"Stop it!" Therapy
Jan. 21st, 2008 09:24 amJ. and I used to joke around about "Just Stop It" therapy. This is when someone you know is complaining about some problem they have, either partly or wholly self-induced, and you want to tell them that whatever behavior or attitude is bothering them, "Just stop it!"
But, this almost never works. Dr. Laura seems to be about the only person who can do this, and actually gets thanked for it. However, any time I forget that it doesn't work and try it- or one of its variants such as "Just get over yourself" or "Suck it up and deal" or "Calm the fuck down"- it just gets the person's hackles up, even if advice was solicited (and I rarely give unsolicited advice anymore, because it's generally a losing proposition).
One of these days, I'll get it through my thick skull that offering this kind of "stop it" armchair therapy doesn't work. And, eventually, I'll just... stop it.
But, this almost never works. Dr. Laura seems to be about the only person who can do this, and actually gets thanked for it. However, any time I forget that it doesn't work and try it- or one of its variants such as "Just get over yourself" or "Suck it up and deal" or "Calm the fuck down"- it just gets the person's hackles up, even if advice was solicited (and I rarely give unsolicited advice anymore, because it's generally a losing proposition).
One of these days, I'll get it through my thick skull that offering this kind of "stop it" armchair therapy doesn't work. And, eventually, I'll just... stop it.