Get out your Picture as a Child

This exercise is amazing and I'm going to do it and I want everyone to join me in doing it as well!!!

Its going to be hard and just thinking about it makes me tear up. I can remember myself being so little hearing those mean things. And now it breaks my heart even more having children of my own. I can't imagine if they were told these horrible things!

Imagine if your child came home from church/families house, friends house, school,etc and said they were told some of these horrible things. What would you say to them?? If that child was you, what would you say to yourself?  When did we stop saying it to ourselves? 

This is from an anonymous reader.

"An exercise I did while I was in counseling that was very healing for me. I warn you it will sound a little hokey but it is really very liberating. You take an empty chair and sit facing the chair and imagine yourself as a child, whatever age was most effected by the abuse and tell yourself at that age whatever you think he/she needs to hear to be able to heal. Such as, "Your mother/friends/father has their own problems and it's not right that she/he is treating you this way. The things she/he tells you about yourself are not true. You really are smart and strong and worth it. Your mom/dad/friend doesn't know how to love you the way they should 

because of their own flaws and problems. The things she/he says to you really have nothing to do with who you really are."

I pictured myself as a seven-year-old. The age I was when I had my first suicidal thoughts. It was amazingly effective at helping heal the hurt feelings that had been buried and never had a chance to heal. And as an adult you understand that these things are true but have trouble healing the feelings, because they are so deep inside. But your younger self can believe your grown up self and finally heal. You have to really visualize and believe you are talking to that child that has just never had the chance to heal."