Hello Findingapurpose. Welcome.

Welcome!!!

thank you for the welcome "tiredtoo" and "meganrose"

Welcome. I am sorry for the reasons that brought you here. I am glad that you found us.

thank you butterfly9 for the warm welcome. I am sorry we all have to meet this way but through each other and support we can get through this

If you get stuck on some parts of the book this board is a good place to turn to find out how others managed with a particular point. Glad you found the book and joined DS, I hope you find it to be a source of comfort for you. Welcome to RAR

Welcome, findingapurpose. I do think the book will help, as this group. I've found both to be extremely helpful to me even though it's a hard walk to walk. Having each other as a support system makes it a bit more bearable. Much comfort and encouragment I've found here. I hope you do the same.

Take care.

Thank you for the warm welcome Finalytime and Writer34. I feel so welcomed to this group all ready. any advice on the book before I started reading it? should I read it all the way thru first and than start the journal or should I read till i get to the first journal entry and than continue reading? I just dont want to overwhelm myself with all the locked up emotions and memories

Well, I'm pretty new in the book also. For me, I've found taking it piece by piece is better because just those "little" journaling exercises are intense. Journaling throughout helps me let the emotion release rather than it being stuffed.

I wanted to come in and conquer these issues and book...HA! I am slowly learning what many people have said...no quick fix...so take your time and find your own pace. No need to push yourself, as sometimes the mind wants to go quite faster than the heart...but the heart can only take so much.

Just make sure you have your journaling tools near at all times :)

thank you writer for the helpful advice. I will take it slow. I have stuff pretty locked up that it may take awhile. I am a little scared to open the book right now. I look at it and think this will be painful and scary but I also look at it and see hope

If I can, I'd like to offer on bit of advice. Go slow with the exercises. Don't overwhelm yourself. Do you work with a therapist/counselor or are you working the book alone?

Welcome to RAR!

So advice on the book....

Don't get too attached to the beauty of the outside. The cover will most likely be beat to hell within a couple months. You should fully expect to throw that damn book all over the place. To treat it like it can hear you and yell or curse at it. I know I did. And I know there's many others that did as well.

But the book is AWESOME. I refer to it all the time. I go back to topics all the time. I use it more as a reference guide now than a healing guide, as I've gone through the steps. But it's forever useful.

I also suggest that you purchase "Letters To Survivors" compiled by the same author as RAR. That book will DEFINITELY help you through the hardest moments. It's like having your own little peanut gallery at your disposal at any time. Well...it's much more than a little peanut gallery...but yeah. hehe.

]I hope that you find what you need here. Take care and don't be afraid to jump into conversations, ask questions, and never be afraid to post.

oh yea !! The Letter to Survivor book is fantastic if your just starting out. YOu can find that at RAR books too.

thank you so so much. everyone is so helpful here. thanks for letting me know about the other book I wasn't aware there was another one. I start seeing a therapist on the 2nd of march. I will check and see if she wants to work with me on the book. I will try and start the book tonight when my kiddo is asleep. i am feeling great anxiety over this but its time to start healing. I have suffered long enough. Thank you everyone

Barnes and Noble.com and Amazon carries the Letters To Survivors, by Matt Atkinson. My advice bring both to your appt on the 2nd :)