Ep 0054 – Therapy and Foolish Fun!

Laurie sits at a table in a pink striped tank top checking out her recorder in the park
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It’s really hot! Here I am in my sleeveless shirt getting ready to don my hat and walk around the park spilling my guts about therapy and introducing our new ‘Foolish Fun’ feature.

Podcast Recap

Therapy is tough, so after sharing my experience I lighten the mood by introducing a new feature called Foolish Fun. Hear the song that lets me hold and pet Gracie every morning even though she is a skittish and touch-adverse kitty. Cheryl comments on Day 53. Shout-outs to Debcaf2 for her 5-star review on iTunes and to Michelle once again for her excellent comment on Day 43 about Binge Extinction techniques.
Laurie's hat, water and assorted stuff on the picnic table at the park

The picnic table at the park where I usually eat my green apple and ‘mic up’ prior to walking and talking.

Gracie the cat laps milk

Gracie laps up her milk on the VERY day the Milky Song was recorded for Laurie’s Foolish Fun

Grace, a traditional tabby and Tiger, a marmalade tabby, sit side by side gazing out of a window

Gracie and Tiger – Mama and Son, like peas in a pod. Love them!

Mentioned

Cheryl’s great comment about using a check register as another method to lighten up against perfection on Day 53

Michelle’s epic post about Binge-Extinction on Day 43

Want to be Foolish too?

Hey BCs! We’re adding a another new feature called “Foolish Fun“. You’ll hear Mark’s new intro in today’s show just to lighten the mood. I start off as the first Foolish one by by singing my cat’s Milky Song. Yes, I sing to my old cat every single day when it’s time for her to get her milk. Want to be Foolish too? Just call the bravery hotline 206-350-6445 or check out the send audio page on https://www.compulsiveovereatingdiary.com/how-to-send-audio/
And tell us a joke, riddle, a silly story, limerick, sing a song, play a kazoo, ANYTHING but talk about compulsive eating. This is the feature where messing up is just part of the act! No names required and Silly Aliases are AOK! Need ideas? See today’s Resource of the Day

Catch up with Laurie

My Spreaker page. Please follow me there if you are on Spreaker.

My Instagram page at LaurieDreamWeaver

FaceBook Page if you want to sign up for our email list by clicking Tiger the Cat’s Sign-up button

Laurie on Tumblr

My page with instructions for all of the ways (so far) that you can send audio and lend your voice to this podcast.

New free way to leave voicemail http://speakpipe.com/laurieweaver You can also click the blue button on this page that says ‘send a voice message.’

Bravery Hotline

Leave your comments, questions, feelings and stories on Laurie’s podcast voicemail hotline – 206-350-6445.

Credits

Host: Laurie Weaver
Laurie’s Foolish Fun Intro Announcer: Mark Weaver

Main Theme:I’m Letting Go by Josh Woodward from The Simple Life Part 1

I’m Letting Go (Josh Woodward) / CC BY 3.0

Sounds used in Laurie’s Foolish Fun Intro

  • Slide Whistle sounds
    http://www.freesound.org/people/plingativator/sounds/188873/
  • Background Tune/Beat
    http://www.freesound.org/people/siakitty/sounds/38478/
  • Girl’s Laughter
    http://www.freesound.org/people/choplin/sounds/109759/
  • Phone Ring
    http://www.freesound.org/people/winsx87/sounds/152028/

Resource of the day


ToonaCat’s Favorite Jokes and Riddles.
To put you in the Foolish Fun mood, this is the page from my old website for kids where they sent ToonaCat jokes and riddles. Pick one and call the bravery hotline! This page really brings back great memories of being a teacher and when ToonaCat.com was still a live site encouraging kids to be creative.
Comments box:

6 thoughts on “Ep 0054 – Therapy and Foolish Fun!

  1. Cheryl

    Wow! You were really UP after your first date with the therapist. That was good to hear! I hope it was a true affirmation to you that she didn’t poo-poo your podcast.

    Two things you talked about caught my attention. One, the struggle to realize that thoughts are just thoughts — unless, of course, you do something about them. Since I’ve been trying to be more honest with others and speak what’s true for me, I find I’m losing patience with them sometimes and thinking ornery thoughts about them. Then I feel guilty. I don’t know how I learned in my life that if you can’t “think” anything good about someone, you shouldn’t think about them at all (too much Bambi maybe?), but it’s caused me to continually justify behaviors in others that I never should have. Especially in regards to how they respect or disrespect me. So I need to realize if those thoughts are how I truly feel about someone at the moment, well then, I’m entitled to them — as long as I don’t hurt someone inadvertently. This one is a big one for me.

