Psychological crutch

[merid]

Would any of you say that you need a psychological crutch, whether it be a partner, a hobby or even this forum talking to INTJs?

If not, why don't you need a crutch? Has anything in life actually knocked you off your feet?

[Chimerical]

This forum is used more as a way of understanding myself and the desire I've had for quite a while to find a place where I feel as if I belong and I'm not the odd one out.

Um...hmm....I don't need to be with people but it helps, I usually do everything better when I'm in a good relationship. When someone I like a lot rejects me I tend to shut down, and when I'm at a job and my boss is a fool and there isn't shit I can do about it and they nag and nag I lose my ability to function well. I've found no way out of any of this.

[sriv]

Although I have functioned at my highest intellectual capacity while in relative isolation, I feel healthier and stronger when I have someone to communicate with, possibly lean on. This forum has helped me realize more about myself and others the more I apply it.

[pinkroger]

I have been knocked off my feet by an extreme amount of stress before, and haven't ever quite recovered (although now I would consider myself "fine"). So, because I haven't recovered, I wouldn't say I had or need a crutch of any sort.

[spittingvenom]

The biggie was losing my significant other in a car accident when we were young and desperately in love.

Since then, I have very much operated with crutches...I call them emotional crutches. I have used sex, booze, and relationships all to quell the emotional needs that I was unable to talk about.

I have been working recently on releasing the crutches. I have come to realize that they are just unhealthy coping mechanisms. I have had to let go of the notion that some person, some careeer, more money, some THING...will provide me with happiness. I know that I need to be looking inward for contentment and outwardly for things that friends/lovers should be able to provide for me in healthy relationships: compassion, companionship, understanding, good times.

I have hope for me...with good friends, healthy introspection, Zen meditation, and making healthy decisions...I feel I will get there.

Do other people feel this way...do you recognize when something is a crutch? I think for many aspects of my life, my INTJness has blinded me to aspects of my self, esp. my emotional health, that I am just learning to understand.

[deepFlow]

Thank you for the touching post, spittingvenom.

I have many crutches. One of them used to be food. I have in the past two years managed to mostly remove that one as a crutch... well, at least remove it enough so that I could lose most of my excess weight.

But now I feel a lack of sufficient crutches. So I struggle against myself so as not to re-take-up any of the golden oldies and slide backward into previous levels of nonfunctioningness.

[sriv]

The only psychological crutch I will ever need is avid self-confidence. More are helpful.