Magical Thinking?
 

My therapist recently told me that I have "magical thinking" because I give other people's words/descriptions of me enough power in that I change myself because of them. IE: I've had people I've been romantically interested in tell me I am "too clingy," so as a result, I go to the complete opposite end of the spectrum - avoiding calling them for weeks on end just to "prove" that I am not clingy...and it's gotten to the point where I start to avoid close interpersonal contact because I've internalized those comments about me...

Has anyone else experienced this? What does this mean? As far as I know, I just have GAD/Social Phobia and pretty serious depression...(At least that's what they've told me so far...) :notsure:

I have magical thinking too. But the kind where I feel that my thoughts can influence other people or events. That's what I've always thought magical thinking is.

Hm, "magical thinking" doesn't sound like what your therapist described. It sounds like Stellata's description.

It sounds like you feel perhaps insecure, and you do anything you can to avoid being left or abandoned, even if it means changing yourself. This is a feature of my diagnosis, I have Borderline Personality Disorder. But you can experience this without having BPD, I'm sure.

I have the same sort of magical thinking as Stellata described.

I have the same as what Stellata described too...

That's strange, because that was the phrase she used...:questionmark: I know I was kind of taken aback when I was in that session, because I didn't think that could be considered magical thinking as well...When I do this, though, I do know that my mindset is as follows: "If I pretend to be uninterested or distance myself, they won't see me as clingy anymore, and they will start to like me again..." Does that make sense?

control_freak, if you don't mind me asking, how/when were you diagnosed with BPD? How did your therapist approach the issue with you? Did they just straight up tell you? I am only asking because my therapist has been emphasizing my black and white thinking and told me I have a tendency to use splitting a lot...When she said that, my ears pricked up, and I was like, "Oh sh*t..." because I know that it's essentially a hallmark of BPD.

*shrug* Maybe I am reading into it too much. If you would rather PM me about your diagnosis, that's fine too. (Maybe it'd be better considering it has little to do with the thread?)

Thanks.