    Secondly was the isolation behavior. I am SO guilty of that. I will say or do something that I’m sure my friends see as totally off-the-wall in some regard and will immediately withdraw from them for days until I can shake the feeling they must think I’m a wingnut. I don’t do this so much with my family, though I have on occasion. But with friends or folks at church, this is a constant behavior of mine.

    I know you found editing that podcast kind of taxing, but you did a beautiful job!

    Reply
    1. Laurie@CompulsiveOvereatingDiary Post author

      Cheryl thanks so much for the positive feedback. I have been kind of biting my nails wondering if I let this episode get TOO personal, but I’m pretty satisfied with it. I’m glad the two points you got from this go round were helpful. These are two of my own issues that have blocked true intimacy in the past. I do feel very upbeat about this round of therapy, one, because I really feel this therapist is an excellent fit in skill and temperament for me and my needs, and two, because I feel truly ready to face my root demons. This has been a very long process for me. But I see now that I’ve learned from all of the parts of my life, good and bad. I also see that I do have the power to change my attitude at any moment. This has been the biggest revelation. Just how much power *I* have to change my world, just by how I frame it to myself. I wish the same for you, my friend. Your gifts are amazing, and I wish you could see yourself, truly, how your friends and companions see you. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Stéfanie

    I might be a little off this episode’s topic but the thing that struck me the most about this episode was the fact that you mentionned, twice, that the robot aliens were PROTECTING YOU. I think that choice of words is very, very significant. I don’t know if you did it consciously or not, but it seems to reveal an evolution in the way you perceive the robot aliens. At the beggining, they were controling you and they were little enemies. Now, it seems that they are more viewed as part of your coping mecanisms and that, in some way, they helped you – maybe not with your physical health, but with your mental health.

    All of this may be a little far fetched and esoteric – but I guess that in some way, if you look at all of this with a yin-yang point of view, it’s all about balance… The robot aliens played a role while you weren’t ready to deal with all of this. Now that you are, they slowly go away… Maybe part of the process involves learning to love our robot aliens and stop fighting them.

    That thought, applyed to my life, gave me great soothing and inner peace. I hope it does for you too.

    Reply
    1. Cheryl

      Heavens, Stefanie! I noticed that, too. Didn’t quite understand what had happened to change her opinion of the robots. Terrific observation. And you’re right, a very hopeful step.

      Reply
      1. Laurie@CompulsiveOvereatingDiary Post author

        Hey Stéfanie and Cheryl, thanks for pointing this out! It shows progress for me. I’ve known for some time, and have mentioned from time to time, that the Robot Aliens were invited by me to protect me from feeling what I don’t want to deal with. BUT I’ve been mad at them (myself) for my not being able to deal without them. I have also, until very recently, felt that my extra body fat was a big problem. I no longer feel this way, truly. My behavior around relationships is my true problem. I cover up my fear and worry with self-loathing because that gives me an illusion of control. It explains everything if “I am fat and bad”. That’s why even when I was thin, it wasn’t thin enough. I still felt the siren call of “fat is the reason for all disappointments and why anyone in my life did not love me”. Even if they DID love me, I could not let it in. I didn’t know what love felt like in my body – except from my cats. I could feel the warm, purring love as my cats would pat my face, perk up when I entered a room and gaze into my eyes as if I was the answer to life’s reason. I felt that from my Grandpa too, but he died when I was fairly young. But for many reasons, I developed coping mechanisms to push everyone away – the robot aliens being one. They were my protectors and friends. They colluded with me that it wasn’t my choice all along. And they still stay by my side ready for action until one day, I will like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, kiss them on the check and say “I’ll miss you most of all”. When I am ready, the Robot Aliens will be ready to say good-bye, and in a weird way, it will break my heart. BUT with you Stéfanie, and you Cheryl, and Sue, and Michelle, and Michelle Mck and Ava and Maddy and Kendra and Millie and Chrystal and Jodi and Sandy and Maureen and Shirl and Abby and Stefano and Lisa and Janet and all of the other Brave Companions private or public, past, present, and future who stand by me and each other, I will be ready to click my heels together and find my way back home.
        xxxxx

        Reply

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