on personal opinion, the terms would not have a common meaning, or else we would be having a "hivemind" which was highly unlikely lol. And healthy/ healthiness should inherently be a subjective feeling and a description, not a value. Health is a value though, depends on how you see it. So they kind of worked differently but anyways the conclusion from the start still stands. Oh my this is getting abstract.
Wholeheartedness with a degree means it's subjective, same with closeness.
Authenticity I think this word gives me a one or nothing vibe (i.e. you can't be half-authentic that's not authentic, but you can be half-honest and give white lies??) so I guess it is a value.
(I lowkey think I shouldn't be breaking such an "emotional" thing scientifically into factors but it's too tangled so this is the only way I could do it to make my brain turn a bit)
... ate an antihistamine for my itchy body and now I'm drowsy. Maybe I will think about it tomorrow. I was already thinking since afternoon and it's enough. I have the whole week to ponder on this and face what I am trying to avoid.
minor edit: fed this diary entry to Claude and here is her response:
Would you like to explore:
What makes a relationship feel "safe enough" to be personal?
The function of maintaining distance while seeking closeness?
How intellectualization both helps and hinders processing?
What "authentic" means to you specifically?