MBT EN – Understanding Mentalization-Based Treatment

← MBT EN – Understanding Mentalization-Based Treatment8 sept. · 35 min

#25: MBT Group Therapy > Between Losing Control and Trying to Hold Yourself Together

#25: MBT Group Therapy > Between Losing Control and Trying to Hold Yourself Together8 sept.35 min

<p>🎙️ Special Episode – “Between Losing Control and Trying to Hold Yourself Together”</p><p><br /></p><p>Welcome to this special episode of the MBT podcast.</p><p>In this group session, an intense conversation unfolds about control, helplessness, and the fear of what happens when emotions become too overwhelming to keep pushing away.</p><p><br /></p><p>What makes this session powerful is how clearly it shows that many group members, each in their own way, are trying to maintain control over tension, insecurity, and overwhelming emotions.</p><p><br /></p><p>Today, we listen to a group session where themes such as self-criticism, emotional control, not feeling seen, and the struggle between feeling and avoiding come to the surface.</p><p><br /></p><p>⸻</p><p><br /></p><p>🧠 What this episode explores</p><p><br /></p><p>Being overwhelmed by emotions</p><p><br /></p><p>Several group members describe how emotions can suddenly hit without warning.</p><p><br /></p><p>Frustration.</p><p>Anger.</p><p>Sadness.</p><p>Helplessness.</p><p><br /></p><p>Feelings that once seemed manageable</p><p>can suddenly take over completely.</p><p><br /></p><p>And that loss of control can feel frightening.</p><p><br /></p><p>⸻</p><p><br /></p><p>Keeping the lid on emotions</p><p><br /></p><p>The session reveals how differently people try to cope with emotions.</p><p><br /></p><p>Some spend years suppressing and controlling their feelings.</p><p>Others experience emotions exploding in every direction with almost no control at all.</p><p><br /></p><p>But both responses serve the same purpose:</p><p>trying to protect yourself from being overwhelmed.</p><p><br /></p><p>⸻</p><p><br /></p><p>Self-criticism and pressure to perform</p><p><br /></p><p>An important theme in this session is the harsh way group members look at themselves.</p><p><br /></p><p>Doubting yourself.</p><p>Always needing to do more.</p><p>Never feeling truly good enough.</p><p><br /></p><p>Compliments are difficult to accept,</p><p>while mistakes become painfully magnified.</p><p><br /></p><p>⸻</p><p><br /></p><p>Not feeling seen</p><p><br /></p><p>The painful feeling of not being important enough also strongly emerges.</p><p><br /></p><p>When someone finally becomes vulnerable,</p><p>but feels that nothing is really done with it,</p><p>pain and disappointment quickly follow.</p><p><br /></p><p>The group explores how deeply this feeling can hurt —</p><p>especially when someone is genuinely trying to ask for help or be