How To Not Sweat The Small Stuff?

[Irulan]

Some tips for those of us who don't have the time or money for therapy would be wonderful.

One thought is you might see if there's an appropriate 12 step group that might be a good fit. For example, many of the issues in the thread are symptomatic of growing up in alcoholic home, and Al-anon might be a good choice in that respect.

Another thought is group counseling. There are many good facilitate groups ( for every issue imaginable) and the cost usually relates to 4-6 group sessions might equal the cost of one private session.

Now having been down this road ( feeling like there wasn't time or money), is that in many cases the time/money thing is a matter of how much you want to commit or feel you need the change. For some people, the time/money thing is just a coverup for being afraid of what they might find out and learn in counseling. When my marriage was in the tank, the alternative to NOT seeking counseling wasn't pretty. We were living paycheck to pay check but we made it work and I have never, ever regretted it. Same thing when I was so depressed I was non-functional and suicidal - not getting the help I needed wasn't an option. It's an investment in your quality of life. I'd recommend NOT waiting until things are in crisis mode to get started.

Sometimes, the things we need to learn how to do differently are so well integrated into our core that we honestly do need facilitation to change.