Night terrors.
As the heat wave reportedly so troubling Eastern Canada, touched upon Alberta, we finally had a few warm days. Yesterday was especially a hot day, with likely a high "Humidex." It looked that we'd have a storm in the afternoon, but we had to wait until 9 pm. for the first drops of the rain ("pierwsze krople dżdżu"). But it was a troubled storm, unable to fully discharge itself.
So, at 3 in the morning, the storm was still looming around us. All those thunders and lightnings seemed to have made Ged, our dog, unsettled. He made a couple of attempts to join me and Dusia in bed, and when we didn't allow it, became quite agitated. I went downstairs to see if he still got some water, when the dog signaled to me he wanted to go ... outside! He jumped into the rain, chased his Arch-Enemy, a fire log, for a while, and then just lied down. Very soon I saw him sleeping amidst all those thunders and pouring rain.
What a brave dog, I thought. There are naturally some risks in personalizing dogs' behavior, but, what he had done, one would argue, was a form of Exposure Therapy. This form of therapy is intended to help people overcome their fears by letting themselves to be exposed to what they fear. When no harm happens, then anxiety gradually subsides.
This form of therapy, as is easy to imagine, is not to the liking of most people. Many people seem to be stuck at the level of a child, who fears that there is a monster under the bed, but is too terrified to look beneath. This is what keeps anxiety inside.
If they only were as brave as Ged. I observed in the past that, when facing some unpleasant, but unavoidable prospect, such as his monthly bath, Ged pulls TOWARD the fearful stimuli. A few days ago, he literally dragged me and my son, Maciek, to the bathtub at PetValue. There is no doubt that he doesn't really enjoy the process, but, it looks, wants it done as quickly as possible. And how not to love him?
And what are the monsters under your bed, if any? It appears that for most of people at my stage of life, it is the prospect of death. Perhaps, if we look death "into her face," the terror will lessen, and even disappear.
I hope to muster the courage of my dog, when the time comes. I feel inspired by the image of his body, sleeping peacefully, in the middle of the storm.
(PR)
So, at 3 in the morning, the storm was still looming around us. All those thunders and lightnings seemed to have made Ged, our dog, unsettled. He made a couple of attempts to join me and Dusia in bed, and when we didn't allow it, became quite agitated. I went downstairs to see if he still got some water, when the dog signaled to me he wanted to go ... outside! He jumped into the rain, chased his Arch-Enemy, a fire log, for a while, and then just lied down. Very soon I saw him sleeping amidst all those thunders and pouring rain.
What a brave dog, I thought. There are naturally some risks in personalizing dogs' behavior, but, what he had done, one would argue, was a form of Exposure Therapy. This form of therapy is intended to help people overcome their fears by letting themselves to be exposed to what they fear. When no harm happens, then anxiety gradually subsides.
This form of therapy, as is easy to imagine, is not to the liking of most people. Many people seem to be stuck at the level of a child, who fears that there is a monster under the bed, but is too terrified to look beneath. This is what keeps anxiety inside.
If they only were as brave as Ged. I observed in the past that, when facing some unpleasant, but unavoidable prospect, such as his monthly bath, Ged pulls TOWARD the fearful stimuli. A few days ago, he literally dragged me and my son, Maciek, to the bathtub at PetValue. There is no doubt that he doesn't really enjoy the process, but, it looks, wants it done as quickly as possible. And how not to love him?
And what are the monsters under your bed, if any? It appears that for most of people at my stage of life, it is the prospect of death. Perhaps, if we look death "into her face," the terror will lessen, and even disappear.
I hope to muster the courage of my dog, when the time comes. I feel inspired by the image of his body, sleeping peacefully, in the middle of the storm.
(PR)
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